The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-06-05
to make an effort. Miss Drammond.

" udhC al ChOle; VhiSS DiaHiinVhu' ~
will repay you
His tones were more humanity cordial
than Molly could have believed possible.
She forgot how his satire had frightened
her.
"I will, she said earnestly, looking up
at him with her candid eyes II am sorry
about the exercise. And / am afraid
ought to tell you-I made you believe-I
might have tried little more-but there
was-a party !"
The Professor laughed out. He would
never have done it if he had not been taken
by surprise, but somehow Molly had thaw-
ed him completely unawares. His laugh
cleared. the air. Molly laughed herself
merrily, with an instant perception of the
humor of the thing, but she regained her
gravity at once.
sI will not do it another time,' she said
humbly, looking up into his face again.
How long was it, wondered Baroko
dimly, since any one had raised such clear
and trustful eyes to his?
Il will do my best, " she added earnestly,
and the Professor said
~ am sure you will. ;"
1t was with some trepidation that Molly
knocked at Baroko's door the next morn
ing. She had been trying to get up logic,
but the attempt had been unsuccessful, and
the ordeal was rather formidable. But
there vas fire burning in the small room;
and though Baroko seemed to have frozen
up since yesterday, his fiigidity melted
before Molly's frank, girlish gratitude.
One by one the difficulties vanished. Ba-
roko found that it was pleasant work to ex-
plain things to Molly. The girl had brains
and large share of intuition. They got
on excellently, and the Professor did not
cavil at the dainty ruffies at Molly's throat
and wrists, nor at the knot of scarlet gera-
mum. And Molly was fascinating.
Schoolgirl as she was, the arts of fascina-
tion were-had always been-natural to
her. She had never been suggestive of
bread and butter. Her instinct was to try
to win peoples liking, male or female,
young or old; she could no more help it
than she could help her hair falling in
pretty brown waves. One could notjustly
call her a coquette though, by the by,
very many did; her charm was too spon-
taneous, and it lay to a great extent in the
consciousness that she would have suffered
or sacrificed anything for one who had been
kind to her and whom she loved. She
cared a great deal too much, probably, to
win affection; but she was certain to repay
| it in full measure. On this occasion her
desire to win Baroko's liking, and her de-
sire to please him because he was good to
her, were blended beyond the possibility of
discrimination. To do her justice, she re
garded him as about sixty, and never
dreamed of what might happen.
The lesson went off brilliantly, and Mol
ly rose to go.
"Thank you so very much" she said.
Il am sure l shall manage now. And
thank you for not laughing at me, she
added on the spur of the moment. ~
mean for not being sarcastic.
Baroko rose, but he seemed in no hurry
to end the interview.
"Do you object to sarcasm?" he inquired
good-humoredly.
"I can't bear it, said Molly, with her
usual frankness. She had altogether lost
her fear of this formidable Professor
at goes through one. l don't mind what
hard things people say if they will only say
them straight out; but when they sound
angelic and stab you-oh, it makes one
hate oneself, and vexed with every one else
besides. 1 dare say it is good for me, !"
she added as an afterthought
II will try not to infict any more Of it
upon you" said Baroko with some amuse-
ment.
"Ohl had forgotten" said Molly, blush
ing. 'I was thinking of people L know.
Please excuse me. Thank you again, Pro-
fessor Brandon, and good bye"
1t was pleasant to see Molly's earnest
and confident air when she next came to
Baroko's study for what she called pri-
vate rehearsal. She was carrying spray
of sweetbrier that she had brought from
home-it was her wont to bring flowers to
all her particular friends-and she cast it
down carelessly on the table as she shook
hands.
"Sweetbrier?" remarked Baroko calmly.
sAh, how pleasant it smellsl'
"Isn't it delicious?" said Molly blithely.
at always reminds me of old times Take
it if you care, Professor Brandon. | can
get plenty more
'Thank you," said Baroko, with grave
courtesy, taking the spray from her hand.
1t would have been difficult to tell from
his tones whether the gift pleased him, and
Molly half fancied that she had been fool
ish to offer him anything so frivolous as
sweetbrier. But she dismissed the subject
with girlish ightheartness, and it never
crossed her mind again.
Baroko, however, took the sweetbrier
home and kept it in vase till it grew limp
and dropping. When the servant came in
to dust one morning it was gone.
"If she notices its absence, said Baroko
to himself, with guilty conscience, referr-
ing to the domestic, as he stole the sweet
brier out of the vase, "she will probably
think that l have thrown it into the fire. "
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 a difficult exercise at the end of
"Jeyons," she was able to refuse the offer
with equal amiability.
"Oh, l suppose Professor Brandon will
help you," said Alicia sweetly 81 for
got.
sOh, nc" returned Molly, who, young
as she was, quite understood the art of
fencing. "He only helped me once or
twice at first 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, l can manage this |
think. 1t is not very hard" she added
audaciously, knowing that Alicia had com
planned of its difficulty.
"Isn't it?" said Alicia, with calm superb
ority. "I thought it hard for any one not
very far advanced but we shall all have to
come to 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 it was
remarked by one or two observant damsels
that Professor Brandon's countenace wore