The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-11-28

ticfency in this branch, she could not
take o full diploma that year, and, al
though the study Of Latin was a great
burden to her, she could not gain her
own consent to lay it down Mt the cost
of losing a diploma, "the contamination
devoutly to be desired" of every school
girls heart.
II am afraid it is useless for me to
try" she said to ono of the girls, on her
way to the Professors office the day of
the senior Latin examination, "but it
seems too bad, sitter / have been so sue
cessful in all my other classes, to give
up my hopes of o diploma and the
scholarship medal without even making
an effort in this. I'll had gotten the
music medal, I would not care SO much,
but l lost time droning over this old
Latin, and could not pay proper atten-
ton to my music. 1 rarely ever had
such horrid luck in all my life, and
poor papa will be SO greatly disap-
pointed when he comes to commence
ment!" Here Elise's voice faltered, and
a tear stole into her great blue eyes.
II am SO glad you are going to try,
dearie," said the girl to whom she had
been speaking, "and I hope, sincerely,
you will meet with more success than
you expect" And she truly did all the
girls loved the beautiful, kind Franco
Irish girl, for she was always merry and
always kind. She worked hard all that
day and remained in the office writing
long after all the other girls had gone
The Professor waited patiently for her,
but never glanced to the desk where she
sat. AT last she laid down her pen,
folded her papers without reading them
and, with q deep sigh, handed them to
the Professor. It was seldom Elise
sighed. but she was very tired now, and
had little hope of her labor availing
anything. A little while afterwards
she passed by his door, and, glancing
in, saw that he was sitting in the same
place intently reading her papers.
II understand" she said to herself.
HE is SO much afraid my papers merit
a mark high enough to pass me that he
can not wait longer to look over them"
Perhaps Elise felt hat she was un-
Just to the Professor in her surmise,
but she would have felt it more if she
had only glanced up to meet the kind,
sympathetic look in his eyes as she
handed him her papers, not an hour be-
fore.
In a few days they all met again in
his Office to hear the fat passed on the
result of their labor. When he came
to Elise's name he made a slight pause
before he read it, and the mark he had
put on her examinations pause to
give her failure emphasis, Elise inter
preted it. She was the only one who
had failed! No need of emphasis to
make her feel it! How was she to
bear her great disappointment?
II Elise's good judgment had not
made her know how deficient she was
in knowledge of this language, she
would bave believed the Professors
dislike for her had influenced his de-
cision, but she we'll knew it was Just,
and her heart sank deep under her
failure. She did not raise her eyes
from the floor, but sat there mo-
tionless, e1pressionless, until tho
class wal dismissed, for the last time,
with congratulations from the Profess
sor. Then, without speaking to my
one, she hastily turned to leave the
room. She made her exit from his
presence to-day less joyfully than she
had ever done, for, heretofore, however
serious may have been her bearing
when she entered his recitation-room,
her face was always the most radiant Of
the class as soon as she was dismissed.
She avoided speaking to any one, and
walking briskly to her MUSHROOM
opened her portfolio and commenced
practlcing. It was the hour for her to
practice her vocal lesson, but she was
too nearly crying to sing. At first her
lovely eyes were SO dim with tears she
could scarcely see the notes, but ere
long, with her unusual powers of self
control, she had mastered her feelings
sufficiently to sing. Turning over the
fancy operas she was won't to practice
at this hour, she sought the old Irish
melodies that she used to sing to her
father summer evenings when the
shadows had gathered on the hills, and
the din of the world was hushed and
gave place to the music of her sweet,
childlike voice. It seemed q consola-
ton to pour forth the sadness of her
soul INTO those sweet old refrains that
she had first heard as they fell in music
from the lips of her mother, whose voice
had long been hushed on earth. The
last notes of kathleen Mavourneen"
had just been borne away by the sum
mer breezes when Matte, her ~favorite,
gently opened the door and asked per-
mission to enter.
Matte was closely allied to Elise in
all her merry makings, and now she
felt that she ought to try to share her
sorrow.
It was not long before Elise's tears
had broken through the barriers of self
control and were falling fast from eyes
that, it seemed nature had fashioned
for smiles.
81 know it is silly to cry about it,
Matte; but, oh, it is such a bitter dis
appointment! No diploma, no medal,
no honor on commencement day, after
so many sessions of faithful labor. And
I have looked forward to my COM
mencement day as the happiest, fairest
day Of my life. Iwould not mind for
only my own sake, but to think Of how
disappointed poor papa will be-"
In vain Matte tried to console her
friend, telling her that it was only the
disappointment Of a day and would
never count in the news of the BATTLE"
as she had merely failed to attain the
outward fourishes of her recompense,
that she had gained knowledge, taste
and ~adornments which were recognized
by all the inmates other Alma Mater,
and would be appreciated by society in
days to ONE
But all the logic failed to bring back
the smiles to Elise's face, for she could
not help but deem it a cruel fate that
her first great disappointment should
cast its shadow V the day she had
marked out to be the brightest of her
life.
But after all, when that much-talked-
of day came Elise was not so sad as she