The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1908-11-12

busily setting forth a feast, of much
size, evidently. Keith was nowhere
to be seen.
i beg PARDON" began Orpha.
Come in" hailed Tilly, ""we're
just waiting for you. Keith smashed
the olive-bottle a minute ago. She's
in the bathroom, picking out the
glass from the olives"
think these are undamaged, :"
said the hostess. entering. Good
evening, Miss Ainsley. It's ever so
nice to have you here"
What promiscous kind of food are
we to have tonight, Keith?" asked
Marcia. You remind me of the Kin
ling man who 'clawed together a meal
he called dinner
Don't quarrel with your food
admonished Tilly. "The rest of us
haven't had supper in town. We're
thankful for anything!"
Anything! My beautiful oysters.
my tasty chicken sandwiches! cried
the giver of the feast. "The last time
l came to one of your balls 1 had two
crackers and an orange."
Orpha sat very stiff and prim. For
the first time in her self-satisfied life
she felt inadequate to the situation.
She could not sing, or tell funny
stories, or make witty replies. She
could not even laugh in that easy. in
fectious way the others did.
When the girls began the discus
sion of the play, she was no happier.
Her knowledge of the classic drama
did not seem especially helpful in
staging a college play. She went
home determined to come to the next
meeting and show thS girls how really
superior to them she was.
She came to the next meeting. and
to rehearsals in the hall. She did
not grow any more comfortable, how
ever. The girls were so capable, so
tacttul in managing one another! To
Orpha, coming dazed from a world
OF books, they seemed marvellous.
Even the despised Tilly showed an ex-
traordinary resourcefulness in all diff
hculties. There was another side to
the girls that made her oddly un-
happy. This was the sympathy and
love which existed among them, some
times as between friend and friend.
sometimes-andth this seemed strangest
of alias n bond to be expected
among members of the class.
This friendship showed itself in re-
Joicing over any good luck that came
to any of them, and in constant readi-
ness to help one another.
How ridiculous!" Orpha would
IN
girls prance about somc friend who
had said a clever thing in class or re-
ceived a bit of praise from a pro-
fessor. What she did I've done
twenty times before!"
Once when she saw the girls fairly
overwhelming member of the class
with their congratulations, she asked:
What's she done?"
"Oh, haven't you heard? Her ia
theirs going to take her to Europe for
the whole summer. Isn't that gay?"
Wish L were going!" muttered
Orpha; then, still lower, 1T wouldn't
be any use!" which disconnected re-
marks, neverth eless, told that some
very unusual feeling had seized her.
She wondered still more at the way
in which the girls gave up the most
cherished plan for work or fun, to
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 ruinedi"
"What?" in a frightened chorus.
Margaret has broken her ankIe!"
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 a poker,
and oh. you know her voicei"
And she's as awkward as a duck!