The New South., 1898-01-15

III y
B Of the crowd Of
yonng men, so-cailed the ''gang''-
when Mr.. Forester was IN college
less vulgar phrases had been used l.
accepting his invitation 10 the game,
promising to wear his colors, had been
charming TO behold; Kathleen Duer,
and taciturn, keeping her
promise indeed, wearing the blue, but
wearing 1t most ungraciously, was alto
gethcr different person.
Mr.. Forester did not like college
boys. They were 80 disgracefully
young and 30 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
30 exuberant, SO inexcusably cheerful,
they had so little money, and yet
seemed quite unconscious Of the vast
superiority Of his wealth.
II had been one Of the many charms
OF Miss Duer that she had been APP
preciatiye Of his claims TO considera-
tion; 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 MIR. For
restcrs good stories which he related
SO often and so we'll; at such times he
felt he had never delighted more
absorbed listener.
But to-day Miss Duer gave scant
attention to his anecdotes; yawned a
little when he quoted poetry; was in
different TO the details Of the games Of
his~yQgth~~-Sbo looked ouAssM .ahe
Wihuow when he dropped Ills voice.
and asked ii he would mind sitting
opposite instend of beside her; she
did not want to crush her skirt. Mr..
Forester had not known that tailor
made skirts were crushable.
Hc had studied the girl carefully all
summer and all fall, and the outcome
OF his study was certain blue velvet
case in his waistcoat pocket at that
moment, containing ring with dia-
mond in il big enough to block the hor-
izon Of any girl. He would not speak
yet; IL would be tantalizing 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
well to haye it ''fit" now; Mr.. For
rester was an authority ou women's
clothes, and liked everything correct
about the girl he honored with his at
tentions. There was almost q thrill
under his waistcoat as lie 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 sheep had first glowered over
in the corner and then been unneces-
sarily attentive to her pretty cousin
Sarah, il had seemed simple matter
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 her,agreement, but she could not.
She had had such n miserable time
since Her cousins had been kind to
her, but she had felt that they and
''all the rest, which generally meant
"the gang" had been kind with a
pitying tolerance that was simply
maddening. The crowning enormity
had been known to them only two
days-since the Yale yiolets began to
arrive, and since then the gang had
never been mentioned in her pres
ence. Coming into the room upon a
perfect Babel OF voices, her advent
had been the signal for sudden silence.
The gang, all except Rex, who was
too kindly OF heart TO crush her COM
pletely, had gone back from the
familiar ''kit'' to 'sAIiss Duern
was no longer of them, she was a
stranger, almost m outcast, perhaps
traitor in the camp.
The two fat horses trotted soberly
on. II there was anything Kathleen
hated it was sober, well-behaved, fat,
middle-aged horses their ownersl
Past the laden cars they trotted. cars
laden with eager. excited gin. and
students Of to-day, aud almost as
eager and excited students of one or
two generations away-all wearing
the crimson, all hopeful, hilarious,
conyiyials the very crowd adding to