The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1910-01-13
lnBOrrOWed
PlurnaSe
The Cellese Cloakroom Maid
and the University Porter
BY JANE OSBORN.
Copyright. 1903, by Associated Lit
By JANE OSBORN.
Copyright. 1903. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

aufnmn there was a new maid in the
cloakroom. Something about her dark,
close fitting dress. her small, rutfled
'apton and her parted hair, tied with a
big black bow at the back Of her neck,
suggested q French maid much more
rhan student But the fact was that
Molly Dodge really was a poor south
cru girl working her way through the
woman's department Of this big uni
versity.
During the three or four hours that
Molly was not attending lectures she
had to stay In the stone fioored. locker
lined cloakroOm and be ready at any
ume to get students hats and coats or
put them away in their owners lock-
ers.
At first it had seemed not at all bad,
for Molly had soft, lOvable, southern
way Of talking and honest brown eyes
that made all the girls like her. But as
the months passed they became accus-
toned to seeing her every day. and
they passed her thoughtlessly by. 1t
would not have been so hard II Molly
had been intellectual, but she was not
at all fond of books. In fact, If she
had had chance she would probably
have been little frivolous
But there were two things that made
Molly's life bearable. One was the
daily visit OF the university porter, and
the other was the appearance now and
Of nd haf nd
wraps. Molly had little mirror over
her desk in the cloakroom, and when
ever any specially charming hat ap-
peared on the clothing counter she
would wait till the girls had left the
room and then with it on her own pref
ty 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 Holiy's duty to sort and distrib-
ute. OF course a woman student Of
Thornby college ought not to have
ntrted with SO humble a parsonage as
the university porter, but Molly was
only half a student. The half that was
cloakroom maid looked forward with
tmpattence 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 Saloches and dripping umbrellas.
That alone would have made her dis
Ike the rain. but besides that students
always wore their old hats when 1t
ratned
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 stately senior, a
veritable biilow OF soft black furs. She
carelessly slipped them OF. smiled at
Molly and hurried OF to her class.
What dream" thought Molly.
And on day like this. But what
does it matter when one has a car
rtaeey'
Molly raised the soft pieces gently
from the counter and started to put
them in their locker. But the tempta-
rion was too great She came back and
replaced them lovingly on the counter
Then very carefully she pinned the
taque over her piquant little face and
glanced approvingly at her image in
the mirror over her desk. IL only she
cohld see the rest. she wished. In a
nxsh 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.
Ell only it were little longer" she
thought. And then, turning around at
the sound OF the opening door. she
faced the porter. He closed the door
quickly and stood against it. Then he
turned to Molly and laughed. But Mol
W didn't laugh back. She slipped out
Of the furs, sprang over the counter
and, with guilty blush. took the
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 coldly without raising
her eyes.
After that the porter left of the
Molly" from his mornings salutation,
aud Molly had no difficulty in repress-
inx him In fact, she was q little dis
appointed that he took his squelching
SO willingly.
About a month after the episode Of
the fnrs there was dance In the col
lege gymnasium. and Molly. as was her
custom on such occasions, took her
blace as maid In the dressing room.
Here she buttoned gloves and slippers
and ARA nged rufIles and bows for her
more favored colleague till her fingers
were numb. Then during the long
hours OF the dance she was supposed
to sit aud guard the wraps and lend
her aid in case Of dilapidated couture
or torn raft1e. But tonight strains OF
the dance music took possession OF
Mslly's soul and started her dainty
feet tapping ON the stone floor. Her
curiosity aud her loneliness had the
upper hand. and she slipped out OF the
Il 0~xDSSSH n