Smyrna times., 1910-02-02
.slR z sSa.ese:asasoseso,
By JAEE OSBORN.
Copyright. 1909, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

autumn there was a new maid i'm tho
cloakrOom. Something about her dark.
close hitting dress. her small. ruf1ed
apron and her parted hair, tied with a
big black bow at the back of her neck
suggested q French maid much moro |
than student But the fact was that
Molly Dodge really was a poor south |
ern 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 foored, locker
lined clOakrOOm and be ready at any
time 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 a 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 thoughtlesSiy by. Ii
would not have been so hard if Molly
had been intellectual, but she was not
at all fond of books In fact, if she
had had a 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
then of new and pretty hats and
wraps Molly had a 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 pret-
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 Molly's duty to sort and distrib-
ute OF course a woman student of
Thornby college ought not to have
hirted with SO humble parsonage as
the university porter, but Molly was
only half a student. The half that was
clOakrOOm maid looked forward with
impatience to the daily visitation Of
the porter's cheerful smile aud eOnta-
gious laugh.
On rainy days Molly had to handle
countless damp and muddy rubbers
and galoches and dripping umbrellas
That alone would have mnde 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, q
veritable bill0w of soft black furs. She
carplessly slipped them of. smiled al
Molly and hurried off to her class.
What dream thought Molly
And on ii day like this! But what
does it matter when one has a car
riage"'
Molly raised the soft pieces gently
from tie counter and started to pu
them in their locker But the tempta
riOn was too great. She came back anC
replaced them lovingly ON the counter
Then very carefully she pinned thu
. toGup over her piquant little face anC
: glanced approvinGly at her image II
the mirror over her desk. If only sh'
could see the rest. she wished. In ;
fash she jumped ever the counter
closed the door into the hall and slip
ned into the luxurious coat. Then sh
stepped up to the students long pie
glass.
IF only it were little longer" sh
thought. And then. turning around :;
the sound Of the opening door. sh
faced the porter. He closed the doc
quickly and stood against it. Then b
turned to Molly and laughed. But Mo
" didn't laugh back. She slipped ou
OF the furs. sprang over the cOunte
and. with guilty blush. took TIA
morning mail.
The next day when the porter cam
Molly was deep in volume OF Horace
Nice book you're reading. Molly.
remarked the porter. and Molly. tn
student, smiled coldly without raisin
her eyes.
After that the porter left of th
"AIolly" from his mornings salutatiol
and Molly had no difficulty in repres'
ing him. Ir fact, she was a little di
appointed that he took his squelchin
so willingly.
About a month after the episode
the furs there was dance in the co
lege gymnasium, and Molly, as was be
custom on such occasions, took hi
place as maid in the dressing room
Here she buttoned gloves and slipper
and arranged ruffies and bows for h'
more favored colleagues till her fingel
were numb. Then during the Ion
hours Of the dance she was suppose
10 sit and guard the wraps and len
her aid in case of dilapidated coifful
or torn rufie. But tonight strains
tba dance music took possession
MoIlv's soul and started her dain'
feet tapping on the stone floor. 81 !,
curiosity ard her loneliness had q q
,,r,or hand. and she slipped out OF q