The San Francisco call., 1909-02-27

Carefully canceling the letters COM
mon 70 each name she could obtain by
the old formula pre- -eminently en-
.cQuraging and definite results. True,
Mixes hair was thick, stubborn white
SHOCK most unromantic in contour;
Mixes shoes were clumsy and un-
polished and ugly. And Mikes notes
all too trustingly shown her by the
love stricken Jane. who never dreamed
p that her willy eOnhdant. too. had lover
and notes of her own-how kiddish
Mikes freshman efforts sounded be-
side her perfectly lovely ones. Mike
was not a lover; he was only a beau
There were many compensations for
the fact that Rosella had never seen
him. Unseen. unknown. he could be
painted with all the exquisite colorings
Of fancy. When Tennyson was the
food for freshman hVpgerings after
Knowledge her nimbie Imagination
piotured her insmorata a youthful
I.ancelot; when the sweet spring of
Shakespeare slaked the first year
;tflfrst tings for wisdom. the dear one of
her heart bent over her as he walked
down the hall beside her. a gallant
Rassanio, fervent gentle and alto
gether lovely.
. And now again the hour from which
<Rosella rockoned time came and with
throat aching with anticipation and
heart humping half delightedly, half
:. fesrfully. she made her way TO the
English class room, oblivious to the
noise Of tongues around her. Max
Kings knowing glance and uuizzicaI
smile quite escaped her AS she sat
her hungry fingers were lingering over
the inkwell lid, dwelling like gourmands
before a feast. with pregustation on
. the Joys 10 come. Miles and miles from
the prosy composition lesson had her
free spirit wandered in rosy pathed
anticipation, but her body must own
it's bondage to Miss Bowman's stern
sway.
.Rosena. you may give another
rule.'
Rule, Rule for what? What could
one so lately bound by the laws of
cupid have to do with rules for the use
OF the comma2 only an embarrassed
shake Of the head answered the ped
agogieal query Max King smiled
''Rosella. your marks for this month
would seem to indicate that you are
giving insufficient attention and effort
TO your work in English I shall be
obliged TO report your failure to your
parents If your work does not i'm
prove
For one moment the little Iady's ira
ditions Of work well done gripped her
again. and she pulled her body up
into q semblance Of attention. But
soon her greedy fingers were lowering
over the inkWell and her thoughts
We're slipping away on the gold
glinting sunbesms 10 the rosy -hued
land OF Never-to-Be. With one SEN
tinel eye out toward the enemy. the
fingers, conquered by desire, opened
the well and deftly transferred the
tiny white oblong 10 her lap. For her
sweetheart was true; the letter was
there Lovingly touching each sep
arate edge, she slowly unfolded the
note. careless Of time, place and at
tepdant circumstance unwilling that
the teachers eyes long suspicious of
her preoccupatiou and listless mat
tention, were upon her and close TO
her secret. The journey back from the
land Of dreams is usually abrupt and
unceremonious.
.Rosella. you may place on my desk
the note you are reading"
The girl started and grasped the
hastily crumpled paper against her
heart. quivering and shrinking; she
made no movement to obey.
Quickly. please"
From time to time Rosella had placed
contraband Of war-gum. candy, snap
pers-on the desk. as a natural re-
suit Of detection, q thing which was
admitted in the freshman criminal code
to be the logical penalty for the mex
cussble awkwardness in execution.
But she could no more lay that pre-
cfous paper open to the merciless
wrath OF Miss Bowman than she could
submit her naked eye to the surgeons
knife: SO she only shrank into the
smallest possible space and shivered
''Rosella. I'll give YOU just one min
ute.' and the wondering freshmen,