The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-01-15

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young men, so-called the "gang"-
when Mr.. Forester was in college
less vulgar phrases had been used
accepting his invitation to the game,
promising to wear his colors, had been
charming to behold; Kathleen Duer,
unsmiling and taciturn, keeping her
promise indeed, wearing the blue, but
wearing it most anonymously, was alto
gether different person.
Mr.. Forester did not like college
boys. They were so disgracefully
young and SO little ashamed of it.
They had so much more hair on their
heads, so much less on their faces,
than he could boast Of. They were
so exuberant, so inexcusably cheerful,
they had so little money, and yet
seemed quite unconscious Of the vast
superiority Of his wealth.
It had been one of the many charms
of Miss Duer that she had been up.
preciatiye of his claims to considera-
ton; never was she more attentive
and delightful than in the presence of
those young cubs. There was on
young Grant whose mere appearance
at the door always seemed to make
her especially interested in Mr.. For
rester's good stories which he related
80 often and so we'll; at such times he
felt he had never delighted q more
absorbed listener.
But to-day Miss Duer gave scant
attention to his anecdotes; yawned o
little when he quoted poetry; was in
different to the details of the games of
his youth. She looked out Of the
window when he dropped his voice,
and asked if he would mind sitting
opposite instead Of beside her; she
did not want to crush her skirt. Mr..
Forester had not known that tailor.
made skirts were crushable.
= He had studied the girl carefully oil
summer and all fall, and the outcome
Of his study was certain blue velvet
y case in his waistcoa pocket at that
moment, containing 9 ring with a dia-
mond in itbig enough to block the hor-
lion Of any girl. He would not speak
yet; it would be tsutalizing to have her
so near and yet so far during the game,
but driving back triumphantly, his
colors victorious on the field, he would
say the important words sitting by her
side. Then the skirt, the great occa.
sion being over, might be crushed with
impunity. OF course, it was just as
we'll to have it eft" now; Mr.. For.
roster was nm authority on women's
clothes, and liked everything correct
about the girl he honored with his at.
tentions. There was almost thrill
under his waistcoat as he looked at
Kathleen and realized how near he
was to sober rapture.
But Kathleen Duer's calm exterior
covered perfect volcano. Two weeks
ago, on the night when Donald Grant
had been SO particularly and objection
ably a sheep, Ind first glowered over
in the corner and then been unneces
sarily attentive to her pretty cousin
Sarah, it had seemed simple matte,
to say that she would go to the game
with Mr.. Forester. Spurred on by
the indignant glance she had EN-
countered, she had gone still further,
had promised to wear the Yale colors
this, however, in tone not to be
overheard
Two minutes later she would have
given her pretty head to be released
from Enlargement, but she could not.
She had had such miserable time
since! Her cousins had been kind tc
her, but she had felt that they and
"all the rest, which generally meant
''the gang" had been kind with q
pitying tolerance that was simply
maddening. The browning enormity
had been known to them only two
days-since the Yale violets began te
arrive, and since then the "gaug" hai
never been mentioned in her pres
ence. Coming into the room upon {
perfect Babel Of voices, her adven
had been the signal for sudden silence
The ''gang,' all except Rex, who wa!
too kindly of heart to crush her com
pletely, had gone back from thu
familiar exit" to "Miss Duer"- she
was no longer Of them, she was .
stranger, almost an outcast, perhaps
traitor in the camp.
The two fat horses trotted soberl,
on. If there was anything Kathleen
hated it was sober, well-behaved, fat
middle-aged horses sand their owners
Past the laden cars they trotted, cars
laden with eager, excited gi,.. AM
students of to-day, and almost q
eager and excited students of one O
two generations away-all wearing
the crimson, all hopeful, hilarious
sonvivial, the very crowd adding t.