The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-11-06


twenty times before,"
Once when she saw the girls fairly
overwhelming a member of the class
with their congratulations. she asked:
What's she done?"
"Oh, haven't you heard? Her ia
theirs going 10 take her 10 Europe for
the whole summer. Isn't that gay?"
Wish / were going!" muttered
Orpha; then, still lower. 1T wouldn't
be any use!" which disconnected re-
marks. nevertheless. told that some
very unusual feeling had seized her.
She wondered still more at the way
in which the girls gave up the most
help some friend in her work or fun.
Bertha Johnson, TO whom a high
rank meant everything. cut two lee
lures and a laboratory period TO sit
with a foolish freshman cousin. who
was in the infirmary and therefore
homesick.
And Marcia Grennell resigned from
the economics debate-that great
honor-because she was helping her
roommate make up back work.
Orpha stood up straighter than
ever when she heard of any new act
of this sort. IF you wish TO be a
scholar, you must subordinate every
thing to that end" she told herself.
Then she went back to her lonely lit
tie room and was very unhappy.
The afternoon OF the dress re-
hearsal. actors and committee were in
the hall waiting for Keith and the
heroine. Every one was excited. for
the play was always the event of the
year TO the class. Each class gave
one year. and rivalry ran high.
Keith entered and cast herself on
pile of properties.
"The play is ruined!"
"What?" in a frightened chorus.
Margaret has broken her ankle!"
A dead silence, then all talking at
once.
mo, we can't postpone It! Every
Saturday is taken. up to commence
ment. We can't even give 1t up. for
we can get another heroine. Emma
Twemlow acted the part at home last
summer. She was as stiff as poker.
and oh, you know her voice!"
"And she's as awkward as a duck!"
cried Tilly. Keith. she'll make the
whole play absurd"
81 know it. but can't help 1t! She
knows about Margaret and she
offered. If we don't give the play,
OF course we lose all chance OF the
prize cup!"
Orpha stole out. She walked
long way before she knew what she
was doing.
Il don't look like Rosalind d"-the
play was "As You Like It"-"but /
know / can be like her" She spoke
out loud. Orpha had an English
voice. sweet, with organ tones in It..
"The Morgan prize!" She had for
gotten that.
The Morgan prize was one offered
to the sophomore class for the best
essay on a given subject. If you won,
you had two hundred dollars, and un-
limited glory. Orpha longed unspeak-
ably for the glory.
She wanted her people at home to
know what great things she was do
ing. Most of all. she wanted the
girls to realize how very clever she
really was. She had been ruffied seri-
ously. during the progress of the play.
by her unskilfulness in practical af-
fairs. She would prove that her mind
was too great for such tribes. She
knew she could win.
The competition closed the next
night. the night OF the play. Her
essay was finished in conception, but
it had yet to be written out. Orpha
was slow worker. She ha- planned
to spend all that day and the next, up
to the play, on 1t.
She sat down in a deserted corner
OF the campus. There she fought
fierce battle. On one side warred
ambition, her wounded pride, her real
scholarship; on the other-she knew
not what. Confused ideas of Keith s
disappointment, Keith. whom she had
begun to love-of the shame OF the
class at falling in its play-of the
girls loving her, too. and crying,
Good girl, Orpha! all these
thoughts chased one another through
her brain.
Orpha stood shyly before the dreary
party just starting for Emma Twem-
low.
"Keith"-she had never called her
that before-"w won't you let me be
Rosalind? | know / can be, even II
/ don't look her. / have heard the
rehearsals so often | know the part,
and I'm willing to rehearse all day
tomorrow"
The hall was full. Girls sat on the
window-ledges and crowded the door
ways. There were the seniors. friend
ly TO the sophomores, OF course, but
rather superior; the juniors and
freshmen fiercely hostile; the class
itself hopeful. but nervous. Besides
- a a.