The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-29

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| me. of course, that by going to Jour3an might
relieve him of great embarrassment, but it was
some moments before / had Sufficiently con-
| quered my illfeeiing against him to take the
step When went il he sitting in re-
mote corner of the room. and he looked at me,
almost for the first time in our acquaintance,
without a smile. He was not angry with me;
! rather distressed that he had been Obliged to
| disregard my advice. There were two seniors
| in the room, and we were all. | did not ap-
proach the boy at once, thinking to take an op-
portunlty when the others were gone To
explain my presence. / stood in the door and
| looked into the dancing room adjoining The
| seniors were talking. They were not men that
liked very we'll, and hearing them talking in
short sentences OF college French, had no doubt
Judging their snobbishness by my own that
they were ridiculing Jourdans rusticity They
laughed, and with keen sallies sharpened each
others wits by turns
"Un peu provincial
'Oui; settlement un peu"
lie prep ambiteux."
Mon il est freshman"
Bon garcon! C'est un sage, done! Eft il Sc
preclpite dams societe avec I'm tres-grand eclat
nest ce pas!"
Enactment: il Sc precipite II nest pas IN
invite"
lie penseZ- vous?
"Oh, certanement!"
Il wonder 81 ses habits sont tout-a-fait la mode
de ParisY"
How can you doubt it?"
L
Jourdan we'll punished for presenting himself
AGAINST my advice. l will not say that | was
ABOUT to interfere even now; it is all bad page
in my history, and will say nothing. When
looked around JOurdan had his eyes fixed on the
Seniors He sat erect and his lips We're parted
moving in and out. gradually settling into
hrmness | think that he had begun by being
aston'shed at his tormentors' cOarseness. and it
was not until the last that he had become en-
ragged. The young men, as beftted their quick
q hP wOr no look mo
at him. one glance at commonplace a Great
ure had been quite sufficient: AS / waited one
OF them, remem bering all appropriate alusion,
continued:
ssh portrait. done, un grand costume. aussi
mauvais que celuila, il serat, avec sa grossi-
crete, un vrai Philip Firmnn
This merited full enjoyment; they recrossed
their legs in easy style, and gave shallow
laugh, With a seniors imitation of a man of the
world.
They were sitting across the corner of the
neavy library table from Jourdan and with their
backs towards him. JOurdan did not look to me
for asslStance-he was one of the few who are
intent on their own battes-but he rose to his
six feet and, coming to the table, leaned on il so
that both hands were free. Then he spoke and
his voice would have commanded battalion:
Get up" That 5 all he said. 1t does not
look heroic in print but it made the air vorate
The men sprans to tt cir feet and faced him.
Remember what Philip Firmin did. He was
gentleman, and l will do the same" While he
Sums He Struck OUT OIce--tWlce the red ana
white chasing each other over his face. His
country strength served him we'll.
closed the door into the dancing room, and
then fastened to separate the combatants; but
0etore reached them the hall door opened and
Kate entered. She gave a cry, and Jourdan
paused. He looked dazed, then regretful. then
apologize. and, to complete the changes, he be-
came himself ana smiled at her. His adver-
sarles We're overwhelmed. They had passed
without transition from the commitment of an
oHense TO It's unexpected punishment.
beg you to believe" they began In breath,
that the disgrace Of this affair.""
Kate stopped them with a look and stood aside
tor them to pass out Jourdan was blnshing
and qulvering. 81 don't belong at a party do
" he asked in distress.
Kate stroked him on the shoulder and pushed
back his disordered hair After insults and
contumely kindness is hard to bear Jourdan
compressed his lips again and made struggle
IN his throat. He was the victor. but he had
the pity which usually goes to the vanquished
Kate picked up his cane, took his disengaged
wapd lad W242 B6Ec W q qpe .Who c9Q have
been moving sight.
When | joined the other guests / saw that
the hostess and Rates foster parents as we'll as
Kate herself and Jourdan. We're for the moment
absent. But they had stolen away so quietly
that the departure of all was not observed. TO
say that felt that something was about to
occur is to say thing OF no interest. Better to
say what did occur.
Kate entered on Jourdan's arm the others had
already come in. They spoke first to the knot
at the door, and when they passed on from group
to group noticed that the people behind them
looked after them and talked together; JOurdan
was being introduced. He was the picture of
achieved and perfect happiness and Kate was
exalted; but it was sn all wonder. When they
approached me more nearly heard how she was
presenting him.
my brother"
The children's parents had separated years
before, the father taking John, and the mother
Kate; they had travelled about, and being soon
overtaRen by death. had left their charges in the
nearest hands Such is the simple story, which
the reader has easily foretold.
promised that callow students love should
not be prominent in this tale. ard it was easy to
keep the promise; my love affair broke off when
the story began. and during my college days
was with justice, not allowed to be resumed.
That the thread taken up again owe
wholly to the kind mediatons of the unalteraby
good John Jourdan.
Now the most petty, as we'll as the most
broad and catholic, name him finished gentle
man. 1t took but glance of his innocent blue
eyes to comprehend the conventions of the world,
and but short, delightful moments to inform his
mind with the worlds deeper learning. The
other good parts of a gentleman he brought with
him, fresh, strong and lneXhaustible, when the
modng ghost of an old man first drove him to
the college town, in the moldy, shadowy equip
age.