The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-30
4 REl'ERRR FICTION
,, R1uzARp HAMILTON porra

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Copyright. 1877. by the Author.l
"Alas! When 1t comes to literature,
ihal to shine, and do wish Miss Bank,
had not engaged q man for that branch
Even II he ia old and fogy, still b,
isa man. and one would prefer 10 'bl
found wanting in the presence Of one'l
own sex." Lou pausss and gloomily
ohews tho end Of her pencil
! swell, for my part. / confess I am
glad Of any change. II is so stupid
pine, banker for sensation and the
want of it. This dreadful monotony ID
embittering my SOUL" And I wildly
clasp my hand to my left side where ]
suppose my soul to be
II feel for yon and long and banker
with you," responds Hortense genially.
"And
"And I, rejoin Lon and Kathleen.
"Cannot somebody do something out
Of the wsyP' ask. From the silence
which ensues 1t seems that somebody
cannot
Kathleen" continued, turning in
despair to girl who had only been one
Of us few. weeks, but who had already
given us sufficient proof that she was, as
we put it. Cup to anything Gath
leen, do suggest something"
my mind is blank" she answers
II am perfectly willing to do anything
anybody else. suggests, but as for sug.
costing myself-it is beyond me-"
A gloomy pause. My last hope has
vanished.
II wish my hair lay in dusky waves
and shadows on low, broad, white
brow" murmurs Kathleen at last. She
has taken small pocket glass from her
desk and is pensively regarding her
charming. piquant face.
Now, what are you all laughing
atH" she adds, opening her big, brown
eyes and looking the picture Of astonish-
ment. And ! wish had house with
o lofty, marble hall, too, and I wish
my hair was SO long that when I walked
distractedly up and down 1.-THE hall,
mean-lny hair would trail behind me
and make,a faint swishing sound" 80
A burst Of unsympathetic laughter
follows this speech.
well, If she has not read more now
els than any girl ! ever knewr' ex-
claims Hortense
Hush" I whisper. Here comes
Miss Banks
We all smother our laughter and re-
sumo our copying Of problem from the
blackboard That is, excepting Kath-
leen. lam seated next her, and no mark
mars the wilderness Of the paper before
her. She is evidently in brown study.
"Never mind" whisper, "if your
hair is not long and cannot swish on
a marble hall it's pretty color and
curly. And then by the time you get
the hall your hair will probably have
grown, you know" But she only smiles
aud relapses again into thoughtfulnesa
That evening Lou Devine and I are in
our room studying There is knock at
the door and Kathleen enters Her pref
ty, short hair is wet and pushed off her
forehead, as il she were the victim Of a
severe headache-or a composition.
Her eyes, usually sparkling with mis-
chief, are large, dark, mournful. She
assures us with emphasis, in answer to
our sympathetic inquiries, it is nothing
but slight headache She wanders
around like an uneasy spirit, but as
usual we have left our lessons until the
last minute and are too busy to notice
her.
"Bess," she says at last. "Bess-er
lend me pencil, will your"
Don't forget to give it back to me.
Battle of Waterloo, 1915; battle of Wa
terloo, 1915"
"Bess-are you studying your his
tory?'
Liverpool and Manchester railway
opened, 1880; Liverpool
"Bessie2"
/ looked up Something in her tone
attracts my attention. - 3 ''' 3@
err "Well7'' ask rather impatiently.
"Er-now-er, did you say the bat
tie of Waterloo was in 1882"
well" say scornfully, II thought
you were going to ask mo something Of
some Importance. OF course it was"
And I return to the Liverpool and Man
chester railway. Kathleen turns to the
door.
She has her hand on the knob, when
she pauses
"Oh, by the way, Bessie" she says,
with somewhat studied carelessness, sis
the new teachers name-er-Winkle?'
YES" l answer, surprised at her
"Such a queer name, you see- Rip
Van Wrinkle, you know, and-er-
that. " And she is gone.
Lou and l stare at each other in
What makes Kathleen so PECULIAR"
asks Lou. f '''.-'-
"Give it up" I answer. "She GER
tainly was rather queer" And we re-
sumo our studying. But the dates will
not stay in my head cannot help
thinking Of Kathleen and her strange
hesitation, her very evident confusion
-
One by one the first class in literature
lies down the staircase which leads to
he room where stands Miss Banks our
worthy principal, and Mr. Wrinkle
lrst Kathleen, then Hortense, then I,
md behind me Lou
As we reach the door Kathleen stops
hort, puts one hand to her head, stag.
,ers little and gasps, "Oh, cannot"
Then, before we can move or speak,
he straightens up, dashes open the door
nd marches in, her head just little
verted and held very stiffly, as if 1t is "
n effort to hold it up at all. We reach
ur Seats and Miss Banks in few ap.
ropriate remarks introduces Mr.. Win.
le to the finishing class. As he bows
Iortense and-I hear Kathleen mutter
Utterly, "Ah, he can seem cool and
aim, while u "a g.
Hortense looks ct me, and look at
Iortense. To say we are burning with
uriostty would scarcely be an exagger-
ton Kathleen evidently knows some
hing about Mr. Wrinkle, or has met
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