The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-30

desk and gave vicious little jerk to the long string
official duty The Jerk brought the-sh from
tne rotier. crashing and cracking down upon her
She little cry
The scholar woke up stared left his book and went
TO her rescue She was covered with dust and little
scratch on her hand showed a gobue Of blood
RE took out a big handkerchief and busted her on
hoping she not hurt taking her hand he might
have tagen chiIds. To look at the scratch. He
should jerk shadn--thcy always
treacheFeus. He got hold Of the IN question:
rolled il and then went bark II, his s'uay. she
-"a,,ed moment Then she mcrensi w To hun
and EiiG II, a low tone
You should have sense enough no to read ~'n
desk With her head high and LEFT him staring
= ~ -tusucss II or nery IT me sun wNs m
his eyes? He trhe hewildeTcd, and the mat
ter occurred to him again that night while he was
beginning the last quarter Of his thesis Commence
ment but a week away. The thing must be fin
ished-perhaps his fellowship to Harvard depended
on it 1t fellowship or-his fathers business
somehow for time his odd mans dsap-
pontment in him came to his real heart He wished
he could take the business Was this study really
he wanted? Then he. idIe-minded and angry
at himself being wondered II the falling snads
had hurt that girl in the library than she said
And it occurred to him that he rather brutal In
his inatrcntion.
And in that moment OF thought she came gra-
cousiy before his mental visionno longer the IL
prarian She was henceforth girl
He stayed home the day. putting what
matter he had into shape. but the following day ne
vent and walked straight to the desk.
Good morning. he said. actually seeing the rresn
glow hei cheek.
were suddenly shy. He had the same feeling that
mad made him her flowers a few days be-
fore For a moment he VAS silent. but she eFidsea
the gap with a womans ready word.
Were you'll yesterday? SO she mad noticeo
his unusual absence. A forgotten gleam Of humor
rose In his face, hiding his please.
DC l look like Invalid"
She suddenly realized how big, how much Of
he He held his glasses In one hand and
tossed back his head
You look like a squad man who negiects
else shamefully' It's disgrace to the eoilegestoop-
ing shoulders and pale with night work What dusty
duh old book do you want this morning.
He named it, But he also laughed. She gave MIN
what he wanted and mind seemed to wander. Hers
stayed lust where ii had been--upon him. And yet
The day the scholar finished his thesis and sent
it To ypist he Also received letter from his father
final thought about the business at home. The boy.
for he hardly more took the letter. and, though
was Sunday and very peaceful He wanted 20 think
II he had known his mind 1t would have been
easy, but he didn't He walked miles crcling about
when almost without warning, Il sudden silver rain
poured down and he took for the biggest
tree enormous oak.
Turning up his collar. he ran. half closing his eyes
from the teating drops He reached tho tree. and
going quickly around the rough trunk the sheltered
ride headlong into the little ibrarfanor. rather
frightened and little of
she shrank toward him. And convince that
1t only himself and a person of evil intent
he took her promptly into his
1t was very simple thing to do. requiring neither
study nor Thought was like breathing. Further
more. il must have been the right thing.
she liked IL. At least che did try to get away
That most kind OF her. he kissed And
people who kiss should be engaged one step leads
TO another And just here hour elapsed
No knows just how long. but the rain stopped
and the out again when they started for home
settled itself A partnership In fine business IL bet
ter than Harvard fellowship-for supporting a
But he was ready, the thesis was done The girl
found and captured. 1t the beginning of life
the real commencement of things