The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-12-06
p BRAVE GIRL,
BY ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS.
op ,.ruE GATES AJARsEALED oRDRRs' MADONNA
AS@- OF THE TUBS" ETC. ETC.

loo much. Some cried too Often some
sludied too hsId. Some studied too little:
The tension OF the term had stopped, and
Il was time to let the tapt cord 60
Lotto stood on the steps waiting Tor her
trunk to come down the college stsirH in
an srtisVic way not peculiar to Northamp-
ION hackmen-a surgical process IS re-
Oslsd the stairs and haniBter, and not 9
Iqlipious one as concerned the haCkmAn's
temper. She and Fern we're to 20 by the
morning train to Springfield, thence by
express 10 Ilcston; an easy little journey
ssysgeIy enyied by the Kansas glTl, and
regarded jealousy by the VeImonter:
Fern had kissed all tho teachers, Lotto had
cordially ahaken hands with them. The
marion was there, and blur Of girla-
Mary Mace, aud the green and pink
Dodge girl, Daisy DubbF, and Nelly Hope,
and indefinite Juniors, Nnd the usual pro:
portion oil omnipIes0nt RophOmoles, ana
Inc little iriEzled freshman and the pro-
ipszor Ct physics coming up the path, y
NRs only tho lisuGl hustle Of the usnGl
parting; but Lotto felt ksenly excited.
Her cul!s seemed electric, and Stirred ner-
youaly under her pretty brown hat, with
the brown grebe'a breast at one eide. sne
tapped the muddy ground impGiently
with her silk umbrells, but said little. She
did not cry, Fern did more or les. Lotto
did not sea what there was to cry about
Girls will kiss, Who can say why?
Eyen Lotto Buccummbed to tho racial
habit and gave, or endured, according to
, tho Gaze, till the driver had mutilRted the
stairs and doo,jSmbs 10 his hearts con.
tent, and the professor Of physics had
] lifted hia hat and tho mRtroD hsd asked Il
they had their w8tGyprcofa, and ,goodi
by and good by" aud ""good by" had
ciirped and twitIeIed and echoed after
them, and somebody had said they were
| iaie already, and somebody else had haid
they must drive last, and the horses had
started with classical lanSuor and the
driver had ngdO several remarks to them
with tho repoas OF . man who was BolV-
/ Dg a problem III the higher mathematics
and So We arc oil at last.
at docs not seem possible" says Fern,
who always gays something in her lady
like, unoTiginal way. II geems TO Lotto
quite possible and she says nothing. She
leans looking out OF the Csrriage window
earnestly back at the college. The
familiar outlines Of the buildings
blur before her eyes. Tho gnow. is
melting on the paths. The gray
sky 10 over all. Girls arc eyeryThers--ai
The open windows, in tho door,, on the
GtepE-blue, bronze, black, red, gEeenr
gray girls, clustered like loTGTs. They
nod and emile. They wave and cry
Mary Mace, apart lrom the otherE, stands
silently, She Bhieldg her Aeyes with her
hand, gazing at Lotto with her steady, d.
leCttonalB look. Bhe had ON her eConom.
iCNl old morning dress, that ehe promised
her neither TO wear out this time. What
good girl that is What comfort she
will bet the hearts thGtare "nearest her,"
all her life. Gslly Hope, coming up from
behind, pulla MaIy's net of and drops u
very cold penny down her neck, al which
Lotto laughs merrlly, wet Dyes and all ;
she alwayB enjoys seeing Mary fquirm
Mary doeA " in such dgnitled way.
Daisy Dubbs ia there, W&ddlng abopt to
throw fat kisses ct Form, and the 7opho'
mores are there, who ore GlERy8 every.
where, and the little fri2zled freshman,
twirling her earrings, calls out that 1t Ia
perfectly lovely to have vacation come
and 30 vacation Gomez. All tho sweet
girl outlines iRde-Daisy Dubbs being the
last to disappear from Wow; the carriage
turns the corner, tho college buildings
flash out Of sight, and down through tho
little busy town the girls ride silently.
At least, Lotto silently. Fern volun-
teeIs q few generRlisntions Of q gentle, sen.
timontRl cast, but Lotto answers nothing.
Her thoughts take strange, grave color.
That idon about the figures on . frltzs
comes back to her, 81 tue girls slip from
her sight. They seem to move soIeinnly,
| like q Greek procession vending upon
como sad GRAND. She wonders what 1t
would DO like 10 live without girls In It,
pulimited girlG--ever-present RlrIs--to be
without their fun, their sentiment, their
long confidence, and short SORROWS, and
bubbling frolc, and yoppg sympathies,
the sweet variety and excitement OF 1t all
how odd Lotto thanks Heaven that she
is coming back to college, dabs her eyes q
little with her pCCkethaldkerGhief,
phskeB her curlB llka o spaniel, kiaaea
Fern In the GcCluslon Of the old hack, and
Is joyoualy herself again In time 10 buy
tho tickets, and check tho luggage, and
strap the ghaSlr, and hand Fern into the
cars In \ gsntlemanly manner.
Fern lived In Beacon street. This might
be to ray one Of several things, but in
FERNS case II wsB to say very pleasant
things oil tho way through. She had q
truly quiet, unpIetendinR and exquisite
house. Her parents had lived IN the
house ever SINCE tho early years oil their
luatHiagc, snd Ferns grandfather had
lived there bofors them, The house was
situated shout opposite the lower end Of
tho Common, or the upper end OF the
Public Garden, and had the best that the
misery New England March permitted in
The way OF view from the front. Lotto,
who was country born, looked for the
trees aud the grahS, ae q general STANDARD
by which I'd appreciate Beacon Rtreet.
She was not, abe " as ContClous, Gs much
Impressed with tho Ian dscape as she was
OK pected to be. But the house itself de-
lighted her; the quiet Coiors Oh the up.
holstery, the thickness Of the carpets, the
pict uree, the books, the Warm, even Dir,
the wax Candles in old silver CRndlestiCkg,
the open fires burning softly, with such o
brilliant disregard Of the price oil cannot.
coal. All the luxurious and ordered do
tails appeared 10 her taste moro than any
abe remembered 10 have seen. Lotto had
been in handsome hourea before, hu.
Ferns home affected lor differently from
any Fhe could think Of. Possibly this WAS
because Fern was in It, Possibly 1t was
because Fern was the result Of such
home.
"When you come to Gee me, said Lotto,
lyon must expect TO sleep on an excel.
sior cot, and w0 don't have much but hash
for dinner, 0sh.bRlls occasionally, and
pumpkin pies" solennly.
"l.otol" cried Fern, Hitting her pretty,
pefplcxed face to DO kiaHed, She never
hall knew where Loto's fun began and
heriaOts ended,
"WO don't cot Ia the Kitchen" con.
tinued Lotto, with merry eyes" al least,
only when we're house.Cleaning, or Bun.
days, to lot the cook 20 to church, or
timea like that. And wo do uBo silver
iorks--but my goodness gracious Fern,
you'll feel Gs Il you'd gone ont for country
boarding. Can't help IL Like my homo
for oil that, Jolly homel Not aihsmed
Of II, thank you. And my inthpr--ob, oh,
nv takhnfl Ynn'u lnVA him Farm II