The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-10-11

the world would she have- let those seminary girls know it. She had no room mate and from that day she stood alone. She would make no advances. How did she know but that all the glrls were like Lily Maud and Rose Marie? She would not try to find out. It was bad enough to be secuted with out having the additional humiliation of feeling one's self sepulsed.
 The seminary town was also 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 pretty and becoming hat, slightly larger than the others wore, her cloak was unusually heavy and a 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 guyP" Matilda saw the whispering and the glance, and her lip frightened
 II shall not yield. I shall not yield an inch" she told herself dsfiantly. Did you see that?" asked Annette Watterson, when the girls had started That girl has courage and grit. have no fancy for that silly, chatter ing set, but I shouldn't like to have them eye me over as they did her" |" There was no danger for Annette, however, who was the only daughter of senator. Whatever she did was right in the eyes of Lily Maud. It might seem strange that 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 grave and serious young girl who was per fectly respectful to them, who stood fairly well in her classes, and who | oSChhCu bO pESlCE lO Dt diOUt. auu she was such relief to them that they were prepared to grant her any req sonable privilege. And so, when she modestly said that she could not prac- tice her vocal lessons in 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 little, but, on the whole, thought nothing of it, for they all looked upon Matilda as very or 6inaTy, 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. It was the week of the spring vacation, when few, if any, of the girls went away.
 ''Oh. am so sorryw exclaimed An nette Watterson. Do you rememb Der last spring when Celie Dawson's par ents came to visit her? Mir. 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 never saw anything so pitiful. And I've always thought that was why Celie didn't come back this year. And now 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 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 one above an other, and the compact was made.
 In her room Matilda, who, before the girls, was grave and serious, was beside herself with joy. Now, slipping up behind her mother, bending over her and taking her face tenderly in her hands to kiss her, now seating her self on her fathers lap and throwing her arms around his neck.
 T declare, Hattie" said Mrs. Bebb, "I 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." Mir. and Mrs. Bebb were very plain people, but they had reasonably good manners. They were not likely to do any of those dreadful things which. when done by MT. Dawson, had proved so mirth-provoking. But if Mir Bebb had been a Chesterfield he would have been funny, because he had to be, you know. He was Matilda Marthas father, and she was queer. When he seated himself at the table at his daughters right hand his face was beaming with the kindly interest he felt in all girls, because his Hattie was 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-