Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-06-18

to start a conversation with her.
The janitor began to find a lot of
weird poetry in the waste baskets,
the Stevens began to dress up, and
the dudes became almost glorified in
their sartorial homage to the girl
at the laundry. She yielded not an
iota of recognition IS any of them.
She was serenely gracious to all I'M
til tk- business in hand was transact
ed, and then she receded into hard
but beautiful shell of stately reti-
cence that simply maddened her adj
mirerS.
Highly, of course, was the most ar
dent of pursuers. He swore that sh"
was the most beautiful woman in
Chicago, and his hearers were in
clinsd to agree. One evening ne was
standing on the steps OF the college
descanting upon her charms to
crowd of sympathetic fellow stu
dents.
''Such a shape! Such "a
"Cut that out, Highly" bawled
voice from the door behind him. Ev-
erybody turned to see Brock coming
out. His face was pale with rage.
His big fists were clenched, and his
voice trembled as he went on:
You'll have to stop talking about
this young lady, Highly. won't
stand it,
Haven't I a right to admire"
Admire, but keep your mouth
shut
Brock paused for a moment as if
to restrain his rising passion. Then
his face softened, he came closer and
almost whispered:
Excuse me, Hig, old man, I didn't
mean to be rude" Then he turned
to the students and said: Excuse
me, gentlemen, I want to speak to
Mr.. Highly privately"
They went away together, arm in
arm, Highly mystified and big Brock
bending over him in earnest converse
ton. Nobody ever heard Highly talk
about his new fairy" after that. In
stead change came over him for
which none seemed able to account.
He quit drinking and took to study.
He grew serious and staid in words
and habits, and began to shine bit
at examinations. The students thought
they .understood it all when word went
round the college that Brock and the
laundry beauty had been seen togeth-
er at church. Certain it was that Brock
the austre, Brock the woman hater,
Brock the ascetic, had at least won a
measure of recognition from the
naughty beauty round the corner.
She was seen talking to him across
the counter. and the smile on her face
was certainly not inspired by any ar
gument over a lost collar. Along to-
ward Christmas Brock began to take
her home from work. They seemed
very confidential and happy as they
marched away, and every marin the
college envied the Kentuckian. The
queer part of the affair soon developed,
however, and after Brock and Highly,
one at each side of the goddess, had
been seen escorting her from the laun-
dry, nobody knew just what to think.
Every man in the college knew that
Highly was violently and proba bly,
hopelessly in love with her, that Brock
had "cut him out" and that the
chances, were good for fierce and
bloody feud between the two former
| friends.
1t was just before the final examina-
tons that Highly made verbal an
nouncement of his approaching we'd
ding.
"Who's the lucky girl, Hig?" the stu
dents would ask.
"Oh, you don't know her" he would
smile. ''I'll introduce you after the
wedding. We're to give all you fellows
a reception and a, chance to dance in
our honor. Brock is to be best man.
That seemed to settle it. Of course
Brock wouldn't be best man for his
successful rival, and the students de.
cided that Hig was to marry some So
ciety girl. The list of guests included
every professor and student in the col
lege, and when the night of the recep
ton came none of them knew any
more about the wedding than it hae
been solemnized privately in Louis
vile.
Highly met them at the door. Be
yond stood old Brock, radiant ant
towering, shaking hands with every
body, and smiling while the tear
stood in his eyes. just behind thu
big Kentuckian stood the bride.
Prof Hatfield, with a dozen favor
tie students at his heels, was tn,
first to see her.
Professor" said Brock, introduc
inCr hin, sslat mo ,,roco,,f x,o,, III,