The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-17

Il
for a while. There were tall, thin girls
short, stout girls; old girls with spec
| tacles, and nondescript girls with
clothes which fitted them tightly about
the neck and nowhere else in particular.
/ began to wonder how I was going
to find, among all these girls, the one
| who might prove to he the most sensible
and entertaining. or course l might go
and call on all Of them in turn. but /
baked at this. 1t would take too much
time and suffering. and besides there
were two or three girls-technically
speaking-in the class, any one Of whom
might be the logical candidate. and. to
tell the truth. l didn't have the nerve to
take the chance.
| l sat through half dozen classes
looking over the collection and sizing
them up from their Rotations. and I
| finally decided that Miss Martha
Scroggs would just about do. She was
"a thin, freckled girl, bright but not
gaudy. with severe hair tied up to be
| out of harms way--a girl whom l had
passed on the campus till / had got
perfectly familiar with her hat, with
'out ever once looking at her face. But
she had breezy way of sizing up the
great has beens in English history which
pleased me.
She was a girl who might be really
entertaining. ] decided to talk with
her. to call on her. and to become her
friend. 1t would be a just recognition
of her abilities anyway. 1t was n shame
that so many of the really deserving
and able young women should he con-
demned of loneliness because their faces
IN IiSh
scenery. i, Petey Simmons, would not
submit to this injustice and Martha
Scroggs, the brightest girl in the class,
should have a good time If had any
say about 1t.
Full of this fine resolution slid out
of history class rapidly one day and
fell in beside the young lady as she
trotted off toward the library.
believe me, Miss Scroggs," I said,
lifting my hat "you certainly handled
old Henry. the wife collector. without
gloves to-day"
She turned quickly and looked at me.
Then | remembered that | had never
met Miss Scroggs. OF course we had
been in the same class and all that, but
l realized that ! had never tripped over
any chairs earlier in the year fighting
not in an unfriendy way, with a sort
of curiosity-as If had been some new
kind of bug. I felt my fool face be-
ginning to bush-I have an awful time
with that face of mine-but / wasn't
going to back out, and l toddled right
along, waiting to take whatever she
chose to hand me.
Miss Scroggs looked at me some more
xssifh .
her face frightened.
"Oh, yes, | know now," she ex-
claimed. you're the little man who
hides behind Mr.. Pierce. aren't your"
Huh" l said Indignantly. Pierce
was football man and broad. and /
had lodged number of fiunks by
sitting very quietly behind him. But /
didn't care to have the whole class
notice 1t. l stifened up to my full
height.
Miss Scroggs," said !, "you know my
name ana you know you know 1t, and
you also know l know YOU know it,"
on she said, 1--WE heard you re-
ferred to as Mr.. Simmons, but it's so
much nicer to get information first hand
and accurately"
my name Is Simmons" said bowing
low. "'Petey. Simmons"
I'm so glad to meet you. Mr.. Sim
MONS" said she, putting out her hand,
Good morning" Then she turned into
the library and left me.
After I had thought of this incident
for the rest OF the day and most of the
evening / decided to be even larger
than l had any idea could be and
overlook the whole thing. 1t was nat
ural that Miss Scroggs should be a little
confused by my unexpected frlendliness
POSSIBLY she was even suspicious. II
did seem queer, undoubtedly, for me TO
take so sudden an interest in her.
Anyway. she wasn't used to attention.
! might have to persevere very gently
so as not to frighten her. But she was a
bright little girl and deserved notice
ana, confound It, she was going TO
get IL.
l bowed eagerly to Miss Scroggs in
class the next day and she responded
pleasantly enough. This / found was
tactical bunder of mine. II said
GOOD morning" in class there was no
excuse to say It afterward. So l put
the attack off until the following day
or course l wasn't afraid OF her. Moth
ing could be more nonsensical than this
idea. but was going to do things lust
right this time. hate to blush. 1t is
wearing on my disposition.
had a chance to take of my hat and
say Good morning" to Miss Scroggs on
the Following day and on the day after
that. but that was all. She was always
surrounded by girl friends. They were
the plain and unadorned members OF
the class. but they seemed to enioy each
other 50 much that l hated to burst
ruthiessiy In On their ranks and take
Miss Scroggs away.