Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-08-23

l wish you would permit her to stav
under your charge through the sum.
mer months"
The lady president assured I,vdia,s
father that such an arrangement conld
be made, and that it would be a pleae.
ure to have Lydia with her. Whereat
Lydias father departed much graft.
fed.
So the years wore along and lydia
ard Dolly were still pupils OF Ashmore
and so were most of the girls who had
entered when Lydia did. Their rela.
lions, too. had changed but little for
Lydia still kept her own counsel and
attended strictly to her studies. Dolly
continued her best friend, fact that
still amazed the girls who vainly won.
dered what she could see in the plain
little thing. And Lydia still received
her monthly letter and from time tn
time her precious kilograms.
One day when the commencement
week was close at hand and Lydia's
graduation paper was ready to hand in
one of these messages came to her.
When she had read 1t she hurried TO
the lady presidents office.
MAY I come in and talk with Won a
little while?" she asked at the door
and the lady president graciously babe
her enter.
81 want somebody to share my good
news" said Lydia, "and / think Won
will like to hear it best of all. It came
to me in this telegram. See it is in
cipher. That was my idea and papa
humored me. So l made up the cipher
and it seemed like such a delightful
secret between us. Perhaps it has
made me feel little more like keen.
ing my fathers identity a secret too.
l am very proud of him, but | have
never boosted of him to the girls.
let them talk about their fathers and
their grandfathers, and then Just feel
like hugging myself and saying. You
have father, tool You cannot blame
me for being proud of father. He is so
clever, so honest, so brave and vet so
gentle. He was but very poor bow.
you know, and he has never forgotten
1t. And what do you think Miss Ham,
lin? He has made me his confdante.
Yes, indeed. At every important stephe
has taken he has telegraphed me in
our cipher and told me what he pro.
posed to do and asked my opinion.
Isn't that lovely of him? And now
here is what he has sent me in this
precious message"
And she read the dispatch aloud to
the lady president, and the lady presi-
dent kissed her tenderly and congrat-
ulated her so sweetly that the quick
tears filled Lydias eyes.
On the great afternoon of commence
ment week when the white gowned
young women of the class of '01 were
to receive their precious diplomas. a
distinguished group of prominent peo-
pie occupied the platform to the right
and left of the lady president.
An eminent divine from Boston was
to deliver the Grafton of the day. but
before she introduced him the lady
president arose and said that she had
a pleasant announcement to make. A
distinguished citizen had favored the
exercises with his presence and had
been prevailed upon to address a few
words to the young women of the grad
uating class.
Gle has testified to his interest in
our institution and our work" said the
lady president, mot only by his pres
ence, but by very substantial money
gift for the enlargement of our GYM
nasium and recreation grounds. take
pleasure in presenting to you a gentle
political prominence, twice mayor of
his native city, governor of his state,
and but very recently the unanimous
choice of the legislators for United
States senator, Hon. Daniel Graham"
AS she uttered the name a stout man
with closely cropped beard arose
from seat at the rear of the plat
form and came forward. AS he stepped
to the front the throng on the platform
vigorously applauded and the applause
was taken up by the pupils in the aud
itorium. And as he stood there wait
ing to begin. his brief talk, a shrill
whisper reached his ears.
1t came from the front row of girls
and it was Dolly Arnold who uttered
1t. What Dolly said was
Why, it's Lydia's father"
And faint smile broke across the
stout mans pleasant face.
Before the afternoon wore away it
was known that Dolly Arnold had been
invited to accompany Lydia and her
rather on a six months trip abroad,
and that Lydia's father had already
cabled to Manila and obtained Colonel
Arnold's consent to Dolly's going
Il wonder" drawled Annabel Marsh
in her sentimental way, "why Lydia
didn't tell us about her father. I don't
see how she could keep it to herself
when you girls were all Boosting so
much about your dads and your grand
dads, and never so much as a governor
in the entire bunch. 1t really seems
sly to keep a secret like that. And how
awfully stupid we were never to con-
meet her with Daniel Graham. l sup
pose she was waiting to let the humil-
latlon pile up for us. Well, I guess
Dolly Arnold deserves all she gets.
She's the only one of us that had the
good sense to stick to Lydia Dear me
| suppose I've read of just such hap
penings in books, but I certainly never
expected to actually meet with one in
real life. CIV. R. Rose in Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
Dangers of Cocaine.