The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-29


it whispered the day of her en-
IZGHSM trance into the second-reader room.
Once head and foot had meant
Aunt Cordelia above the coffee tray and
Uncle Charlie below the carving knife. But
at school head and foot meant little girls
bobbing I'D and down. descending and as
cending the scale OF excellency.
There were no little boys. At the second
reader the currents of the sexes divided.
and little boys were swept out of sight. One
mentioned little boys now in undertones.
But head and foot meant something beside
little girls bobbing out of their places on
the bench to take a neighbours place. Head
and foot meant tears-that is. when the bob
bing was downward and not UP. However,
II one bobbed down to-day there was the
chance OF bobbing I'D to-morrow-that is.
with all but Emmy Lou and little girl an
swering to the call OF Kitty McKeoghany."
Step by step Kitty went up, and, having
reached the top. Kitty stayed there.
And step by step Emmy Lou. from her
original. alphabetically determined position
beside Kitty. went DOWN. and then, only be-
cause further descent was impossible, Emmy
Lou stayed there. But since the foot
nearest the platform Emmy Lou took that
comfort out Of the situation, for the teacher
sat the platform and Emmy Lou loved
the teacher.
The second-reader teacher was the lady,
the nice lady, the pretty lady with white
hair. who patted little girls on the cheek
she passed them in the hall. On the
first day OF school. the name of Emily
Louise MacLauren" had been called. Emmy
Lou stood up. She looked at the teacher
She wondered If the teacher remembered
Emmy Lou was chubby and round and
much In earnest. And the lady, the pretty
lady. looking down at her, smiled. Then
Emmy Lou knew that the lady had not
forgotten. And Emmy Lou sat down. And
she loved the teacher and she loved the
second reader. Emmy Lou had not heard
the teachers name. But could her CRATE
full little heart have resolved its feelings
into words, dear teacher must ever after
have been the lady's name. And so, as If
impelled by her own chubby weight and
some head-and-foot force of gravity, though
Emmy Lou descended steadily 10 the foot
of the second reader class, there were
compensations. The foot was in the
shadow OF the platform and within the
range Of dear teachers smile.
Beside, there was Hattie.
Emmy Lou sat with Hattie. They sat at
q front desk. Hattie had plaits; small
AFFAIRS, perhaps. but tied with ribbons be-
hind each ear. And the part bisecting
Hattie's little head from nape to crown
was exact and true. Emmy Lou admired
plaits. And she admired the little pink
sprigs on Hattie's dress.
After Hattie and Emmy Lou had sat to-
gether a whole day. Hattie took Emmy
Lou aside as they were going home. and
whispered to her.
who's your mos intimate friendr' was
what Emmy Lou understood her to whis-
per-
Emmy Lou had no idea what intimate
friend might be. She did not know what
to do.
Haven't you got one?" demanded Hattie
Emmy Lou shook her head.
Hattie put her lips close to Emmy Louis
ear.
Let's US be intimate friends" said Hat
tie
Though small in knowledge, Emmy Lou
was large in faith. She confessed herself
N glad to be a intimate friend
When Emmy Lou found that to be a min
innate friend meant TO walk about the yard
with Hattie's arm about her, she was glad
indeed TO be one. Hitherto. at recess. EN-
my Lou had known the bitterness of the
outcast, and the pariah, and had stood
around. principally in corners, to avoid
being swept of her little feet by the big
girls at play. and had gazed upon a paired
on and sufficient-unto-itself world
Hattie seemed to know everything. In
all the glory OF it's newness Emmy Lou
brought her second reader to school. Hat
tie was scandalized. She showed her read
sr soberiy incased in calico cever
Emmy Lou grew hot. She hid her reader
hastily. Somehow she felt that she had
been fmmodest. The next day Emmy Lou 8
reader came to school discreetly swathed
I'm calico.
Hardly had the second reader begun when
one Friday the music man came And
after that he came every Friday and
stayed an hour.
He was tall, thin man. and he had a
point OF beard on his chin that made him
look taller. He wore a blue cape, which he
tossed On chair. And he carried violin.
His name was MIR. Cato. He drew five lines
On the blackboard. and made eight dots
that looked though they were going up
stairs on the lines. Then he raped on his
violin with his bow and the class sat up
straight.
"This." said Mr.. Cato, "is A." and he
pointed to a dot. Then he looked at Emmy
Lou Unfortunately Emmy Lou sat at a
front desk.
'Now. what is it?" said Mr. Cato.
a." said Emmy Lou. obediently. She
wondered. But she had met A In so many
guises OF print and script that she accepted
any statement concerning A. And now a
DOT was A
'And this" said Mr.. Cato, lis b, and this
= Q. and this ID. and E. F. c. which brings
US naturally TO A again." and Mr.. Cato
with his bow went up the stairway
punctuated with dots.
Emmy Lou wondered why brought one
naturally TO again.
But Mr.. Cato was tapping up the dotted
stairway with his bow. Now. what are
they asked Mr.. Cato.
Dots" said Emmy Lou. forgetting
Mr.. Cato got red In the face and raped
ansriiy-