Evening star., 1922-02-19
ONCE A FLIRT

tude toward the women. Most
of US are brought up to take this
attitude. But John Palmer had deeper
sense than is common of the duty OF
men to protect and to guard.
He married girl of whom it was
often said-by her very best friends.
too-that she certainly needed a guar
dian.
Mabel was a slim person with a
slightly turned-up u9se and an air.
Most of the younger crowd in Spar
borough had tried one time or an
other to analyze that air of Mabefs.
and most of them ended by saying.
We'll, anyway, she's a born fiirt.
NIaizie Blaze. who knew Mabel better
than any body else. said that this air OF
Mabers meant: Come and take me
if you can
OF course, no girl. not even Mabel,
could wear such an air all the time
1t got its effect partly because she
used it so little. She was capable of
the incest sort OF friendship. She
could be simple and honest and agree
able. Indeed, it was that. the unfiir-
tatious side of he", that made her
such a flirt She didn't pretend to be
interested when young man got to
the point of telling her all about ms
ambitions: she was Interested, she
was positively maternal. But the
young men who told Mabel their am
billions, and that included all the
young men she ever knew for more
than three days. got a kind of shock
The shock came vhen Mabel-who
had been all interest and all sympa-
thy and so very much there-sudden-
Iy became elusive. All she did was to
assume that Come and take me-if
you can" air of hers.
Some of them we're SO surprised
that they never actually proposed to
her. Some Of them were SO outraged
that they never could forgive her.
even when they saw her doing it to
somebody else.
X X K
JoHN PALMER was big man. one
of those big. powerful men who
are slow to anger 1.-The kind OF man
who can get aboard the subway at
Brooklyn bridge in the rush hour
without stepping on anybody ard
without getting mad. He had played
guard for three years at Harvard ana
won a place on the All-American. his
last year He had been in love with
Mabel Durbrow ever since he could
remember. But only at a distance.
He had observed Mabel from afar and
quietly decided that he would never
let himself be any more in love with
her than he was. 1t wasn't. safe. He
avoided her-conscientiously
So one night he found himself talk
ing to her alone, on the veranda. at
the Country Clubs spring dance. He
had talked to her for an hour, while
she cut one dance after another. 1t
had been exactly as if they were old
friends who hadn't seen each other
for years and now discovered that
they liked each other as well as they
had formerly. and perhaps better.
John had asked if he might call. Or
she had asked him to call. Or they
had taken it for granted that he
would call.
However that was, he began to see
her more and more freQuently-to
play golf with her through long sum-
mer afternoons and to dance with her
through short summer evenings and
to walk with her through the mellow
summer moonlight.
One day. when all scarborough was
waiting breathlessly for the end. John
picked up Mabel at the railway sta
tion in his car and drove her home.
Mabel" he said. as he set her down
at her own front gate. 81 have some-
thing to say to you"
But I'm in such a hurry, john" she
said. She was poised for flight.
IT don't mean now John said. II
mean this evening"
But I believe I have an engage
ment this evening. Mr.. Anderson"
She raised her eyebrows expressively.
In a flash she had assumed that air of
hers. In one breath1ess instant she
ceased to be the friendly, jolly girl
John had known. and became the per-
son who seemed to say, Come and
take me-jf you can"
so good of you to take me home"
she finished. and before John could
recover himself she had waved her
hand and started up the walk.
For an instant John watched her re-
ceding back. 1nvoluntarily he
clenched his fists. And then he ran
after her. Mabel heard him coming.
Mabel gave one quick look over her
shoulder and fed. She ran fast: but once
started, John Palmer ran faster. He
caught her at the top step. He held
her tightly in his arms.
- you will. will you?" he said rough
1y, and kissed her mouth.
Il" Mabel gasped. She tried to
free herself John held her closer.
Mabel looked at him defiantly.
"You brute" she said passionately.
You're going to marry me-" he
said through his te.th. Mabel looked
up at him. And then her head sank
on his shoulder and, with a little sigh.
she relaxed in his arms.
You're going to marry me-" he re-
peated.
"Yes," she whispered, so low that
he scarcely heard her.
John released her. John raised his
hat. With more ease than he had
known himself to possess, he bowed
to Mabel
Until this evening" he said calm
ly, and walked off. He had Walked
right past his car standing at the
curb. the engine running. without see
ing 1t or thinking of it. His self
possession wasn't as magnificent as
he imagined. But he had won Mabel
Durbrow.
THEY were married in less than a
month and vert to the Canadian
pnoI;os for their houeymOOu and