Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-06-12
A CRITICAL MAID.


consulting one another on n knotty
point in the history of Grand Jury.
The lecturer came out Of the lecture
room and passed on. He bowed grave
~ as he passed and went hastily down
the stairs, his college cap in his hand,
his long gown falling Imply about his
tall, thin figure. We We're silent until
he was out of sight, then our tongues
were loosed, and we no longer spoke in
,ubdued tones.
Poor young man. said Lott:e, feel
ingly.
HE is as grave as a Judge" said
Nell.
That" said Claudia, weightily lis
nervousness. He is nervous, girls
nervous of u.s.
But it was | who had most to say. |
cant against the balusters, with my
lace toward the open door of the lee
ture-room, and gave the girls the bene-
III OF all my observations.
Yes. he is nervous. / said Poor
young man. he is shy! When asked
him if the grand jury still existed, he
blushed, girls--oh, he is copper-col-
bred to start with, | know, but he
blushed through the copper-color---'
For your ignorance, perhaps sug
gested Claudia
HE is very shy" said ! lie is
not used, | expect, TO teaching girls.
He cannot forget that we are girls.
He waited. did you notice? until we
had left the room; the other lecturers
stalk out before us. think he wanted
TO open the door for us and TO bow us
out. Oh, poor young man, he is shy
shy and young"
The girls We're frowning :! me-
Claudia was touching my elbow, with
mysterious meaning. on one side, Nell
pulling my sleeve imperatively on the
other. Lottie formed her lips into a
silent hush. -
"Shy and young-very young
what is the matter?" j asked.
Nobody answered me. No answer
indeed was needed. At that moment
our lecturer passed Us again and went
back into the lccture-room. He had
rome up the stairs behind me-he
must have heard me. He seemed TO
glance my way as he passed. There
seemed TO be a twinkle in his gray
blue eyes The girls moved slowly
away, but | turned precipitately and
fled. Past the lecture-room door
along the corridor, up stairs | fled TO
my own little room. / stood before
my glass and changed my dress for
dinner and grew rosy red as the re-
membrance of my words came back. i
had said that he had blushed because
I spoke TO him had said that he
was shy-I had implied that he was
shy OF me because | was a girl. |
should never dare speak to him or look
at him again! / had called him cop
er-colored-at least. | might have
spared him that reproach | looked
in the glass ut my own little face; it
was brown as a berry-brown by ma
ture in the first place and made more
brown by the summer sun and the
breeze from the sea at home. His eyes
were blue and his hair was fair. | was
altogether brown-hair eyes, skin. all
brown alike. And | had called him
copper-colored!-I had called him
young.-what else had / called himP
j brushed back my brown hair tightly
and severely, tied my soft silk sash
with "a Jerk and ran down TO dinner
with rush, hoping to escape from my
thoughts again. Perhaps after all, /
thought trying TO comfort myself, he
had not heard me.
Our lecturer had stated that on Sat
urday afternoon he would be pleased
10 60 through our papers with Us, to
discuss points Of interest explain
difficulties, and remove possible mis-
conception. We We're TO 90 to him
singly.
Saturday came. The girls were
cheerful. go first, Cis, they said.
ego first and get it over"
Miss Chrystal?n he said.
Yes, F." | said, meekly.
He touched chair that stood be-
side his at the table and | sat down
with feeling OF obedience. His face
was grave, his manner severe; won
dered how could have thought him
nervous; He looked IA though he
had never blushcd: he seemed quite
unaffected 10y the consciousness that
his pupil was girl. He seated
himself beside me. and drew cor
rected exercise toward him.
This think, is your paper. Miss
Chrystal. >
yes, said, in y small voice.
think so, Mr.. Tudor.
lie 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 answer isis inadequate. "
The first part of Stubs isis very
difficult, ] said, venturing TO look up.
There was a strange, quick little
twinkle for moment in his eyes as he
glanced at me; but his lips did not
smile
I'm the next question" he said
Iowly, you confuse or seem to con-
use. two things, the constitutions and