Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 253, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 October 1918 — THE "HE-PERSON” [ARTICLE]

THE "HE-PERSON”

By MILDRED E. SWENSON.

(Copyright, 1»18. by. McClure Newspaper - , Syndicate.) it’s Donr” •Bab the nhone After a ■ound her friend, about the room. . rest a minute.” way?” She drew Bab to the sofa. it’s this wav” exTilalnetl Bab. “Doug is coming up tonight, and he’s going to bring a nice young man. “His name is Ray Stanley, and he was a friend of Doug’s in college. He’s leaving with Doug for camp in ft few days, and Doug sny« that they .want to make the-most of the short time they have left.” “But where do I come in?” asked Ann, for she was Bab’s guest. “Where?” repeated Bdb. “Why, you big silly! With Ray, of course.” But Ann thought otherwise. “Well. I guess I don’t come in with any old Ray or anyone else for that matter. You might have asked my permission before trying to put me off on any old ‘he-person,’ so there!” And Ann, with her head high in the air, ran out of the room. “Well, of i all the—” started Bab, then stopped. What was the matter with Ann, anyway? She absolutely refused to meet those "he-persons,” as she persisted in calling the opposite sex, and all of Bab’s efforts to that end had been failures. Ann was fond of Doug, in a way—because he was engaged to Bab —but any other male was much more at home away from her. Suddenly Bab jumped up, as if inspired, and going over to the phone again called Doug’s number. They chatted for a few moments, with a few eagerly suppressed "Yes’s?* “Oh, do’s,” and “That will be fine’s” on Bab’s part. Then she went out to join her friend, who was seated in the hammock. She had just gotten comfortably seated when the phone rang again. “Oh, heavens!” exclaimed Bab; “there’s that old phone again. I do wish people would let me stay quiet for a few minutes once in a while.” “I’ll answer It Bab,” said Ann, obligingly. “It’s probably one of the Bond girls to remind us that we are to play tennis with them tomorrow.” And she went into the house. A few minutes later she came out flushed and nngry. “Of all the nerve I ever heard of!” she exclaimed, “that’s positively the limit.” “Why, Ann.” said Bab, looking up in a surprised way. “What’s the trouble?” “Trouble? Trouble’s no name for’t. That Stanley fellow called up and asked for me, and then informed me that he was coming over to see me tonight! Think of that for nerve. Why, I never even met him.” “But, of course, you didn’t refuse?” asked Bab, sweetly. “Refuse? I certainly did! And then he said he didn’t care, he was coming anyway. Oh, .1 suppose I’ll have to see him, but I won’t talk to him. you may be sure of that.” “I don’t see the necessity of you’re even meeting him, Ann, If you don’t care to,” said Bab, gently. “You told hjm you didn’t want to, so if he comes and doesn’t see you. It’s his own fault.” “Well, if you think it wiirtfe all right,” said Ann. “I’d rather—n-o-t!” This last was said slowly and as if she didn’t know whether she really meant it or not. The subject seemed to be settled, but just after dinner, as Bab was dressing flor the evening—for she Intended to entertain Doug, anyway—Ann came into her room, and said, apologetically: “Don’t you think, Bab, that I might see that Stahley person tonight?” and she hesitated. "He’s going away to camp, and —” Bab bugged her. “Of course. It will be all right.”' she said, "and you’re a dear to do it. I know you don’t like boys, so It’s all the nicer of you to entertain this one, but remember It’s only for one night, and you needn’t see him again if you don’t want to. Doug will be so pleased!” Ann smiled as she started to dress. “Yes, it’s only for one night, and—• he did have a sort of niee voice,” and she added as an afterthought: “For s ‘he person.’ ” So when the boys came they found two radiant girls waiting for them. Ray seemed to think that Ann was pretty nice for a man-hater, too. As for Ann —well, she sufficiently forgot her hatred of “he-persons” enough to promise Ray that she would write to him when he left a few days later. But the queer part of it was that she never discovered that it was at Bab’s prompting that the “he-person” had called her up!