Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-02-22

How 10 Was Lost
BY RUTH CHESTERFIELD.
"Oh dear, what adelightful world this
would he If the things one wants to do
were the things one ought to do, said
Grace Adair.
"In other words, if duty and inclina-
ton were coincident, as Miss Naylor
would say, replied Mahala Goodwin.
Precisely; and | believe they are, in
her case; not that she's go very good,
either, but here she's gone ON at the
head Of this institution year after year,
doing the same things, till she's got to be
a kind OF machine. She couldn't do any
thing else il she tried, therefore, she feels
no inclination to. Now l have not mr.
rived ut that blissful state"
AZ believe you, put in Mahala.
No. Alas for me! / am constantly
torn by conflicting emotions, drawn in
fifty different directions at once, !" and as
if to illustrate by example, Grace, who
had just come in from a walk, threw her
hat on one chair, her mantle on another
and herself on third. Nov, here's
this boating party 80
"Soit's a boating party 2" said Mahala,
looking up with sudden interest. II
was wondering what new temptation had
beset you"
"Oh, forgot you hadn't heard about
it. Well, there's to be boating party
on the river Thursday evening. I am
invited, and you are going to be. It's to
be the most magnificent affair Of the kind
ever got up in Pocomoke. Flags, music,
Chinese lanterns, everything gay and
festive. That handsome Harry Sims
tod me about il. and has asked me to
sing duet with him."
81 see. So the conflict is between
Harry Sims and the boating party on
one hand, and Miss Naylor and our ex-
animation on the other. What did you
say ~
"Oh, told him how much 1 should
enjoy 1t, ard all that, but that Miss
Naylor had grown more rigid than ever,
now that we were preparing for examina
ton, and I was sure she would never
allow me to 60. And what do you think
he said then?'
"Can't imagine, I'm sure"
He looked at me in his comical way,
and said, Is there no way in which you
can elude the vigilance of the dragoness?
OF course, it was naughty for him te
speak in that way, and SO told him; but
couldn't help laughing"
/" should think less of the vigilance
Of the dragoness than I should Of the
real loss to myself" said Mahala.
Z" But how could it be any loss? It il
only one evening"" said Grace.
"No, but we should be thinking about
it before and aftcrward; it would take up
our minds when we ought to be at oul
studies"
"Oh, my! How proper! You must
be expecting reward Of merit. Ma.
hala Goodwin, for diligence and good
behavior, merits the appreciation Of the
teacher That's the kind used to gel
when was little girl, though perhap,
you wouldn't believe it."
"Well, no, don't think I should
You may be sure, however, I'm not set
ting up for a model of department. The
fact is, want to win the prize in mathe
matics, and mean to win it. i care
more for that than / do for anything
else; whatever stands in the way of sue
cess, 1 put aside. The boating. party
stands in the way of success; ergo, l pu
the boating-party aside. / refuse t.
consider it. Q. Z. D."
Gan very logical, young woman, bu'
it doesn't apply to my case. l mean my
essay shall win the prize, and two-thirdl
of it is done now. The other third ii
skeletonized, aud can finish it in day
It's all in my mind, so l can win Ia.
prize and go to the party, too, thu.
recconciling duty and inclination. @
Il. D."
"It's dangerous indulgence. adj
| wise you not to try it,"
Grace Affair was blooming girl O
seventeen, with ripping brown hair ant
merry hazel eyes; a fun-loving creature
| who caused her teachers no end of trou
BILE, but who, Notwithstanding, wal
rather favorite with them. She wal
also favorite with her fellow-pupils, a,
we'll as with the young people Of POGO
moke--"the natives" as she herself
termed them.
Being bright and versatile. she seldom
made failure in any department; bu
her special gift was with her pen, ani
| her somewhat ambitious theme on tn,
present occasion was, "The Women O
Shakespeare.
Several prizes had been offered thu
graduating class, for two of which, a
has been seen, she and her room-mat.
were aspirants. Mahala followed thu
counsel she had given Grace, and die
not allow her thoughts to be directed
from their object for moment. When
in due time, she gave decided negative
and that was the end OF it.
As might have been seen from thu
first, after hesitating and deliberating 9
few days, Grace accepted. She knew
that it would be in vain to ask Mis-,
| MAYORS consent, and was therefore
obliged to act upon the suggestion Of
Mr.. Sims and contrive some way to eludt
her vigilance.
Under Grace's window was low piaz.
"a, She and Mahala had sat on its leve
roof many moonlight night together
with Sadie Sparks and Jennie Landers
whose windows also opened upon the
roof. At the end Of the piazza was 9
trellis covered with vine. Nothing
could be easier, 20 Grace thought, thar
to 20 down this trellis, slip out OF the
grounds and meet her companions, the
village youths and mpidens, at the place
agreed upon.
The happy evening came, and ths