Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1922)

36 Photoplay Magazine Idalene Nobbin was a wall flower, and she didn't realise it for a long while. When she got wise to herself — well, she made haste to grow away That dance, to Idalene. was like a glimpse into Heaven. To Roy — quite different ribbon to her other finery. Prue, greeting her friend as she came into the room, was filled with a sudden merriment. But her excitement over being the leading vamp of the village soon distracted her attention. Prue's party was a pretentious small-town affair. Hired palms and oleanders, home-made salads* and ices, and an orchestra that had never heard of jazz, but was strong on perspiration, made festive the old-fashioned house. Only Prue, and the young men who had come over from the state college, were modern. Phineas — commonly known as "Phin" — Larrabee was the leader of this state college group. Long an ardent admirer of Prue. he had unwisely brought to the party his chum. one Roy Duncan, the football hero. And Prue, like most young ladies, was inclined to be a trifle too interested in football heroes. Phin, struggling for a dance with her, soon realized his mistake and, with deep malice and cunning, singled out Idalene, who had not yet had a chance to dance, and thrust her, with a hasty word of introduction, into Roy Duncan's reluctant arms. Perhaps it was the hastiness and the confusion of that introduction that laid the foundation for the mistake that later happened. With his mind full of Prue and his feet busily trying to keep out of Idalene's way, it was not at all strange that Roy Duncan stopped thinking coherently. His one ambition to get away from Idalene — his one dream to dance with Prue — it so happened that he confused their names! Roy danced only a single dance with Idalene — for which we will not judge him too harshly! He was only human, and Prue was bewilderingly pretty, and, after all, none of the other boys had even danced once with the little wall flower. Young men, of the intensely selfish college age, seldom think in terms of self-sacrifice. And it was nothing short of self-sacrifice to dance with a girl who trod on one's feet and clung, heavily, to one's cherished dress coat ! The party, like all parties, was too soon over — for everyone except Idalene Nobbin. To her the evening had been a horrible failure, the only bright spot in it had been her one. all too short, dance with Roy Duncan. It had been like a glimpse into Heaven, that dance. How could she know that it had meant something very different to Roy? She went home, with her mother, to dream radiant dreams which centered about him. In the meantime Phin Larrabee, still annoyed at his friend, was adding a bit to Roy Duncan's mistake in names. For up in the room where the boys had left their coats and hats there was a picture of Prue. And when Roy. lifting it in affectionate hands, asked suddenly: "What's her name — Prue?" Phin had answered, craftily. "Prue? No, indeed, that's not Prue. That's a picture of Idalene Nobbin!" That was why, several days later, a letter came to Miss Idalene Nobbin, from the state college. It was not a long letter, but it was a bewildering one. For it read like this: Dear Miss Nobbin: You may have forgotten me, but I will never forget our dancing together. I should be highly honored if you and your mother would be my guests at the Junior Prom here the 16th of this month. I have engaged rooms for you at the best boarding house. Please don't fail. Yours as ever, Roy Duncan. Of course Idalene accepted the invitation. And then began a series of preparations that put those for Prue's party quite into the background. Almost hysterical with joy, the girl and her equally excited mother began to get ready. Idalene was no longer allowed to wash dishes — it might make her hands 'Am I dead yet?" she asked. "Am I in Heaven?"