The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-18
The EVENING STORY
SaIIY's Initiation.
(By Jane Osborne

two wonderful things had happened
TO her-honors that any one of sew
eral dozen of her classmates would
nave given their years allowance
70 70 nave won. She had been asked
10 become member of the Blue
stockings Society, the most excIu-
slVe organization in college, and she
mad been asked to become the wife
OF Robert Bangor, the handsome
young professor of chemistry That is
she had been asked soIemnIy- formal
~ to become a member of the Blue
stockings and she had accepted on
the spot; and she had really not been
asked at all to marry Robert Bangor
but she was in the delightful stage of
knowing that she could be asked if
Sne wanted to, and, girI-like she had
deferred the final interview which,
she knew, would end in an engage
ment.
Professor Bangor was at the pres
ent moment delaying Sally after class
on some futile excuse over a note
DOCK. Then when the rest of the cap
ped and gowned girls had passed out
of the room he turned to her and i'm
pulsively put his hand on her arm,
which felt warm and lovable under
the folds of the rough black serge of
her academic gown
see here, Sally he said. "You
will have to let me talk to you this
evening. You know how I feel. though
you haven't given me a chance to tell
you and as she drew away smiling
he pleaded with her to come back.
with you before you give me your
answer he said. sally 1t is only
fair. Come, let's meet down in the
village and take walk on the Moors
where every one could see us. Will
your"
yes" said Sally. But don't
mean to be dreadfully dociIe, you
"But you have said you would
come. and you wouldn't come unless
you liked me, would you?''
NO. faltered Sally. At don't sup
pose So" Then as she heard the foot
sounds of Professor Bangor's next
class she pulled herself free.
Two tall seniors, prominent Blue
stockings, caught her half way down
the corridor and drew her into an
empty class room.
of the seniors.
Commanded" interrupted the 9TH
er, Ito be present in this building to-
night at 1880 sharp, to receive your
solemn initiation into our sacred order.
You are to be dressed in white. The
hour and place are to be revealed to
no one on pain Of ,,
"Oh, but I have another engage
ment," put in Sally.
The seniors looked CONSERVATION.
great privilege, a command" said the
senior very soIemnly, and poor Sally
mad to Danish thoughts of the privi-
lege of explaining to him what pre-
vented her from keeping her word 1t
was not till late in the afternoon that
she finally found him at liberty to tell
him not to look for her
care you ill?" he suggested as she
offered no excuse for her sudden
change of plans.
Sally shook her head and the tassel !
of her mortarboard tapped over her !
golden hair.
''But you promised" said the pro-
fessor, feeling the color going from
his face
yes, but can't" said Sally.
WAS it a previous engagement. |
asked hopefully.
mo" said Sally; please don't ask
me anything about it,
The professor studied her flushed !
cheeks and downcast eyes.
VERY well, think I understand"
Sally looked at him beseechingly.
"Oh, I hoped you would. You see
how hard it would be for me to ex-
plain"
1t was not till the evening shades /
had thickened over the campus and
the moon was Pickering through the
trees that Robert Bangor fully real
ment. Then it came upon him in an
almost overwhelming wave what this
refusal must have meant. There was
but one thing for him to do under the
circumstances. He would go to the
and try to drown his de-
lection in a chemical experiment he
had begun in the morning. He re-
membered that one of the tall seniors
had asked him in the morning wheth-
er he intended to work that night in
the building. She had he thought,
wanted him to help her in her work.
He thought as he recalled this Incl
dent how different had been his feel
senior that nothing would induce him
to spend the evening in the laboratory.
He hurried from dinner in his board
ing house back to the laboratory, feel
inc a certain grim consolation in the
thought that hereafter the laboratory
would be his only home. He banfshed
all the haIf-framed thoughts of happy
riresides, lighted by a certain very
pretty golden head that must hence
forth have no place in his life
'I hoped you would understand" she
had said That was conclusive. There
was no use in hoping after that.
There were no lights in the labor
atory, but faint ray of moonlight
trickled through the windows and the
professor stepped mechanically toward
lid so he stepped against a chair, ap- |
out of its place He 1urched :
forward and then, with horrible reali-
za+ion of the fact that made him trem-
ole in every nerve, he stumbled against ,
something soft that rolled over as he
stepped against it. A young woman in I
white, blindfolded, lay helpless on the
floor. She made no sound when he
shook her by the shoulder, and then I