Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-11-18

house where she lived was popular
one.
Never had she talked so brilliantly.
Story after story she told the 20 girls
at the table, till the room rang with
laughter. She scowled and coughed and
mimicked the dark professor, she sim
pered and smiled and affected the graces
of the light one. More than one of her
flashes of wit, her delicious paradoxes,
her apt comparisons went the rounds
of the classroom for weeks after
ward.
When she left the table they crowded
around her and followed her to the gate,
wrapping her in that delicious atmos-
phere of admiring interest and affection
ate appreciation that only a crowd of
college girls can give their idol of the
hour.
where are you going, Miss Burt !?
Have you got to go? Won't you come
down and have an ice with us?"
Cornelia smiled; the excitement Of
the supper table flushed her cheeks.
'Thank you, but have an engagement
with Miss Leeds" she said
"Oh, how interesting it must be to
know the faculty." gushed the sopho-
more with the pretty clothes. "But then,
1 suppose they're glad enough in your
case! l should be so scared, 1 shouldn't
dare to speak to them!"
Cornelia smiled back at them "You
silly things." she said; they're very
like other people-sometimes they're
more sol" And she left them, laughing,
at the gate.
She could not study, and even the
elastic engagement with Miss Leeds
seemed impossible to her. She strolled
through the gate and went slowly to the
back campus. Already it was covered
with light dresses, and the soft tinkle
of mandolins came from among the
trees. Some of the glee-club girls were
singing the "Little Alabama Coon" and
near the observatory a few energetic
seniors were trying to organize uni
versal "sing."
Cornelia felt sudden longing to be
with them all, to be close to her class
mates, and at the same time she
dreaded having to talk to them. She
slipped behind the trees to vacant
hammock, and sat slowly swinging to
and fro. All about her foated frag-
ments of conversation, and idly she tried
to guess the speakers from their voices:
$50 said that I'd have him up for the
prom, but it seems that Kitty had asked
him already-horrid, wasn't it? hate to
ask a man"
''I'd just read eight pages of Freytag,
and / was as cross as bear. said: I'm
not prepared and don't care what he
thought"
''Mary looked perfectly stunning! She
carries herself so we'll, too. But don't
see how she does so much. She says she
never gets to bed till eleven"
ooh, as for Katherine, she's too far
gone for any use; she can't speak of any
body but Cornelia Burt. And don't
believe that Miss Burt knows who she is,
do your"
swell, good night. I simply must do
little philosophy, or shall be expelled.
Think how embarrassing that would
bel"
"Good night" and a girl in pale-blue
dimity thatrustled crisply as she walked,
left the departing philosopher and
strolled over to Cornelia's hammock,
stopping when she saw its occupant.
"Oh, don't go away" entreated Miss
Burt. "Please come back! I was just
going. Is this your hammock" Then
she saw that the girl was Clara Will
ston.
"I'll come" said Miss Williston, "only
on condition that you don't go. Other
wise L go Immediately" She waited a
moment, and then sat beside Cornelia.
81 hope sha'n't bore you to death ?" she
said.
Cornelia did not answer, but pulled
her skirt aside as Miss Williston sat
down. 1t occurred to her that very prob
ably Clara Williston would spend more
money for her commencement gown
than she would need to finish her senior
year!
II want to tell you how much I en-
joyed your story in the magazine" said
Miss Williston. 81 don't see how you
can think of such queer, exciting things.
Really, I got quite worked up over it! I
hope, now you're editor, you won't stop
writing"
Cornelia never quite knew why it was
that she didn't make some conventional
reply, and then go. She barely knew
Miss Williston, and she was girl who
said very little of her own affairs to any
one, even the people she knew best. But
to her own surprise she looked over the
campus and said, easily: ''Tm afraid I
shall do very little writing, editorial or
otherwise. 1 shall probably not be here
next year"
''Not be here! Why, Miss Burt, what
do you mean? Surely you're not going
to lose the senior year? Truly, it's the
very best of all! And what would the
class do without your"
Cornelia smiled. 81 fear you over
estimate my Importance" she said. 81
have always pitied the poor alumnae,
who had practically carried the college
with them when they were here, and
who are really forgotten by the next
class but one. One doesn't count for
much less One'S on deck all the fimei