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


whole play absurd"
Il know it, but can't help it! She
knows about Margaret and she
offered. If we don't give .he play,
of course we lose all chance of the
prize cup!"
Orpha stole out. She walked a
long way before she knew what she
was doing.
Il don't look like Rosalind"-the
play was "As You Like It"-"but 1
know 1 can be like her" She spoke
out loud. Orpha had an English
voice. sweet, with organ tones in 1t.
"The Morgan prizei" 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 unspeaIz-
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 rufied 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 trifies. She
knew she could win.
The competition closed the next
night, the night of the play. Her
essay was finished in conception, but
1t had yet to be written out. Orpha
was a slow worker. She ha- planned
to spend all that day and the next, up
to the play, on it.
She sat down in q deserted corner
of the campus. There she fought a
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 failing 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-"won't you let me be
Rosalind? 1 know / can be, even if
l 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
W N cd
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
the undergraduates, there were a
number of visitors, alumnae and out
siders
Orpha stood in the wings. She had
seen the amused smiles of the audi
ence as 1t read her name on the COM
mittee. Up to this time the names
of all concerned had been kept secret.
and to enhance the excitement Mar
garets name had not been taken from
the program. The girls knew only
that Rosalind was to be a surprise.
Orpha had never acted before In
all that audience there YVES not one to
give her a hand" for friendships
sake.
She stepped out on the stage. In
the dead silence she heard a whisper
from the front seats. What, that
gloomy grind!" and a giggle.
She felt sick. That was what she
was-a grind. Miss Dryasdust. She
had no place among these alive girls.
She was fool ever to have tried to
be like them. She stood perfectly
still in q silence that might have been
of hours.
Her eyes Travelled slowly to the
wings. In the wings stood the COM
mittee. Their faces we're rather
white and their eyes looked unusually
large, but they smiled and clapped
noiselessly. and Keith blew her a lit
tie round kiss. They did not think Of
her as a grind! She had become one
of "us." She was frightened, they
must help her out
Orpha turned to the audience with
a smile that made her dImples peep
out. Frightened? No, but stirred as
she had never been before. She had
sacrificed a dear desire to help the
girls. Her act should not be useless.
But most of all she thought not Of
her own success or failure, but of
Keith and the others who had trusted
her so. Perhaps that is why she did
not fail.
For she inspired the rest of the
cast with powers they had not shown
at any rehearsal, and she captivated
every girl in the hall. She seemed
really one of that brave mimic
world that Shakespeare drew" The
play was mig " success.