Middletown transcript., 1922-12-09
MEET LIEUT.. DORR
BY CHARLOTTE rALLEY

dressed Miss Smith. Pretty Miss
Weston bowed, with her gracious lit
tie smile, and again to Lieutenant
James, whom she had met before.
l enjoyed the comedy that had an
ticipated when l saw Mrs. Weston
emerge from the house. She was
mOnomaniac on the subject of social
position and, hoping to better her own
| through her daughters marriage, she
! fussel terribly every time Marie made
Il new acquaintance.
| Now, who do you suppose that girl
has introduced to Marie?' she ques-
toned me, throwing out her hands
with helpless gesture. you meet all
kinds of people in u boarding house."
You do, indeed" said to myself
But aloud, II don't know this officer"
adding mentally, 80 first lieutenant
won't do for Marie!" l had heard
that Mrs. Weston was looking for at
| least a captain.
AS we focked in to dinner. Lieuten.
ant Dorr was presented to the rest Of
us and, to Mrs. Weston's displeasure,
he had been placed next to Marie.
Marie was not the type l admired, l
decided the black lashes that dropped
So modesty over Maries blue eyes
eXasperated; they looked artificial to
me. | was beginning to suspect my.
self of prejudice when, suddenly, my
eyes encountered the brown ones of
Lieutenant Dorr, and, confused, l
turned away to converse with Lieuten-
ant James on my right.
He and DOrr were "baching" 1t
while DORIS family were away, he In
formed me. and then he launched upon
II eulogy of Lieutenant Dorr He was
as good as his name would have in
dicated If it had been written in
French. Why, Dorr, he said, had sac
riticed the large income from his bust
ness when he enlisted as soon as war
was declared. So Lieutenant DOrr was
one of the wealthy and socially promi-
nent DORIS of FL Paso And Mrs.
Weston was trying to signal Marie not
to be so cordial to him. 4.
For a reason, which l discovered
later, this managing matron had not
been averse to having her daughter re-
ceive the attentions of blonde, loqua-
cious Lieutenant James. But she had
made Il mistake about his status, too,
which came to her as a crushing blow
when she heard Of It. 1t was Jack
who told me about it, in his slangy
fashion, as l labored over pile of
his gaping socks in my bedroom the
following day.
Gee, Sue. you oughta heard that
ole hen bawl Marie out when she
learned that the one gilt bar on Lieu
tenant James shoulder was insignia
of second lieutenant instead of a
captain as she had supposed"
!, Every evening after this disappoint-
/, ing discovery Mrs. Weston drew heI
daughters arm within her own after
dinner and took her for a walk. 1t was
week later when she found out heI
mistake concerning Lieutenant Dorr
, Miss Smith had just told her about his
prominence when he, in long, black
. glossy car drew up to the door, wear
, ing two silver bars on his shoulder in
stead of one. as formerly Mrs. Weston
made no mistake about insignia now
and she knew that he had been pro
NOTED to a captaincy.
She was so attentive to him at din
J. ner that l could see that Marie wa:
embarrassed. / avoided the CALLER,
afterward in sheer disgust with m,
sex, slipping away to the piano in tn,
g parlor, where began softly to play
e Chopin nocturne. l was feeling NOR
pain than pleasure from my perform
/ ance, because the piano was out o
S tune, when turned to face Lieutenan
G Dorr, hat in hand, asking Jack and nj
o to go to drive. l accepted for us botf
e fear with alacrity. My heart bea
6 to suffocation.
U We drove to Yseleta, a picturesqu
$ Mexican village some miles from
J. Paso, but to me it seemed more lik
driving to Paradise l was in much to
J. happy mood on our return to col
y denim Mrs. Weston, whom we foun
n awaiting us, sitting in the couch han
t. mock with her feet scarcely touchin
L. the floor. She waddled forward.
e "Oh, Captain Dorr, l failed to col
, gratulate you on your promotion. A
q. low mew And she thrust forth
~ rudgy hand.
e. The newly-made captain took 1t an
y murmured his thanks, but as Mrs. We
y ton turned to me with more effusioI
'i he met the eyes of Lieutenant Jane
with an intentional and deliberat
wink of one brown eye.
'Oh, boy!" exclaimed Jack, late
l "Did you see Captain Dorr wink? Sa
RS I thought you said it was common
~ wink, Sue Langdon.'
N We'll l suppose it depends on Il
way it's DONE" l back-watered. g
Id you can wink like Captain Dorr,"
* conceded, ION occasion. you may"
IS, Its a pity Mrs. Weston spoils h
daughters pleasure so,' l said insi
IS cerely, because for the first time in n
life l was Jealous. Marie has t
ok much pride to make any advances
r. an admirer her mother has on
to snubhed"
Captain Dorr picked up his quit
he and, with laughing eyes on mine,
In sang, You Mean Somebody, Darlin
but You Don't Mean Me-"
IN l received presentiment then
I'M what meeting Lieutenant Dorr" W
et to bring me. Bliss unspeakable in
Is coming the first lady of his bea
= and then anguish in parting, for
went to face the enemy, leaving !
only dew-drops for memories-thOse
grief In my eyes. hut one of no
nd xlistening on my finger.
he