The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-04-19

A LII OF the way up College hill tn,
n orchards and fields blazed will
goldenrod and CLEANED with daisies
IL had rained during the morning. ant
the long grass still lay weighted dowr
and wildly green; the sun shon,
through wells Of balmy haze; over I,
the west. where the river mists pur
pied the distant hills, lay darkenins
rain-clouds, huddled together like The
sheep on the slopes below. The whole
valley lay smiling in its windles.
sleep. IL seemed TO breathe fortf
calm from every field and hollow.
Margaret Morris. hurrying up Col
lege hill at her usual seven-league
stride. felt the serene view about her
only as an added irritation. She car.
ried her notebooks and umbrella
tightly on one arm. and gripped her
muslin skirts with the other hand rs
II helping them along. Needless OF
the warm air and the steep hill. she
raced on. her lips pressed tightly to-
gether. her eyes set rigidly ahead and
drenched in tears. She did not hear
the p~laintive shout from behind:
Miss Norris. Oh, Miss Morris!
Wait n moment"
Reaching the top of the hill she
turned. and looking behind her she
saw the Mathematics Man half way
up the slope. He motioned feebly for
her TO stop. then toiled on up the hill.
tanning himself with his straw hat.
Margaret winked the tears out Of her
eyes and wrenched her features into
q swepf-and-garnished smile. inward
ly longing for something to throw at
his handsome gray head.
"Why this indecent haste?" he
gasped. as he came within speaking
distance. II saw you pass my study
window and started i'm pursuit. !
called and called. but you steamed on.
and ! pulled after you like a bias
phemous steam-tug. Case of con-
science?"
NO. ! was rum ng away from a
headache and the blues" she con-
fessed. II was not profitable 10 at
tempt deceit on the Mathematics Man.
You'll lice TO fight another day."
he nodded: that is. unless you
brought the blues along. Let's See"
lie reached a patcrnal hand for the
notebooks. and opened one.
biology. Three hours q day that
means. NIGHT wahr? Only three
hours! What takes the rest Of the
time?"
Margaret colorcd. History and
German-I'm reviewing some college
work just for the fun of the thing"
His eyes challenged her. "And-well,
~ You must know. I've been"
Bitten by another gadfy?"
Gladly! It's a %man-eating shark
this time-and I'm not bitten. I'm en-
quilted. that's all. I'm trying TO write
short stories"
The Mathematics Man sat down I'M
der an apple-tree. and motioned her
10 follow him. "And you're adding
magazine work to history and Ger
man and biology-in July?' he asked
Yes. it's hard. but ! find il a rest
when ! find some spare time. But.
at the same time"
He looked at her. and pulled his hat
farther over his eyes.
"You mean you're writing boomer
angs?" he said. gently.
Margaret drew a stealthy breath.
"How did you know" she answered.
yes, they're all prodigals. who come
back by the first mail. It's because
they come back to me so regularly
that T."
"That you have the blues to-day?"
THAT I keep on writing"
The Mathematics Man began TO
count on his fingers. -Four years
I've known you said he. very slowly,
"and by four several gadflics have you
been ~tormented. poor child. The first
year you had the Hull-House fever"
Margaret nodded.
you went around shedding static
tics, and looking up undesirable peo-
pie. and tried 70 do full college work
and study kindergartening at the
same time, and plastered your hair
a 10 st. Catherine"
"You are very observing" she said,
a. he paused.
Il might have worried about you
II | hadn't seer the counter-irritant
looming up In the distance"
And that was"
The Greek-letter society you
joined. Precisely. You dropped your
blocks and your weaving-needie. and
took your pen in hand to write home