The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-21
SanSkrlt and Other Things.

Roger sawin looked over the heads Of
the dancers and wondered why he had
come. To a Harvard graduate there is
no great attraction at a Junior prom in
q Woman's college, unless, of course,
there is "the" girl
But in Sawin's case the" girl had not
appeared and he was merely DONG MS
best for little Marion SaWin. whose Two
men had gone back on her Tor the prom
So as a last resort she had induced her
brother Roger TO come, and here he
was making by no means wiling
sacrifice on the altar of brotherly love
SaWin felt grateful in his heart for
one thing though that was the very
point for which Marions apology was
most strenuous.
It had been 80 late when he decided
to come that she had been obliged to
fiji his card with 'left-overs' and social
nohodies "Grinds," Marion called them.
And she had been unable to get the
first two or three dances fer him at all.
So he stood there calmly surveying
the crowd from a vantage point of some
six feet-Marion would have told you
proudly that Roger stood six feet two
inches 'in his shirt sleeves" Il suppose
III have to dance with all the lady
sharks" he was thinking. 'or perhaps
they call themselves sha lzesses- I Won
der which ones are they. L hope they
won't all be built on the cart-horse
plan-thats the way with most literary
scientific women I have noticed love
That little girl i'm blue dances well.
Guess I'll try for spiel with her. on,
hang the luck for he remembered that
his card had been made out and thar
ne had no power to choose his partners.
"Wel1 there's no such thing as getting
a dance with her. she's too good looking
to be clever"
THE dance ended here and Marion
noated uD to him. you've been watch
ing Miss Lewis she whispered hur-
riedly. That's the girl whose name is
down so many times on your card.
Poor boy. It's too bad to have so many
dances with bore. She's a perfect
crank on dead languages. See-she's
your next partner
Sawin felt that fate was kind and
beamed at his sister as she performed
the Introduction. He thought he de-
tected a grain of pity in her smile. for
Marion had heard him rave about blue
stockings and knew how he detested
talking to a "bOoky" girl.
The girl in blue certainly danced d.
vinely and Sawin kept going until the
very last strains of the music. For
when they stopped he knew he would
have to talk, that was where the rub
came, for what would he say2
lie steered her to a seat in a secluded
corner and began with an inward groan
Marion was telling me about your
specialty, Miss Lewis. but really I've
forgotten what it is" "Sanskrit.' an.
sWered Miss Lewis PROMPTLY Il am in
terested i'm the comparative philology
va the 14lEI AIFaH ldUEUaERS- EdWln
ndseted- Il know she must be off
somewhere" he told himself else such
pretty girl would have never been SO
leIt = the lurch as to have five dances
unclaimed when / came round"
Then She started in and gave Sawin
little lecture on the relation of San
skirt to modern German. which was
aA so much Chinese to him, but he got
To watching the way she used her
mouth and the sparkle in her ewes and
heard never a bit of the lecture.
SO after the waltz which was sheer
Glee, as Sawin said, he opened the
conversation on his own account. do
you golfy' he asked before she had
time to get her breath. oh. a little
now and them" she answered. II
think the study of terms is so fascinat-
ing. Take lofter, for instance; why, YOU
can trace it back'-she was on again
ON her favOrite hobby. Sawin swore at
himself and then relapsed into a semi
conscious state watching her dimDle
come and go. He was even more sorry
when ne had to leave this time
w Then the last dance was over Mar
ION looked around for her brother He
was talking to the little girl in blue.
she smiled knowingly to herself as she
approached the two II hope I'll see
you again some time" Sawin was saw
ing. If you only knew my sister bet
ter" for Sawin knew that Marion s
friends were not of the left over" sort
and he had to listen to woeful accounts
OF how she could get none of "the
girls for his card Thank YOU" said
Miss Lewis calmly. Il know your sis
ter quite well. She has invited me to
spend the holidays with her"
What" stammered Sawin, forgetting
himself why. Sis, I thought ali your
friends were-weren't- He was hope
lessly tangled up. II am making a
mess of this all right" he told himself