The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1941-01-18
THE MISSING
OWL
g
By TOM FRENCH
Mcclure syndicate-wNU service.)


ty at Parkleigh college. 1t was en-
titled the Order of Owls.
1t is, of course, a great thing to
belong to this society. Membership
in it means that you can wear the
small enameled owl, not too con-
spIcuously, of course, but where it
will show when you take out your
watch. Just one glimpse of that lit
tie enameled pin-and the world is
open to you.
Carlton Thomas had been out of
Parkleigh for ten years, and he had
found that his hard progress upward
as a lawyer depended very little on
his membership in the Owls.
But one illusion of his undergrad
uate days remained to Carlton. He
still felt that his being an Owl put
him up peg or two with the girls.
So, in moments of enthusiastic
though perhaps not wise feeling,
Carlton had parted with several Owl
pins. 1t had always been possible
to get more at headquarters.
One morning when Carlton was
opening his mail in the bachelor
apartment he shared with Steve
Tompkins, another Owl from Park
leigh, he was surprised to see a
communication from the fraternity
headquarters.
I've got one, too" Steve said.
Read what it says"
Carlton took SteVe's advice. The
notice said that according to a re-
cent decision of the active Owls, no
Owl could be allowed to give his
pin to girl unless he was engaged
or married to her. The society felt
that some Owls had been a little
reckless about the matter, and, as
headquarters had a record of the
number of pins issued to each men,
Der, all outstanding pins must be ac-
counted for. They must know that
the pins had either been lost or were
in proper hands.
But" said Steve, cts only some
of those Girl-crazy Johnnies they've
been taking in lately who'd give
their pins around promiscuously-
not old-timers, like US. If you've
lost them, you've lost them"
eyes" muttered Carlton. eff
you've lost them - you've lost
them" And he clutched at special
slip that had fallen from his enve-
lope, notification from headquar-
tiers that he must account for six
pins he had applied for.
After Steve left, Carlton listed his
| pins:
"One that l wear. Two, l gave
my sister to make Maud Dawson
| jealous by thinking perhaps Steve
gave it to her. Three, l gave Maud
Dawson to get even with my sis
ter. Write for those two. Four, |
gave the little brunette in Rome.
Good as lost. Five, l gave Jane
Tracy after 1 quarreled with Cath
crime Brown. Jane threw it away
when she found GATHERINGS initials
on the back. Good as lost. Six
gave to that girl l met in New
Hampshire. Can't think of her
44Cl4lSs N1hoL doh OIGNGs
That evening Steve sat smoking
his pipe and reading while Carlton
struggled over some mysterious let
tiers. He looked up brightly, and
tried to talk nonchalantly
"By the way, Steve" he said, 1--WE
had good time up in New Hamp-
shire that year, didn't WEI"
"Sure," said Steve, "but why drag
that in?"
''Nice girls, there, too" said Carl
ton, doggedly sticking to his point.
"By the way, what was the name of
that little one, the one that was so
pretty-Peggy something or other,
wasn't it,"
"a fine time to ask" said Steve,
latter you rushed her a month and
then came away and never gave her
another thought"
Not so fast, young man. / did
think about her a lot but not about
her name. And it was just after we
got back, as you'll remember, if
you'll put what brains you've got on
the matter, that l was sent abroad.
But that's neither here nor there.
What's her name?"
Peggy Trent. They're staying at
the Hotel Gordon here for the win
ter. The fact is, Carlton, the win
ter you were abroad used to see a
good deal of her l hate to make
you any more conceited than you
are, but I thought that winter she
was rather hurt at the way you be-
haved. Anyway, she didn't have
much use for me-or anybody else. 3"
"Fact?" queried Carlton. Il must
look her up. AS l remember her,
thought she was pretty swell, but
didn't think she was Interested"
"Well, don't get all worked up
over it," said Steve. 81 saw her a
couple of nights ago and she was
wearing an Owl pin-guess one of
the younger men has cut you out,
old-timer."
A few hours later Carlton found
Steve still reading in the same chair
he had left him.
WELL" queried Steve, "did you
find out whose Owl pin Peggy's
wearing?"
UWac cold Horl+o,o ~, Co.