Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-17

ing, as she hounced into the room where Trix
sat poring over her columns of figures. &,
"oh, Kate, please don't talk to. me now!
am IIst trying to get this right"
Where are your asked Kate, glancing over
her shoulder ooh. only at the twentieth
forty-ffth."
81 can't help it," said Trix, shortly.
And May Harris says no one but new
conner like you would try against Lii. It's
Just play for her."
1t was not "play" for Trix, as her aching
nea9 testified For three hours she had peen
thirds OF man, would not work right win
every nerve strung to concert pitch, nate
remarks were not soothing.
bseie-she's Trixte, you know--told May
she dld not know what she was talking about
that Professor Strong himself said you were
the brightest girl in school"
Did he?" exclaimed Trix, her face flushing
with pleasure.
Miss Martha told me so last night" af-
| firmed Kate
IriY looked at the twentieth problem and
sighed. Perhaps it would have been better IT
the professor had not thought her quite, so
bright He might then have left little day
light in his questions
And Belle bet her watch against May 3
scarfpin that you'd get the medal anyhow, 7"
back and six diamonds; the watch, mean" 3"
Oh, said ,Trix, excitedly, "don't let her. do
that; please!" -. ~ ,
But she's done it." answered Kate, ."and
lots of the other girls, too. Jeanie Green
has bet her turquoise ring, and Lou Dunn her
pearl pin. It's getting awful serious, you
see. If our side lose, the Lillites will crow
over us no end"
Trix put both hands to her aching head.
She was beginning to feel at very high pres
sure, indeed.
ooh, wish had never thought of trying
for the old medal!'' she said, heartily.
II told you you'd be sorry" agreed Kate,
who was by no means consolatory. 'Lil
said you'd back out before you were half
through"
mo, | WON'T" replied Trix, her eyes fash
ing. .'Im not the backing out kind. Now
that I've gone in for the medal, I'll keep on,
anyhow. If | could only get over Number
Twenty "a be all right, she continued, look
stuck fast here"
what is it?' asked Kate. "Any more
fractions of MANI
mo; it's worse than men-it's cows Just
listen:
"'If twelve cows eat three and half acres
of grass in four weeks, and twenty-one cows
eat ten acres in nine weeks, how many cows
VIII eat twenty-four acres in eighteen weeks,
the grass growing uniformity"
That doesn't sound so very dreadful" said
Kate.
''Try it, advised Trix, drily
Good gracious, mo- I've got to keep nv
brain clear to watch over you. nv dear Ell
IS an awful sly one, tell you. She'll never
let twelve cows get the better of her Tie
up your head with a wet handkerchief and
go at them again."
And Trix tied up her aching head. and
went at them with despairing energy.
Long after all the other lights were extin.
guished,. the bit of candle that Kate ALWAYS
kept hidden in her closet, burned in a broken
hottie on Trix's washstand, and by its feeble
ray the. champion of the Trixites struggled
bravely but vaguely on.
The cows were too much for her. More
than once she thought their herbivorous rc.
past was clearly settled, but some impisb I;t.
tie fraction would spring out to disarrange
all, for Trix knew that no mathematical caj.
culation could bring three-fourths of a cow
"Have you got it?' asked Kate ss +ho
candle having burned away, Trix flung herself
another word to me tonight, Kate or T TlILTig1 1ag
scream. I'll try again tomorrow" II
| But the morrow brought no better luct
| Trix left her cows and went on triumnho MI.
through thirty-five of her fifty questions. tbcny
eheered by her success, came back again ',on' oon
vinced she could master her bovine tormentors
now.
| Again she sat up half the night with ano+,,
er candle that Kate had managed to nrn,,;Ji
and again she had to fling herself boneIeesuu,e,,
down on her pillows with burning ewes sny
buzzing brain, the twentieth problem, stil nn'
solved. un-
| So the two weeks trial went on. each nil.
finding Trix still tossng-metapRori ailvRsan rlsm,
her cows horns while Kate, waking nm s,,ooi oii
half hour OF so, would look out from tbSs
blankets with the same question: '"s
Have you got it, Trix"
And the same answer would fall deiaotol
| ly from Trix's lips:
"No; not yet"