The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-28
A Problem of Calculus.

| eRdeavoring 70 mitigate them in the best
| way he could by taking care of the ex-
| cellent and energetic furnace of the ex-
| cellent and energetic Mrs. Walden
| Holmes. Mrs. Holmes had helped a good
| bakers dozen of young men and women
| 10 make their way through college, and
when she saw Efingham's earnest, fine
face, and noted the obstinate set of his
jaw, she made I'D her mind that here
! was another young man whom it would
| be worth while to urge on a bit.
There's a room in the basement" said
| she, that is perfectly comfortable, and
| student light will shine as brightly there
as anywhere else. If you like"
But young Efingham waited for no
| more remarks, but poured out his thanks.
He scrubbed out the room, furnished it
| with dreams and a little necessary fur
niture, and went hard at work. As he
| was a gentleman, and the son Of MANY
| gentlemen, he was not at all worried
| about sleeping in a basement and at
| tending the furnace He had a definite
| end in view, and the manner in which he
| attained it was immaterial
| Now il happened that among his several
| duties was that of replenishing the fire
| in the upstairs room occupied by Miss
| Daphne Underwood who, like himself,
| was a student at the Northwestern. But
|
wood was acquiring her education were
! in great contrast to those which gave in
| terest and perplexity to the days of
| Townsend Effingham. Her room had been
made into bower Of growing flowers;
| a piano and a cabinet of music occupied
a corner OF il, and on walls, desk, and
dresser were innurnerable evidences of
her luxurious tastes and of her popular
| ity. Effingham used to smile as he
| looked about the glowing, perfumed room
and thought of the bare brick walls and
| the scant necessaries of his cell-like
apartment.
He used often to pass Miss Daphne on
the street. Fastening along in her eager
| way in glowing face and rustliug gar
| ments, but if she glanced his way at all
| it was only to notice the books under
his arm, and to classify him as a fellow
! student.
1t must be confessed that bitterness is
not fine, and that it is generally unjust
to the person toward whom it Is directed.
And probably Effingham would not have
felt it at all if it had not been for
| certain incident.
One night when the wind was strong
| Mrs Holmes sent word to him that the
! fire in Miss Underwoods room had
! burned out. This intelligence annoyed
| Effingham The idea Of entering that
room when its luxurious inmate was
| within was not at all to his pleasure.
! But there was no choice, and obstinatey
refusing to even brush the hair he had
rumpled as he studied or TO brush his
| worn clothes he sailed up, coal bucket in
hand, and knocked" at Miss Underworld
door.
Come" said a voice of irritating sweet
ness. He entered. Her ladyship was
| leaning back among many pillows on
reclining chair, and was occupied with
book which had most obviously nothing
| to do with her next days lessons. A
neglige of rose pink made her look Ike
| a big flower: her feet reclining on an
azure cushion were incased in little quilt
! ed satin slippers edged with fur. On her
table was a great bunch of American
beauties; on her white hand Eningham
caught the CLEAN of a rare, IL modestly
| proportional. jewel. He took all this IN
at a glance. Then he averted his eyes,
| and set about his assigned task. Sud
denly 1t occurred to him that he would
speak. He ought to have spoken at first
even a servant had a right TO be rec
ognized.
Good evening" said he, brusquely.
Good evening" she responded. cheer
fully but she did not look up from her
book.
IT'S a windy night
Eyes, a wild night" she answered, as
mechanically as If she had been address,
ing an automaton. Raging with ineffect-
ual resentment, he turned to his fire
building and spoke no more.
The next morning, as usual, while Miss
Underwood was at breakfast, Effingham
went I'D to her room to clear away the
| evidences of the last nights fire and to
! brush the hearth. great number OF
! ,kzz, 81
| half burned. and all bearing evidence to
! the fact that Miss Underwood had had an
unequal bout with her calculus the night
before. Effingham felt a students curl
| osity to know whether or not she had
! succeeded at last, and he ventured to
| look at the papers which lay upon her
| desk It was concusively apparent that
she had been worsted. There seemed to
the clear-minded arithmetcian to be an
incomprehensible number of errors. and
with sudden pity for a mind so be-
wildered, he altered the problems,
/ Strengthened the crooked places, and put
down the correct results.
After this II got to be his habit to look
at the papers on the desk and TO complete
! the unfinished problems, and correct
those which had been enormously per-
formed
Onk morning when he was occupied in
tris manner he was startled by a voice
which spoke right at his elbow.
II beg your pardon, sir; but you seem
interested in my mathematical processes"
Eningham started up, hot and dis
MAYED. and cast a half frightened look at
the tail girl beside him. But confused
as he was. he determined TO administer
some punishment to iher for her repre-
hensible ignorance Of his existence.
They are-are rather Individual. In
deed. they might almost be described as
eccentric
He had expected an angry retort He
was answered instead with a musical
laugh.
"Why have you never come uD to ex-
plain these matters TO me- You might
have taken Ipity on me, Mr.. Efingham.
It was all we'll to do nv problems for
NE and so rebuke my STUPIDITY, bUt il
would have shown real benevoience If
you had taken the trouble to explain q
me how the thing was done
Had the heavens falle12 At thesA
friendly complaints. offered in the most
cordial Of tones. Townsend Efinrhsm felt
his structure OF pride and resentment &C.
ing 20 pieces Ike q shack in a cyclone
You are over5earing, You brilliant peo-
pie You surround yourselves with an
atmosphere Of rigorous simplicity, and
assume an attitude Of contempt for al
us nateri8Iists; you avert your eyes when
YOU meet US on the street and when you
enter our own rooms you choose 20 ad-
dress Us only ss an a1terthouEht-'
EGinghan EssDed.
"BUt-but-you paid not the least sttsn-
zion 70 M, Miss Underwood. That night
/ came 70 build your FIRE ron appeared
oh.ivious 20 NJ existence
of course DID. Any seif--esoecti1E
woman would You entered. trovnlug
Ike Jake. yr1 took co-6em1ing iuvsc-
.-g-- 90 mo ~,---7-r7f --o7 tr azzsz--nv nil