The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-07-18

ment.
ooh, had forgotten" said Molly, blush.
Ing. 81 was thinking Of people know.
Please excuse me. Thank you again, PROBES
scr Brandon, and good bye"
II was pleasant to see MoIly's earnest and
air when she next came TO Barokos
study for what size called d private feiiear-
sal. She was carrying spray Of sweet
brler that she had brought from home-it
was her wont to bring flowers TO all her par
ticular friends-and she cast II down care.
lessly on the table as she shook hands.
"Sweetbrler Z" remarked Baroko calmly.
"Ah, how pleasant IL smells ~
"Isn't IL delicious ~ said Mollie blithely.
at always reminds me Of old times. Take
II II you care, Professor Brandon. can get
plenty more"
THANK you," said Barokc, with grave
courtesy. taking the spray from her hand.
Il would have been difficult TO tell from his
tones whether the gift pleased him, and
Molly half fancied that che had been foolish
TO offer him anything so frivolous as sweet
brier. But she dismissed the subject with
girlish lIght-heartedness, and II never crossed
her mind again.
Baroko, however, took the sweetbrier
home and kept IL In a vase till II grew limp
and dropping. When the servant came In
to dust one morning II was gone.
"If she notices its ABSENCE" said Baroko
to himself with guilty conscience, re-
ferripg to the domestic. as he stole the
sweetbrier ont OF the vase, "she will prob.
ably think that l have thrown II into the
Hre."
After this Molly made rapid progress
Two months later, when Alicia, with an
amiable condescension calculated to melt the
hardest heart, offered TO help her through .
difficult exercise at the end Of "Jevons, !"
she was able to refuse the offer with equal
availability.
ooh, l suppose Professor Brandon will
help you," said Alicia sweetly. 81 forgot"
cob, no" returned Molly, who, young as
she was, quite understood the art Of fencing.
Gle only helped me once or twice At 6rst,
TO bring me to level with the others. Not
with you, Of course; but then you are so far
above the rest Of us poor mortals. Still,
can manage this, I think. II is not very
hard, )" she added audsciously, knowing that
Alicia had complained of Its difficulty.
"Isn't ?" said Alicia, with calm supe.
riority. 81 thought IL hard for any one not
very far advanced; but we shall all have TO
come 10 you for help soon, dare say"
She sailed away with an amiable smile.
Sailing was natural to Alicia. Next Mon.
day the logic class met as usual, and II was
remarked by one or two observant damsels
that Professor Brandons countenance wore
an unusually ethereal expression.
"The papers this week" he said benign
ly, with one exception, show an utter mis-
understanding of the whole subject involved.
Miss Hargreaves, l regret to say that for
once you have shown yourself completely at
sea-a most unusual occurrence" he added,
with heartfelt rejoicing, hardly yelled by
tones Of ultra courtesy. "rhe only success.
full paper was Miss Drummond's."
He darted keen glance at Molly as he
spoke. She flushed, but she did not look
triumphant, as he had half expected. In
fact, her predominant feeling at the moment
was sympathy for Alicia, and she cast a re.
| morseful look at that heroine.
ST won't occur again. she exclaimed
hastily, bent on soothing her rivals NORTH
cation. But Alicia's steady smile made hei
shrink back into herself.
~ had such a terrible headache" Alicia
said alphabetically, after she had bestowed
that smile of congratulation on Molly.
"Ah, was sure there must he some ex
cellent reason for the remarkable confusion
of your paper" observed Baroko suavely
| II was too bad, but he did not believe II
Alicia's headache, and she knew IL. Thii
was the more trying because she had tolc
the truth.
Molly, half amused aud half penitent, lin
gered moment when the class was over I,
i speak to Baroko. There was book he hat
promised to lend her.
"Well, Miss Drummond, hope you ar
content with your victory" said the Profes
sor. who was.
serio-comically. 81 couldn't help 1t, coult
II"
"Certainly not. Miss Hargreaves will re
cover from the blown time, !" said the Pro
fessor, who could not resist the opportunit,
Of giving his enemy stab, even when sh
was not there. ~ am very pleased will
your success.''
"Oh, I'm glad some one is pleased" sal,
Molly half dolefully.
BarOkO looked at her kindly.
"YOu must learn to be less sensitive h
said in a cordial, almost brotherly tone
"It doesn't pay, Miss Drummond.
"Oh, how can I help itR" exclaims
Molly, the tears springing to her eyes. Ba
rokO watched her for few moments i
silence; then he roussd himself.
"Hers is your book, Miss Drummond
Don't fret about Alicia she will get over il
l fear you are too generous with your syn
patby-not very common falling" Tn
words, but Molly's grateful, wistful loo
charmed 1t away again.
"Good-bye," he said. He shook her han
more warmly than usual-it was general
like shaking hands with fish to shak
hands with Baroko-and hurried away.
H.
1t was near the end Of the summer tern
The Higher Local Examination was ove
and Baroko's logical girls, four of them, ha
won through Group almost by miracle
and "satis6ed" the examiners. Only AliC
Hargreaves passed with second-class honor
and the Professor congratulated her befoI
the others in the blandest Of all bland tone
} while Molly, listening, smothered laugh
} for she, like the rest OF us, was not averse
sarcasm when II was leveled at people 81
did not care for.
! But Molly was leaving the academy. 81
, was eighteen and an accomplished yOur
lady. Her conduct, all the masters sal,
} had been eminently satisfactory through u
: term. BsrokO said 80. Arcturus had taugl
her botany and geology; he said so TO
There had been botanical excursions latel
. which were very enjoyable.
The simmer term closed with gard,
party, which was, every one said, q trsms
, dous success. But with the bulk Of the pr
! ceedings have nothing to do; suface II tn
4 the weather was glorious, and that u
, grounds were really excellent for gard,
Il party, with tennis lawn and shrubbsri
I and green alleys. down which the guests wa
dsred at their will.
4 Molly was present, Of course, looking Q
tremely charming in white dress, with h
:, favorite red gsraniums at the throat. 81
4 had never bssn like schoolgirl; but tod
she seemed to have lost the last vsstige
:, the type-for was 1t not her eighteen
birthday, and she thought that she W
growing old She played in tennis mate
y and Baroko looked on. When II was ov
/. lie went up to her. She had several ca,
o liers already; all the girls brothers want
10 an intro iuotion, but Molly was not given
70 forsaking old friends, and she turned fr,
d the throng to greet Barok0.
p ~ am tired" sha said.
~ "Come into the shrubbery; 1t ia COO
10 there" said the Professor, IN his old tones
d calm authority, and the two marched ava
% Mollys young cavaliers were dismayed a
70 indignant, but they were Baroko's pupils
y, the neighboring college, and too much
y awe of him to follow. So Baroko and Mo
At wandered down one of the green alleys
ly gsther, and there was smell Of sweetbrier
10 the air.