The Opelousas courier., 1896-08-01
HER CAREER.
BY CLARA NJ. WHITE.

last. Do you know that it is just a
year ago today that we graduated?
Dear old Wellesley When shall I
see the beautiful place again Little
did l think that it would be a whole
year before you and [ should have an
other talk"
"And little did I think, Marjory,
that in o year [ should be summoned
to help you prepare for your wedding.
Do you remember that last nigat
when We spent the midnight hour to-
gether talking over past and fut-
ure? And do you remember how you
declared you should not marry Jack,
even though he had asked you before
you came away to college? And then,
you know you announced your inten-
ton of following o literary career?
You had not quite decided whether
you preferred editing a newspaper or
writing popular novels. | have
laughed over it many q time since you
wrote me of your coming marriage 2"
"Well, you needn't laugh, Kathryn
Ball, it's q very serious matter-thc
engagement, I mean; anar as for my
carepr- ~
"Don't look SO superior, now. l
suppose you will go on teaching, and
climbing up and up, till you are q col
lege president, but l don't believe you
will be a bit happier than l."
"All right, Mari, I am not going
70 dispute the point, because I am
- to know how it all came about,
this amazing change in your views Of
life.
Honesty, I just cannot help laugh
Ing, whenever I think Of it."
And she burst into a peal of merr;-
ment, in which Marjory, though she
tried hard to stand on her dignity was
at last forced to join.
"You don't deserve to be told a
word about it, but I'll be good and
tell you anyway, for I must vindicate
myself if possible"
Chow chaming! Well, begin
right away" And Kathryn settled
back lazily among the cushions in her
hammock, while Marjory, in a low
rocker at her side, proceeded to relate
what she called her conversion"
"Of couBe jack called bright and
early the yes;y evening [ returned. 1t
was a gorgeous night and after I had
sung for him, we took a little walk in
the garden. No sooner had we
reached the end of the walk, than he
grabbed both my hands and said,
'Marjory, those miserable four years
are over I. last. Now when shall it
be 2
"When shall what be?' said 7, pre-
tending not to know what he meant,
and trying to pull my hands away.
Sat that he actually kissed me?
Why, was so angry don't know what
I did or said. It seems the silly boy
had taken it for granted that I was
going to marry him as soon as I got
out of school. Told him that I had
never given him to understand any
such thing, and that L had quite made
my mind not to marry for q num-
Der OF years, if I did at all.
: ".Let's sit down here and talk it
{ ger : Bit he said. He seemed quite
as serious as I, and asked me if l
minded telling him what I intended
doing with my life. He was SO spm-
pathetic and nice, that I just told him
how my great desire was to become a
newspaper woman. L said that I
thought either of going to some small
place and editing a paper myself, or
Of editing some special department Of
a city paper. On the whole I thought
I preferred the latter, as then I could
stay at home and get a little ac-
quainted with my family, after having
been away from them for SO long.
"'That would suit me q little bet
ter, too said he, and then I wished I
had said I was going to North Dakota
or South America, but I pretended
not to hear his remark and went on.
".Now do you suppose, Jack, I
could get such a position as that on
the Times?'"
HE stroked his mustache for some
little time, and I verify believe now it
was to hide a smile. At last he asked
very gravely whether I had ever had
much practice in writing.
why, l could 40 1t perfectly
well, said ], I am sure. Ny essays
and theses at college were always con-
sidered very fine.
"I don't doubt that, said he, but
you see newspaper work is 81 entirely
different. I am afraid you would have
to begin, like the rest, with reporting,
and work up gradually.
eft that is necessary, I will do it,