The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-20

that I should hear more personal life of the
 student body than the ordinary senior world The
 Students Aid Society, of the humanitarian
 trustees, and the "Prexy" himself, had often al-
 lowed to bridge the abyss which separates noble poverty from the aloofness imposed upon the authori ties
 Miss Peterson case in point She had taught
 in country schools in northern New York for more
 years than Billy Blight would have believed. She had been boarded about in the houses of farmers She had worked long and faithfully, and she had sent all her little savings invalid mother in Utica Four years ago this mother died, and the daughter then commenced to hoard all that she might toward the fufllment of her supreme ambtion-a year of study in the city. She had never missed lecture. She wasted moment. She read far into the night and before daylight in the morning. and she learned
 nexoraby and unansweraby, that it would take, not year, but eight ten, to reach the pinnacle of culture and efficiency at which she aimed
 I was perhaps, the most intimate friend she had not only at college but-as I discovered with accountable sinking of the hearth the world. The farm people among whom she had passed her life had satisfied her. They resented afectations the quaint and self-taught refnements which seemed so provincial of broader happier lives She told once, wonderngly about Billy's first visit How she sitting in the dark, realizing all her failures. Little Morton asleep in her arms and she felt his gentle breathing against her breast she found another pathway to misery All her thought and effort had been given children-other women's children, always other women's children. She had written her love upon the shifting sands, and now, when she stopped and turned back to read what she had written the sands were scattered the writing gone. She held Morton's warm little body close to her empty heart and prayed for courage, for strength. Then enter Billy Blight gay and young, handsome and debonair You are to remember that, save Ferguson, she had never known what is commonly called gentleman" have rrho mod even when set among the of learning and dstinc tion among whom he moved by virtue of his fathers and his own surpassing charm.
 And there he sat, Miss Blake," she told me, "hod- ing Morton his and talking the of foolish that sounds like sense of sense that sounds like foolshness. He talked" her eyes glowed behind their glasses Gas people do in great books and when he told how glad he to meet me- and how had watched me, sitting just two places from him at Education 1, surprised Somehow didn't think the gentlemen students noticed young ladies very much"
 Oh. Billy. Billy!
 From the evening of that first meeting life how changed for Miss Peterson. It had been racted enough before but it narrowed down until
 t meant nothing but Education 1, three hours week. hat the only of lectures which both Billy and she attended But the joy the radiant shy joy which his presence in the room gave her would have served to illuminate much fuller life Happiness glowed in her eyes, through her whole face when he was near, so that she shone resplendent- translated-a1though she never, at the very as anything but the plain rather we'll made dark blue and green plaid gown which somehow char acteristic of her.
 We were quite accustomed Bi1ly's raptures about his long succession of charmers. Their number and variety and his earnestness them his table talk unique Their ranged from six to sixty but most at the extremes John often said that true record regular, scientific one, I mean, of Billys mind would be valuable addition to mans study of mankind" So friendly, so crystal clear selfcen- tered, and generous. He could weep openly and unashamed, the loves and sorrows in the if teenth century chansnns to which he devoted and he could pass quite through the love and the sorrow all about him.
 Billy Blight one to take new interest calmly and deluged with reports Norton whose psychology down to its last motor action had been studied and abuated by Mr. Ferguson and set forth in thesis which John, my fance re- ported to be really admirable Billy had borrowed copy of this hesis and he insisted regarding its observations and conclusions many proofs of Mortons precocity. In vain pointed out to him that the value of the treatise depended upon it's being a study of the normal child.
 Normal" he scofed, "there anything like him. Think of it. when he was three days old he closed his fist and jabbed it in his eye. Here it is Read it for yourselves. Did either of ever see three-days- old baby do anything like that?'
 T did not" Elizabeth admitted, ''for never saw threedays'-oId baby Did you?"
 "Oh! Suffering Moses '" groaned Billy, "there are some persons fellow simply can't talk to. They may be decent enough looking and all that sort of thing but they will ask the most beastly questions. shall again demean my friend Morton by him to you.'
 Although Billy kept tolerably close to this last threat, gathered that his intimacy with the Fer guson m6nage continued He frequently entertained then-his friend Morton always included-in his lux rious quarters These domestic festivities must have been in striking contrast to of those which he presided and it at of them that Ee made Il remark for which I think he VIII quite forgive himself. He told abo-t it weeks after wards in tempest of and celf-condcn1ation.
 But how was I to k,oU?" he cried. "IIow could anyone have known? ,,c:cdy could have kyow1 guessed if, cc;:.G '',c. Mss ElSkc?'
 No mo- snni.,asl, 'Elv. dear Of