The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-10-19
BELIEVE you are right.


ffT BELIEVE you are right. The
college graduates and alumnae
are in evidence with the roses and
brides. June has come to be the month
Of the flowing robe and the tasseled
mortar-board.'
Eyes, and the best place to see the
scholastic gowns, in their many-hued
velvet facings and brilliant hood lin
ings. is the college campus. The
faculty and official guests will soon
pass in procession to the chapel"
What high scholastic attainment
they bespeak; what dignity and beauty
they lend to an occasion like this"
The gray-haired speaker moved on,
while a man who had caught snatches
of this talk shook his broad shoulders,
to make sure he was wide awake. He
removed his straw hat tu fan himself.
noting curiously the scene before him.
He saw a broad expanse of turf, green
and velvety, intersected by many wind
ing paths under over-arehing trees of
primeval mold, dotted by score or
more of large, red brick buildings.
Out Of these poured crowds of young
women. singly and in groups. He
looked at them closely. He was not
used to women of this type, hardly of
any type. All dressed il white, bare
headed. except those who wore black
gowns and square cap with a tassel
hanging in front. This must be the
flowing robe and tasscled mortar
board" What did it signify? All
seemed in great hurry; all happy and
eager, on rush for something, brush
ing so close to him that lie inhaled the
scent of their roses, yet paying no
more heed to him than II he had been
invisible.
"This then is college campus" he
thought, and this is Mount Pisgah.
but where in it all, is she?"
He took from his pocket faded bit
of paper. which he had CHANGED upon
FIVE days ago in a coffee-house in Sc
att!e. and reread it for the Tooth time.
Commencement at Mount Pisgah,"
and in the list of ''graduatesa her
name, Dorothy Knox.
1t took one day to get himself to-
gether. four days in special car to
cross the continent, and he was here,
but where was she? Would he know
her: The woman of Scholastic at
tainments" could have no remembrance
of the barefooted boy of Is years ago.
He could never make her believe that
he had worshiped her all his life, since
he had not kept in touch with her.
And why had he not? Fool! what
was he here for at this 18th hour, any
way? Meantime the campus was filing
from every quarter by the constant ar
rivals.
And always the talk, and he. crowd
ing on with the rest, hearing it in SEQ
tons. The bell in the chapel struck
the hour.
That's the signal for the procession
to start. See the marshals! They have
enough to do, to keep this crowd
quiet"
will the chapel hold it all?"
Net half; not even tip-toe room"
There they come! graduates first, ]
suppose"
mo. choir girls lead. Stand back
and give them room, it's the largest
vested choir in the world, it's said"
Nov the grave and reverend seniors
come, next the graduates
The man took long step forward.
Would he know her?
You'll see them change their tas-
sells to the other side as soon as they
receive their degrees"
Their degrees?"
Yes: the degree of bachelor of arts,
with their diplomas"
Shoulder to shoulder, step to step,
they come along the line like trained
soldiers. their white gowns just show
ing under their black robes, these
young women. They looked neither to
the right nor left, but straight ahead.
The goal was straight ahead.
He who had almost annihilated time
and space to meet this hour, trembled
with the weight of it, now that 1t had
struck. ''Was there telegraphy OF
Gpirit?' he asked himself. He was
used to impressing men. could he
impress her?" "Send signal from his
heart to hers?" make her turn her
head, as she passed? "Force her eyes
to meet his?" Had she grown?" He
hoped not much!
He remembered her trick of throw
ing her head back a little, tilted over
her left shoulder; he remembered her
dimp!es; and the fluffiness of her hair
the color of spun gold; and her great
brown eyes! He'd defy flowing robes.
tasseled mortar-boards and changing
years. to do their worst, with such
haii and eyes, to say nothing of dim
p!cs.