The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-07
he colleen, however. 81 her return

lufSIuenUS OF Lne mllllnorS SHOPS on
Rue de la Paix On her arrival home
she sadly inspected her letter of credit
and followed it by a sum in subtrac.
ton. The result was disastrous. for the
colleen fell by the wayside. and the
prize article was untouched.
In our little dining room that night
the cuckoo clock had piped out II calls
before pens We're thrown down and the
tall one and the chaperon sought us to
read their stories. Just then the Har-
ward mans ring at our door was also
heard as he, too, entered, dozen sheets
tiuttering in his hand.
81 tell you that catacomb story prize
is mine, just as if already had it, !" he
whispered tic me.
Meekly and in a subdued Christian
spirit | sat there-yes, sat and listen
ed to every word.
When all had finished there was ST.
lence such as precedes a cyclone, and
then l heard:
"You took began the chaperon.
"My thought continued the tall
one
"Ahout life and death, % finished the
Harvard man.
But the colleen, whose article still
reposed in her notebook impressions.
cried out in husky tones:
''Since each of your three sneaky ar
ticles embodies every idea of mine
therel' And the meaty notebook was
hurled to the floor.
The scrioes We're hardly on Speaking
terms after this. The Harvard man
passed no. II every day with a girl
who was Known to make cross for her
name. sim very tired Of female writ
ers, he was heard to say.
In the pretty apartment in the Rue
de Ehailiot the frost, though slight. was
none the less enduring. fer, true to the
inconsistency of the female mind they
all TUNED upon me and one morning
addressed he thus
Il could have forgiven you any
thing. all began in one breath.
.'but -
"Bnt wllats' l asked. outwardly
calm.
But giving away that great thought
upon the littleness. the nothingness. of
life. said the chaperon, bristling.
THAT certainly began the tall
ore.
"Was mine!" they cried in chorus.
no longer Wore the Harvard mans
fraternity pin, which in tender mo-
ment he had loaned NE. To and from
my French lesson | walked alone, and
in the pretty apartment. No II, the
Harvard man step and ring were heard
no more.
1t was one month later. / walked
briskly along the brilliant avenue,
watching the beautiful horses. with
their silken coats. and the chic
Frenchwomen. clad in gowns to make
nun covetous. The sound of familiar
voices made me turn my eyes toward
the footpath. and With start saw APP
preaching me my three companions
and the Harvard man. They were en-
joying some huge joke immensely.
while the tall one was pointing to
something in a newspaper. When they
saw me. they hurried over, and could
see the soulful glance my erstwhile Har-
ward friend cast upon me as he ap-
preached.
''Have you seen it?'' asked the chap
eron
''Seen what?"
1.-The catacomb prize has been award
ed to an American, and-and-oh. you
tell herr to the tall one.
.sWell. it's just this-it seems that
oh. read it yourselfr" dried the col
leen. 81 III fairly ashamed to own up
having been so silly.
They handed ME the paper, and amid
dead silence l read every word of the
article AS | did so many familiar
friends greeted my eye namely. 1.-THE
nothingness, absolute pettiness, of life
in the presence of the great ruler " and
so forth, and so on. .'Pluto's domain"
was also touched upon, and mention
was also made of some "grinning
skulls, though to be honest the writer
endowed these latter with teeth.
10 think we misjudged her SOL
heard them murlnur as | read ON in
tently, feeling thrill of vindication
c0CCi' tiiAoNtsSli lliC. 1Suc, oittS, ~ w dS
short lived, for when l read the name
signed to the story-the name of the
winner of that much desired prize-my
satisfaction oozed from my soul and left
me pallid and heartsick
.'-All the waters in the five oceans
won wash me clean in their eyes when
they discover. l muttered as l handed
back the paper.
We've all been very silly, said the
chaperon cheerily. ''but after this we II
say no more about it. This is only an
other instance uf great minds running
in the same direction. Now for a brisk
walk home.
For moment felt saved from ex-
posture, but at the next query again
grew numb.
''Wonder who the winner is?'' was
the colleen's idle remark.
/ Leonard Lanel Never heard of
him!' said the Harvard man briskly.
as if that settled the question of his re-
nown. and at his tone sudden defiant
~ -