The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-17
the little tin kettle Singing on the

VICE Cle leASU. 1eSC6Fuay Nell naQ
been hostess. Cocoa was the chief
dissipation OF our college. We gave
s'cocoas" as our brothers gave wines"
1t was drink easily made, mex
pensive, nutritious.
We sat round the fire on the floor,
talking and laughing, holding our tea
cups and stirring our cocoa slowly and
absent nt-mindedly as we talked. My
guests were merry, but tonight was
unusually silent and depressed.
after ALL" said Claudia sensibly,
trying to comfort me-safter all, what
did you say, Cis? Nothing-nothing
at all events that nattered. You
said he WAS young; well, that is true.
How old, girls, do you imagine he is?"
"Twenty-five," said Lottie.
'Twenty-four," said Nell.
"Very young" said Claudia, conclu-
sively.
"Then you called him shy-well he
is shy. You said he blushed-well, he
does blush"
!. THAT is just it," groaned. "It is
all so true"
He will think you observsnt, +" said
Nelly, nibbling the sugar from her bis
cult with slow epicurean enjoyment.
"He will think, at all events, that
you ale interested in him." said Lot
tie cheerfully.
.'In him-a MANI l groaned, for a
girl who has tyrannized over eight ad-
miring brothers and been treated all
her life with Difference by fond father
and uncles has an ungrateful scorn for
men. had had no meek mother and
aunts and sisters TO teach me humili-
ty as becoming womanly virtue.
.Poor Gs-poor Cicely!" said the
girls sympathetically. "And Satur-
day is coming and you will be forced
to see him. You poor, poor Cicelyl'
Yes, Saturday was coming. On
Wednesday and Thursday and Fri
day went about with constant
consciousness ofSaturday' inevitable
advance. Our lecturer had stated that
on Saturday afternoon he would be
pleased to go through our papers with
US, to discuss points of interest, ex-
plain difficulties, and remove possible
misconceptions. We were to go to
him singly. was to go alone to the
man who, had said, was shy OF me
and thought OF me as girl and could
not forget that was girl, whom l
had said blushed. The thought was
terrible.
Saturday came. The girls were
cheerful. $50 first, Cis," they said-"go
first and get it over"
Eyes, will go first" l said. But
when he came faltered and put off
the evil moment, and Claudia, Nell
and Lottie all went in before me.
He is not shy today" reported
Nell on her return. "I think, Cis, that
perhaps we were mistaken about him.
Or, perhaps, he was under the impress
sion that we were learned girls; after
our papers and our chatter he knows
us better and thinks very little OF us.
He is solemn-horribly solemnl And
no old man could be severer. Oh; he
is quite ut his ease"
Nell had reported truly. He was
quite at his ease. He was sitting wait
ing at a table which had pens and ink
and papers OH it; there was no expec-
fancy in his attitude; he seemed q lit
tie bored, indeed; he sat with his back
towards the door, one elbow on the
table, his hand propping his chin. He
rose when he heard me, and looked at
AAiS StiAAiAy ClloURu ttS ilS SllOOh
Miss Chrystal?" he said.
'1Yes," said, meekly.
He touched a chair that stood be-
side his at the table, and l sat down
with feeling OF obedience. His face
was grave, his manner, as Nell had
said, severe; wondered how could
have thought him nervous; he looked
ns though he had never blushed; he
seemed quite unaffected by the con-
seriousness that his pupil was q girl
He seated himself beside me, and drew
a corrected exercise towards him.
This | think, is your paper, Miss
Crystal?"
YES" / said in e small voice-"I-I
think so, Mr.. Tudor"
; he was turning the pages slowly and
gravely. sat looking down at my
hands folded meekly on the table and
did not see his face.
"Your first answer isis made
quate.
1.-The first part Of stubbs isis very
difficult" Isaid, venturing to look
up.
There was strange quick little
twinkle for moment in his eyes as
he glanced at me; but his lips did not
smile.
"In the next question:" he said
slowly, you confuse-or seem to con-
fuse-two things, the constitutions
and the Asslze OF Clarendon-a slip,
perhapss''
He was looking steadily and calmly
at me, waiting. For the first time in
my life l felt small and young and
meek. forgot that was 10 and nc
longer q schoolgirl. l was overwhelm-
ed with a sense OF my own ignorance.
"No-it was not slip" / said. Con
stltutional history is quite-quite
; new to me-
$50 ! had gathered from your pa
per-" he said quietly.
His very gravity and quieSness
seemed like bitterest satire. He said
he did not grasp my theory here-did
| not follow my argument there. And |
had had no theory-I could not follow
my own argument. He grew more
grave and quiet and slow. The lump
| in my throat grew larger every mo-
| ment. If had been brought up in a
family of girls Ishould have burst into
tears before him. l sat still and
| iOohed ae NY OWL UEOWu llllSeFS
clasping one another and answered
briefly
At last he pushed back his chair a
little and gave me my paper, folded.
You will have to read very steadily,
Miss Chrystal."
"Yes," said, in a small voice.
For some months"
Yes" l said again.
''TEe rest OF the class are far ahead
OF you"
''Yes-yes-I know" said.
He seemed to have nothing more
wholesomely humiliating to say to