The Democratic advocate., 1909-11-19
In Borrowed
Ple1G11age
THE College Cloakroom Maid
and the University Porter
By JANE OSBORN.
r,opvright, 1909, by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By JANE OSBORN.
,sss&essssSss sssasRss


hio HACK bow at the back of her neck,
o,,coestcd a French maid much more
tbon a student. But the fact was that
Molly Dodge really was a poor south
orn Girl working her way through the
~roman's department of this big uni
rersity.
During the three or four hours that
Molly was not attending lectures she
had to stay in the stone foored, locker
lined cloakroom and be ready at any
time to get students hats and coats or
rrt them away in their owners lock-
erS.
At first it had seemed not at all bad,
for Molly had a soft, lovable, southern
wov of talking and honest brown eyes
that made all the girls like her. But as
tho months passed they became accus-
toned to seeing her every day, and
+bev passed her thoughtlessly by. 1t
would not have been so hard If Molly
had been intellectual, but she was not
Of all fond of books. In fact, If she
had had a chance she would probably
have been q little frivolous.
MoIlv's life bearable. One was the
daily visit of the university porter, and
tbe other was the appearance now and
then of new and pretty hats and
wraps. Molly had little mirror over
hpr desk in the cloakroom, and when
ever any specially charming hat ap-
npared on the clothing counter she
would wait till the girls had left the
room and then with it on her own pref
tv head steal an admiring glance at
herself over her desk.
And the porter! Well, he used to
come over from the university every
day with the students mail, which it
was MoIIy's duty to sort and distrib-
ntp Of course a woman student Of
Thornby college ought not to have
Airted with so humble a parsonage as
the university porter, but Molly was
onlv half a student The half that was
cloakroom maid looked forward with
imDatience to the daily visitation Of
the porter's cheerful smile and conta-
giOus laugh.
On rainy days Molly had to handle
countless damp and muddy rubbers
and galoches and dripping umbrellas.
That alone would have made her dis
like the rain, but besides that students
always wore their old hats when 1t
rained
She was looking out Of the iron bars
of her basement window at the gloomy
sky one dark day in March when all at
once there swept in a stately senior,
Veritable billow of soft black furS. She
carelessly slipped them off, smiled at
Molly and hurried off to her class.
What a dreamw thought Molly.
And on a day like this! But what
does it matter when one has car
riage?'
Molly raised the soft pieces gently
from the counter and started to put
them in their locker. But the tempta-
ton was too great. She came back ana
replaced them lovingly on the counter.
Then very carefully she pinned the
toQue over her piquant little face and
glanced approvingly at her image III
the mirror over her desk. If only she
could see the rest, she wished. In a
flash she jumped over the counter.
closed the door into the hall and slip
ped into the luxurious coat Then she
stepped up to the students long pier
glass.
IF only it were a little longer" she
thought And then. turning around at
the sound of the opening door, sne
faced the porter He closed the door
quickly and stood against it. linen ne
turned to Molly and laughed. But MOL
ly didn't laugh back. She slipped out
Of the furs, sprang over the counter
and, with a guilty blush. took tne
morning mail.
The next day when the porter came
Molly was deep in volume Of Horace.
Nice book you're reading. Molly"
remarked the porter. and Molly, the
student, smiled ooIdly without raising
her eyes.
After that the porter left of the
Molly from his mornings salutatlon'
and Molly had no difficulty in repress-
ing him. In fact. she was little dis
appointed that he took his squeicnlng
50 willingly.
About month after the episode OF
the furs there was a dance In the coi-
iege gymnasium, and Molly, as was ner
custom on such occasions, took ner
place as maid in the dressing foo"'
Here she buttoned gloves and Shippers
and arranged ruff1es and bows Tor ner
more favored colleagues till her nhgels
We're numb. Then during the ions
hours Of the dance she was suppoSeu
to sit and guard the wraps ana lenu
her aid in case of a dilapidated colhur
Or torn ruffle. But tonight strains =.
the dance music took possession u
Molly's soul and started her da1nty
feet tapping on the stone floor. Der
curiosity and her loneliness nau lne
upper hand. and she slipped out OF tne
DRESSING room, ran along the corrloo.
and up the wide stone stairs to"aiu
tne gallery overlooking the gymnasium
AS she was hurrying timidly. along
she bad to pass one OF the iec'ule
rooms, which had been converted .ol
tne occasion into a mems cneckihs
room. Three young men were stanums
IDLY smoking. There was sometnlns
sOout the cut of an evening coat tnae
fascinated Molly, and she turned III INC
shadow to look.
Suddenly her heart stood still -
really was the porter, the tallest one,
With the light hair. He was Laughing