The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-30
p BRAVE GIRL.
Az ELIZABETH sTUART PHELPs.
AUTHOR OF 1.-THE GATES AJAR oRDERs 1.-THE MADONNA
THE TUBS" ETc, ETC.

to her friend, with the pleasant gentleness
which Characterised her moVelnenta
whenever Fern ives near.
Tell US, dear, Don't mind the ladies'.
Speak out lold, What ere you going to
VT Is disgraCelul to contemplate" said
Ferp, blushiRg; "but l don't want to be
anything but u lady"
0You shs'n't,' said Lotto, with q pro-
teCtiug air, ~ wouldn't have you for the
-the-lor the categorical imperative"
"I'ye got to teach, t" said asophomoEe, In
green meIiRo, with pink ribbons. She
sighed. They were poor at her house
always had been. She thought shO mind
cd it more than Mary Mace; she was up-
deIssood among her friends to have very
sensitive nature. "pd rather saw wood, I"
said a green'snd'plnk sophomore appeal
ingly,
add you ever cav any2" asked Mary
Mace.
This little irlzzlsd freshman said nothing,
Privately she meant to be- married, But
that had an uDclasstcal sound, She
turned her silver bangles in discreet ST.
lence,
Nobody had answered. Mary Mace, and
the girls soon scattered, chatting, to their
books. They went heartily, 'snd looked
we'll and hsppy. Lotto watched them
dTeRmily as they driltal away-!hs green
and pink sophomore, Nellie Hopeand the
little freshman-'Iike fi4urea on q ireza,
Last OF all went Fern herseli, reluctantly,
staying modsstly for Llto's kiss tilIsll the
rest we're gons, Tnsy never minded
Mary Mace, who was already turning the
leaves Of her Greek lexicon with an in
tentness, II not far above, at least far re-
moved from kisses.
"Sweet Fern" whispered Lotto. "Oome
and see me after gtudy."
Diesmily, loo, she watched Fern as she
followed the otherS, gliding away with
her ladylike tnoiong, quiet and sweet.
II love her," Thought Lotto. II love
her." Her eyes grew nisty, She Jumped
down from the Washatand with Rbang
that shook Mary MaC2's translation Oh
the lexicon and huttering about the room,
Mary did not sCold. Shs peidom did.
Lotto thought Of this as abe virtlously
picked up tho scattered leaves, Nm a
tom.boy," she faid. I'm always doing
something noisy"
"You're pretty noiay-Rt times" said
Mary "but don't classify you in the
genus Tom, Lotto"
al my hair had been shorter" pursued
Lotto rpileCIiyely, "or il it had been longer
aud done with 1t, it would have been
essiCr to Classiiyme. Or, ifit hadn't been
Curly-lik0 you, Mary. Or, II ! had been
eyolnted beyond freCkles-!iks Fern Hol'
brooke. II had been most any other
way, might have been most any other
thing. The Lord Rnd-Darwin-only
know what lsmy true position in the ecale
Of nature. S5metimeP," added Lotto
Vrayely, az she got her books about and
cat down hard at the table opposite Mary,
"eometimes | think l really must b. the
missing link"
Az Mary, 10 the depths Of her lexicon,
was already far beyond tho weakness o.
replying, the merry ripple Of Lotos voice
gradually died away, aud she betook her
self 10 work In her own way, at her own
Lesson, Lotto studied with a sort o.
plunge. Her whole being, up to the lasI
instant Of liberty, would RblOrb itselt ID
the bubble Of the moment-Ferp
or tina college gossip; the class
Quarrelp, the Anherat boys, the
Lust freshman Irritation, the oppres
Blon OF the unpopular teacher, tho virtues
Of the popular one, the struggle Of the
poor girl who had earned her way 10 hel
education by teaching evening schools
the folly Of the rich one who wore diG'
monds as II she were engaged, the forth
coming examination papers, the Lost suE'
pension, the details OF the evening mails,
or the doctrines Of Kant, the cut Of q
gymnasium dress, or the metres Of Horace
Whatever wGs current in tho air about
her, carried Lotto with live, hearty in
terest. She thoroughly understood how
TO have 8 good time. She fell into hel
share OF college sCrspes, but they never
reached tho verge Of the dangerous, and
she always clipped out OF them jOyfully
Her college life had been an exceedingly
happy ono for two years and ahalt. When
she studied, as l say, ahe plunged. She
worked Rs hard as she played, privately
intending that her father should not be
ashamed Of her, She played as hard az
sho worked, fully meaning 10 have
her eduCatlon's worth Of fun, and having
1t.
The college was in its infancy In the
days OF which l write, and Lotto represent.
cd the more attractive sort OF tho earlier
class OF girls that made their way into
such Institutions.
There we're, perhaps, ssverer scholar
thsn Lotto had yet taken the trouble Ia
become, over at Amherst, or Yale yOnder,
or even in her own Alma Mater. There
was not anywhere more lovGablO young
creature, with better possibilities ShV
carried her respectable, but not pre.emt.
nent scholarship with certain joyous,
easy air Of meaning to do greater things
by and by, when 80 happy girl could get
at II; In which respect also she was not
without her like In the classic environ.
ment OF the masculine institutions aCrolH
country.
Lotto did not wait for Form to come In
that evening, but slipped over TO her
friends room.
Fern had got herself into pretty pale.
blue wrapper that abe never wore outside
her room, and stood, slender and sweet,
like hsrebell, smiling up into l,oto'a
stuTdier eyes. Ferns roommate had dig
appeared In aearCh oi her eternal fliend-
ship, and the two girls were alone.
They embraced as rapturously as II they
could not read tho original Odyssey, and
Curled themselves Coutentedly into one big
chair by the radiator. II was still cold
weather, though at the end Of the term
and the spring vacation hard upon them
Lotto was a trilO silent that evening,
with fits Of extreme mertiment. Fern
cooed on, In her own even, happy way.
They talksd-what do girls talk OH Of
their lightest grievance, and their deepest
hope: Of love and literature; Of their
headaches and their ambitions; OF their
spring suits md the future Of the country ;
Of yenterday % lCsEon in quanLitRtive analy.
els aud next summers plans for tho long
vacation.
They felt that they loved each other
very dearly; moro SO, probably, than any
two girls had ever loved before. They
exchanged condolences az innocent 90 q
humming,bird'O as grave as a woman's.
They were delicAte.minded girls, and had
puro and lovely way Of disclosing their