News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1900-10-24

else to say, he Iapseu INTO MS usuaI
silence. Freeda and Miss Seton COM
mented on the events of the evening
until the ladies' hall was reached.
Edward had said good night and
turned to go when Miss Seton called
after him. He came back again.
Freeda had started up the steps of the
hall and was half way to the top.
81 forgot to tell you, Mr. Blake" said
Ida in a low voice, that | promised
Freeda to give up the Sunday study
after this. She said you would give it
up if | would"
Edward was embarrassed. "Why,
of course-I-I did promise. I'll give
it up all right"
That's all" Miss Seton said and
then turned and ran up the steps.
Edward stood awkwardly looking at
her until she vanished with Freeda into
the hall. He slowly went back to his
own room, and when there he went
over all the events of the evening
He could not conceal from himself
that he was deeply disappointed at the
decision of the judges. He had been
very confident of success. He did not
believe that he had been overconffIlent.
Somehow he could not help feeling
rather bitter toward the judges. The
marking of the judges had been given
| him as he was going out, and he was
rated five points below Wilson in de-
livery. But, even allowing a good deal
70 hiy oeI I, Il
tiOnal experience, still Edward stub
bornly protested to himself that the
! judges We're, even if uncOnsciOusly,
! prejudiced against him. He tried with
some honesty to put this judgment out
of his mind, but when he finally went
to bed he was unable to do so, and it
was the last thought he had that per-
sisted in staying with him.
When he awoke, the same thought
/ possessed him anew. He even said out
! loud as he walked the floor, according
! to his custom since Willis went away:
I'll never enter another contest.
There's no justice in it. If the names
were all written on slips and thrown
! into a hat and the first one drawn out
was given first place, it would be fair
err" He even took up the literary
work of the paper during the week
that followed with great reluctance
and dstaste. The judges decision
seemed to have disheartened him. How
is this, Edward Blake, college student?
Are you setting the standard for your
mental effort by what you can win out
of it in the way of rewards? Is that
your final goal Of deyelopment-the
beating of some one else?
However, he was too we'll balanced
naturally to make an altogether foolish
judgment. The next day he felt some
what ashamed of his feeling, and even
went so far as to go out of his way
to say something unusually pleasant
to Wilson concerning the incidents of
the debate. Wilson was good enough
to say somewhat cordially: Fact is,
Blake, you deserved much higher
marks. l don't feel as if it was any
thing but luck gave the decision to
me-" This remark did not comfort
Edward much, seeing that it was not
luck that he had been criticising, but
the failure of the judges to appreciate
really good thing when they heard
it.
He began work again on his studies
before the week was out, ambitious
at least in that direction, and when
another Saturday came he had almost
recovered his equanimity.
It was his regular evening for calling
at the hall to see Freeda, and he went
over, taking with him a copy of the
last college paper, which had come out
the day before. He wanted to show her
the article he had had reprinted, from
the magazine that had accepted his
first effort. He had secured permis-
sion to reprint it, and he knew Freeda
would share in the pleasure Of looking
it over in the college paper.
When he went into the parlor, Freeda
was already there, waiting for him.
She seemed to be unusually excited
over something; but she sat down and
looked over the article in the college
journal, and praised it highly, to Ed
wards great pleasure. They were
still talking about it, when Miss Seton
came in.
She at once went over to the corner
where they were sitting, and Joined in
the conversation.
"Did you know we had started a
literary club, here in the hallT" Miss
Seton asked, as Freeda turned over
the leaves of the college paper and
made some brief comment on its gen.
eral appearance.
"Freeda told me you were thinking
of something of the Sort" replied Ed
ward, politely enough, but with more
condescension than Miss Seton liked.
Thinking of it! We've organized
one and it's been going a month. We
have a paper of our own called The
Inkstand."
II should think The Typewriter
would be more appropriate to these
modern times" said Edward.
"We use pens over here. They are
more literary than typewriters. See
the ink on my fingers? Doesn't that
look like an authorP'
"lda can write the most beautiful
verses, Ned. You ought to see some
of them"
"Tm not professional writer, like
| Freeda," Caid Miss Seton, coIoring.