The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-10-13

anu lump IN mel throat, Dut o 10
the world would she have let thcs,
seminary girls know it She had NJ
room mate and from that day she stoot
alone. She would make no advances.
How did she know but that all the
girls were like Lily Maud and Rose
Marie? She would not try to find out
1t was bad enough to be scented with
out having the additional humiliation
of feeling ones self repulsed.
The seminary town was also a river
town and in the winter had . bleak
and penetrating air. Nevertheless, on
Sundays the girls perched little hats
upon their heads and took the long
walk to church, wearing no overshoes,
and with their throats quite unprotect-
ed; for high cloak collars had not yet
come into style. Matilda, however,
knew nothing of this Sunday after
noon custom, and she had been taught
to clothe herself comfortably. Down
she stepped on the first Sunday morn
ing of December into the hall where
all the girls were assembled. On her
head was a pretty and becoming hat,
slightly larger than the others wore,
her cloak was unusually heavy and 4
long boa was wound around her throat,
while on her feet she wore a pair of
high overshoes.
Did you ever!" whispered Lily
Maud Isn't she q guy?" Matilda
saw the whispering and the glance,
and her lip frightened.
Il shall not yield. l shall not yield
al inch," she told herself dsfantly.
Did you see that?' asked Annette
Watterson, when the girls had started.
THAT girl has courage and grit 7
have no fancy for hat silly, chatter
ing set, but l shouldn't like to have
them eye me over as they did her"
There was no danger for Annette,
however, who vas the only daughter
of a senator. Whatever she did was
right in the eyes of Lily Maud. 1t
might seem strange hat the teachers
did not put a stop to this petty perse-
cution. They did not know it was go
ing on. They saw in Matilda a grave
and serious young girl who was per-
fectly respectful to them, who stood
fairly well in her classes, and who
seemed to prefer to be alone. And
she was such a relief to them that they
were prepared to grant her any rea-
sonable privilege. And SO, when she
modestly said that she could not prac-
tice her vocal lessons liz the hearing of
the other girls, they set it down to
natural timidity and permitted her to
go every day to the conservatory down
town, which was under the manage
ment of the seminary professor. The
girls wondered a little, but, on the
whole, thought nothing of it, for they
all looked upon Matilda as very or
binary. though, with the exception of
the stylish set, they treated her with
civility.
Matilda Bebb's father and mother
are here to see her" announced Jennie
Thompson one afternoon. 1t was the
week of the spring vacation, when
few. if any, of the girls wen away.
"Oh. l am SO sorryr" exclaimed An
nette Watterson. DO you remember
last spring when Celie Dawson's par.
ents came to visit her? Mr.. Dawson
poured his tea into his saucer and blew
his breath over it to cool it, and he
ate with his knife, and he talked with
his mouth full, and Lily Maud and
Rose Marie and the rest giggled, and
looked at each other, and Celie turned
red and then pale, and looked as if
she'd sink. l saw anything SO
pfifu AID i've op,orc fhD,~kk chat
was why Celie didn't come back this
year. And now 1 suppose Matilda will
have to go through the same thing"
But not in the same way" said
Alicia Davidson. These three were the
exclusive set in the school. "Girls,
what do you say? I've been watching
Matilda a good while. If she comes
out of this all right shall we make her
one Of us?" Three slim right hands
were laid on the table n above an
other, and the compact was made.
In her room Matilda, who, before
the girls, vas grave and serious, was
beside herself with joy. Now, slipping
up behind her mother, bending over
her and taking her ace tenderly in
her hands to kiss her, now seating her
self on her fathers lap and throwing
her arms around his neck.
II declare. Matte" said Mrs. Bebb,
81 most wish we'd come sooner. We
didn't know how glad our little girl
would be to see us, or we would. We
kind O. thought maybe you'd be
weaned away from us. Some girls
are" Mr.. and Mrs. Bebb were very
plain people, but they had reasonably
good They were not likely
to do any of those dreadful things
which. when done by Mr.. Dawson,
had proved SO mirth-provoking. But if
Mr.. Bebb had been a Chesterfield he
would have been funny, because he
had to be, you know. He was Matilda
Martha's father, and she was queer.
When he seated himself at the table
at his daughters right hand his face
beaming with the kindly interest
he felt in all girls, because his Matte
one of them. And Mrs. Bebb. who
sat at Matilda's left, looked about her
with the same geniality.
To Lily Maud this was excruciating-
ly funny. The teacher again being
absent she looked at Rose Marie and
giggled. From their places Annette
Snd Jennie and Alicia were watching
with anxiety. Matilda's face was
flushing. Was she going to be ashamed
of her plain old father and mother?