The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-06

sashes over the stage? And. see; there 8
a pink bow on every girls chest!'
"The class colors," was the smiling
answer
ut looks like Elizabeth stopped
abruptly. Again she stood at her win
dow, eyes uplifted to the wonder and
the beauty Of the early morning. That
was the meaning behind 1t all-the
commencement Of new day In the
sky; the commencement of a new
striving and achieving In these young
lives; rose colored dreams and ambi-
tons, ribbons of dawn futtering with
hope and promise in every little grad
yates heart
Kitty's piece" came at last. She
had been elected valedlctorian OF her
class. Elizabeth listened spelIbound.
To this idolizing judge every thought in
1t was inspired by genius, every SEN
tence poem In prose, while through
the whole reading ran flashlights Of
the child herself-Kitty with her first
doll Rugged in her fat little arms, Kit
ty with her first medal won at the
Hlllsboro school fastened upon her
proudly heaving breast, Kitty with her
hair done up for the first time and the
last tuck out Of her Sunday dimity.
And when the good natured house
burst into applause Elizabeth longed
to stand on her chair and shout, "She's
mine, all mine"
After the benediction's hush bubbled
over reaction of chatter and laughter.
"Look at the freak in front Of you"
the carelessly high voice drifted over
Elizabeth's shoulder - red currants,
purple ribbons and a dress handed
down from the ark. A country mother,
suppose, bobbing up at commence
ment to humiliate poor little gradu-
atew
A crimson spot burned EIizabeth's
cheek. There was a mist before her
eyes, and an ache gripped her throat.
But so strong was her habit Of unself-
ishness that she was scarcely con-
scious Of her pain. Her one thought
was to slip away before humiliating
Kitty.
The opening of the nearby side door
promised instant escape, and she has
tened toward it. She did not know that
the band was playing. She did not
notice the graduates filing down to the
same door. She did not hear the NUT !
tered protests Of the people that she
passed
zone moment, madam" At the door
an usher laid a OBTAINING hand upon
her sleeve.
She shrank back as though the daz-
zling white line approaching were an
apparition Of horror. There she stood, |
motiOnless, trapped in a crowd where
Kitty could not fail to recognize her
and be humiliated! And yet a sudden
joy Ieaped in her heart as she felt
Kitty's eyes upon her. 1t had been so
many months since she had had the
child in her arms! With these con-
ficting emotions she breathlessly wait
ed. The white line flashed on un-
broken. Kitty had passed her by.
Madam, you may 90 now"
Elizabeth stared vacantly at the ush-
er and tottered out of the hall. Life
had ended. Kitty-the pride, the prom
ise Of all past years-no longer belong
ed to her, but to this gay outside world
where she was an intruder. "The
child" was ashamed Of her mother:
She stumbled on. There was a white
blur upon her stinglng eyes where the
graduates focked on the campus, then
a detached white figure with out.
stretched arms darting toward her.
"Motherp' cried Kitty. "You dear
fraud, you pretending you couldn't ,
;ome! When I discovered you | al