Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-08-29
In the
Latin Room
By ANNIE HAMILTON DONNELL.
mvT1RGIN1A BOOTH, if you aren't


the corridor.
Virginia held her book aloft and re-
garded the audacious little margin
sketch critically.
pretty good, don't you think?" she
said. Didn't any of you notice what
a splendid chance I had to-day? If
you think I could resist it"
"Oh, we don't!" laughed Georgia
Lovejoy, under her breath. ''Girls.
will you look at him! Isn't that Prof.
Gregg all over?"
Prof. Gregg was the instructor in
Latin at the girls high school in Ell
well. He was a wiry, nervous young
man, whose smooth, specialized coun-
tenance was capable of great variety
of astonishing expressions.
He was also Virginia Booths best
"subject." From cover to cover her
Cicero were irresistible little sketches
of his favorite attitudes and grimaces.
This very morning had not Salome
warned her? Poor Salome! Did she
not always do it at the last minute?
Not to-day, dear. Promise you
won't today. I'd like to lie here and
feel easy just for one day"
"You poor dear! But I never could
keep my promise if Prof Gregg looked
over his spectacles in that perfectly
beautiful way. I'd have to sketch him.
No use, Salome; I'm hopeless
$50 am I. L give you up. But, re-
member. some day you'll wish you
hadn't; it's coming"
'Pity me when it does! Goodbye,
dear! Don't begin to worry till quar-
ter of eleven. Cicero doesn't come till
then. Here, take this-and this-and
this! Put 'em under your pillow.
That's every pencil I've got!"
There was always this little scene
varying only in wording-When Vir-
ginia said goodbye. After she went
away Salome lay among her pillows,
white and wistfu1. Virginia was 16.
Salome 80. They had only each other.
SaIome was an incurable invalid, but
all day long, while Virginia was away,
her thin, white fingers few. That was
her secret. The things she fashioned
out of her gay woods meant pretty
clothes for the child and a chance for
an education. Salome never told her
sister how pitifully small her income
was. That was another secret.
One day there was discussion in the
Cicero class, and Prof. Gregg held out
his hand.
''May take your book. Miss Booth?"
he said. POSSIBLY your text differs
here. Misprints sometimes occur. Err
your book, Miss Booth?" For in the
horror of the moment Virginia had
held back.
Now, because there was nothing
else to do, she extended the book. A
HI ha- o1l \
travelled over the whole class. Geor
gia Lovejoy's face grew pale and Vir
ginia's crimson.
Prof. Gregg studied the open pages
attentively. Now he was turning the
leaves!
Georgia hid her face. Virginia's
bright head went up high and defiant.
eyes. I see the-er-text differs
here" Prof. Grigg's voice was unmoved.
ayes, yes, yes, I see! There is de-
cided-er-variation here. This-er-
text is like the original. I see, see.
The class is dismissed We will look
further into this and report to-mor-
row. The usual lesson in advance,
young ladies. You may 60"
He made no motion as if to give back
the book, and Virginia marched out at
the head of the file in silence. She went
on down the hall, and then was sur
rounded.
'Never mind, Virgie, We'll all stand
by you!"
we'll body guard you! Well tell
him it's species of insanity-runs in
the family. All the Booths have made
faces back to nobody knows when!"
"Yes, you dear, he sha'n't have you
expelled; he sha'n't!"
Expelled! Oh, was that what it
meant? o poor Salome! Not ex-
PEELED!
"Please stop; please let go!" Vir-
ginia cried. 81 don't want to be BODY
guarded. I hope you don't think I'm
afraid?'
"Well, am,' chartered Georgia.
''I'm frightened to pieces. He'll look
at all those dreadful sketches and
keep growing madden and madder.''
Virginia smiled grimly. 81 sha'n't
blame him at all, shall you?'
After school Virginia and a s'com-
mittee of four" went back % the Latin
recita tion-room for the book, but Prof.
Gregg had already gone, the book
was gone, too. Virginia forgot that
| it was her music-lesson day, and went
| straight home.
Salome had not forgotten. Music
lesson days gave her an extra hour
| with her woods. She was so intent
upon them to-day that she did not hear
the outside door snap or the slow feet
come Flooding up the stairs. They
usually came up to her in quick, light
| bounds. She would not have thought
| it was Virginia. even if she had heard.
The steps came slowly along the hall
| x1,a 1oar ond lool,o5