The Colorado statesman., 1915-09-25
OUT OF HIS CLASS
By JANE OSBORN.

And after she had ushered seven
classes into Clayton she was smilingly
spoken of by the other girls of the
town as THE Youths Companion"
Whether it was because she resented
this or because of deeper reason 1t
is hard to tell. but just as the eighth
freshman class since her eighteenth
birthday was about to enter Clayton.
Katherine Morley assumed another
pose.
College men failed to interest her
any longer, she told people. "They
had no true feeling. Her ideal man
was more of a primitive"
This was all right as a drawing
room pose, but when Katherine put 1t
into practice and began to be seen
walking on Sunday afternoons in the
country and attending local attractions
with a certain handsome young fac
tory foreman whose cheap green suit
and creaky shoes. wide spreading hat
and gaudy neckties were suggestive of
Hungarian peasant origin. the college
community was filled with consterna-
tion. And when this Irritation lasted
through the winter. and Katherine
quite frankly mentioned this young
peasant Alec Brajaska - to her
friends and received him at her home
when her father was away, things be-
gan to look serious.
Most to be pitied was Doctor Nor
ley, her father. One day his assistant
in the sociology department, Boards
ley Drew, suggested that he might be
of some assistance.
Something surely will have to be
done" replied the father. 1T is get
ting to be outrageous. l have spoken
to Katherine myself about it. l dread
taking the step. but 1 see no other
way out of 1t. am afraid Katherine
is serious. / can have at least the
satisfaction of knowing something of
the mans origin. / must know
whether there is any reason why Katn-
crime ought not to marry him. | know
of no one who can undertake the in
vestigation SO well as you, Mr.: Drew"
The result of this conference was
that Prof. Beardsley Drew undertook
the task of looking into the record
and standing of Alec Brajaska. AS
professor of sociology, he had studied,
perhaps more interestedly than DR..
Morley knew, the life and the Gus
toms of the factory elements of the
men and women in town, who were
so far removed from the college circle
and college interests. He knew their
various dialects, and the task was not
difficult.
Drew began his task in a sensible
way by discarding his regular clothes,
which would have branded him as an
outsider, and with a shabby suit and
a pair of brilliant tan shoes and a
cheap broad brimmed felt hat he sal
lied forth.
He went to the house where Bra
1aska was known to live. 1t was at.
the hour when the young man would
naturally be at work. A young for
eign woman answered his knocking
and proved to be the daughter of the
woman who kept the boarding house
at which Brajaska and several of his
associates took their meals. Profess
sor Drew arranged to take board at
the same place. It was the easiest
way to evade suspicion, and as he was
having a weeks vacation he could
carry out his plan without fear of
being suspected.
He occasionally talked with Bra
jaska. but more frequently with the
associates. He fingered after the 9TH
er boarders one morning at breakfast
and started to speak of Brajaska to
Magda, the young daughter.
You seem to know Brajaska,' he
said How is it? Did you know
him in the old country"
Magda told him few things about
his bringing up, his boyhood ambi-
tions. He was thirty and she was
twenty. They had lived on adjoining
farms in the old country and for years
her father had been saving to come
to this country and had influenced
Aloe to come. They had all come to-
gether and then her father had died
Suddenly the girl stopped talking
and then Morley looked up in surprise
to see that she was crying. He put
his hand impulsively on her shoulder
and she did not resent it. She was
apparently too much preoccupied with
her own grief.
DO you not know" she asked,
''about me and Brajaska? 1 was prom
ised to him, and we were going to be
married in the spring, and then a
beautiful, very beautiful lady with a
great deal of money took him away
She will marry him. Brajaska has
said so.'
Drew's first feeling was for the un-
fortunate Magda. This feeling was
followed by one of anger at Brajaska,
who had the insolence to desert a
woman of his own class and because
of his good looks win the affection of
another woman of his class.
Drew remained at the boarding
house week. each day growing more
and more acquainted with the sorrow-