The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1903-09-12

CHAPTER KY.

COMMENCEMENT AT MONROE coll
LEGE.
II was the evening of commence
ment day at Monroe college. Upon
the wide veranda of one of the fra
ternity houses sat Philip Rossiter
smoking a cigar and gazing through
an opening in the trees at the moon
light flooded valley. A very different
man he was in thought and appear
ance from the individual who had
strolled about the college campus
that Sabbath morning more than q
year and a half previous. The sky
Of fortune began to clear for him
the day he became a member of
the staff Of the Evening Star, and
there had been no recurrence OF
cloud. Early in his career upon the
paper, in the absence of a more ex-
perienced reporter, he had inter
viewed a distinguished parsonage
with unwonted tact, and thus leaped
at a bound into the graces Of the
editor-in-chief. Inspired by his sue
cess, he tried sketch writing, the line
OF effort in which he had formerly
won praise. His vivid pictures Of
the slums, Of tramp life, Of unusual
police court episodes. quickly AZ
tracted attention. From these
sketches la fctitn wa. 4 natural and
easy transition. and u" suddenly.
found himself a contributor to one
OF the best ma gSHncs.
Rossiter was again the neatly
dressed nlan OF, yynre. aud to-the casr
Of tmanneI' ~tviIfeh' had a ways bern,
his was added a subtle trace. of indie
pendences OF assurance that was
wholly new to him. He bore in his
heart but one burdensF his love for
Sylvia pensmoHe; and yet he often
confessed to himself that the MEM
DRY of her winsolne personality car
ried with il more of sweetness than
Of sadness Her image aud the recol-
lection III the hop-feldSdats, more
than the smpsrt uning of friends, had
drawn him Back tn Hint6nyille and
the: reunion with his Ycoilege class
mates. "
1t was his first holiday since he
had begun work upon the Evening
Star, and it proved to him time Of
restful delight--delight within whose.
TRANSLUCENT amber he was. conscious
Of but "a single flaw. - Three Of the
four days for which he had been
granted leave of absence had slipped
by. Should he on the morrow drive
over to the Merton farm and have a .
chat with the good people1Jack !
Parmelee and MIR. and Mrs. Merton
and their daughter? Every night
since, his arrival in Hiutonville he
had put to himself this question, but
the visit was yet TO be made. Pas
as he longed for some news
Of Miss Densmore, he dreaded to |
hear of what he reflected must, in all
haveiong since taken
place-her marriage.
For nearly an hour carriages had
been passing, conveying students and
young ladies' andSstheir chaperones
TO the gymnasium, where the senior |
ball was that night to be held. KOS
siter's special friends were making |
ralls in town. and within the frater-
nifty house the under-classmen were
severalprospective fresh
men. Rossiter was hence left quite
to himself yet he was in no wise
onely, his thoughts being very agree
able company. Presently strains OF |
music fioated down to him across the
For while he listened to |
hem dreamily. then it occurred to
him that it might be interesting to
see what an up-to-date college ball
was like, so he rose and saunterad
the gymnasium.
As he emerged from the maple |
shadow, he found the combination
If music and moonlight so beguiling