The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1911-04-21
Real
Commencement
By JENNIE o. LOIZEAUX


Copyrighted, 1910, by Associated Literary Press.)
She was first a girl; second IL
brarian. Looking at her, nearly
every one forgot the latter for the
former. All the world-save one
remembered the former, The scholar
could not remember she was pretty
girl. He consulted her like an en-
cyc'opedia for bare facts connected
with thesis concerning itself
with botany, biology and the begin
ming of life. It was important. The
girl had borne his blindness since De-
cember, when she had begun her
work. And now it was May, and still
e saw, vaguely at that, only the IL
brarian in her.
One gloomy morning he was wait
ing when she came, barely on time,
10 open the doors. Then he walked
straight to the desk, waited until she
removed her hat and asked for GER
tain book. He always did that. She
alked down book aisle and he fol-
lowed. Her checks were fresh from
the spring breeze; her step was light
with youth and health; her eyes
g'owed with beauty, and her dark
hair curled lovingly about her little
ears. He had time to see these things
while she took down the volume, but
his heart was at the beginnings Of
life. His thesis must be finished for
commencement. Therefore his living
had become a mere matter Of reading
all day, save for three hurried meals
and writing all night, save for the
five or six grudging hours he gave to
sleep.
Now he took the tome from her,
made an absent little bow of thanks,
and went to his favorite corner to
study She let him go without pick
ing from his sleeve a long thread, as
she wished to do She would also
have enjoyed sewing button on his
unbrushed coat, and-sweeping back
his heavy, unkempt, fair hair from
a forehead white and unlined save
for the scholarly scowl between the
brows. AS he settled himself she
took her seat behind the desk, and
noted the stoop in his broad Shout
ders, shoulders which, like the mop
of hair, belonged to the unexpected
halfback in him. The girl sighed.
He was getting on her nerves, and
she determinedly turned her mind to
other matters.
At the same time, it is provoking
for the best-looking man in town to
be seemingly blind! 1t is especially
provoking to very pretty and ad
mred girl 1t Is worse when she is
of a motherly nature, and sees him
20 about half-cared for, and uncon-
scious of anything but an idea. She
yearned to bring him back to his
senses. Had he known whether his
breakfast was sufficient? Did he
know he needed spring suit? Did
he know the wild crab trees were
poisoning on the Hills, and that in
q sunny valley beyond the town,
spring beauties and violets smiled
and waited? OF course not! He was
searching blindly in books for the
beginnings of life, or some SUCH I'M
satisfying quest just pSlOIe ue WSHC
home at noon he lifted his eyes and
met her gaze. A burning blush de-
youred her. He saw the blush and
wondered, but did not connect it with
himself.
He came back in the afternoon,
and she had to ring the. bell twice
at closing time to get him out OF
his dream of work Everybody else
had gone long ago into the sweet
sunshine. The scholar shut his book
and, fastening to the door where she
stood waiting with her hat on to
close up, had the grace to murmur
IN apology. He also closed the door
for her and walked beside her down
the corridor and out Of doors, but at
the first corner he lifted his hat and
left her. She vowed angrily that she.
would not think Of him again-he
was-well. not boorish-but he might
have gone little farther with her.
The next morning he came In just
after ahe had opened the library and
While she was still arranging in a,
little vase the spring beauties she