The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-11-26

and bows for her more favored col
Leagues till her fingers were numb.
Then during the long hours of the
dance she was supposed to sit and
guard the wraps and lend her aid in
case of a dilapidated couture OF
torn rufle. But tonight strains Of
the dance music took possession of
Molly's soul and started her dainty
feet tapping on the stone floor.
Her curiosity and her loneliness had
the upper hand, and she slipped out
of the dressing room, ran along the
corridor and up the wide stone
stairs toward the gallery overlook
ing the gymnasium.
As she was hurrying timidly along
she had to pass one of the lecture
rooms, which had been converted
for the occasion into a mems check
ing room. Three young men were
standing idly smoking. There was
something about the cut of an even
ing coat that fascinated Molly, and
she turned in the shadow to look.
Suddenly her heart stood still.
It really was the porter, the tallcst
one, with the light hair. He was
laughing now. She was just turning
to run when he faced about. And
just for a second his eyes met hers
through the darkness Of the dimly
lighted corridor.
She had been discovered desert
ing, and by the porter! AS she
couldn't 60 back to the dressing
room now without being seen open
ly, she fed to the gallery and slip
ped into a seat.
So the porter was probably a stu
dent from the university! The por-
ter whom she had tried to repress
was q friend of some girl at the
dance. Her head swan with the
excitement of the information.
Just then the violins struck up a
dreamy waltz. She leaned forward
as far as she dared to see the dane
ers. Oh, if only she had that blue
satin gown! She seized it obviously
in her Imagination. And then as
the dancing began her thoughts
floated out on the music, and she
danced with them.
Just then she heard steps behind
her, and, looking back into the
shadow, she saw dimly outlined the
face of the porter.
"Helo, Molly" he said cheer
fully.
"Shw She put her hand to her
lips. "Somc one might hear"
"Well, let's sit somewhere else. |
hate to whisper"
CAN right" Molly rose timidly.
They passed by a short cut out ia
the starlit campus.
"This is a great deal BETTER" he
said as he helped her on to a Sc
Guided ledge of the great stone
building. "You looked lonely up
there watching the dancers"
81 wasn't lonely. l like to see
Them"
ooh, they aren't bad," he said
dryly. "But when a fellows work
ing his way through his last year
he hasn't much time to waste. l
say,' he said, looking at her curl
ously, "what were you thinking
about up there?"
cob, 1 wasn't thinking at all! l
was just making believe-waltzing
off in that soft blue satin dress. The
music gets hold of me like that and
drives away the cloakroom and the
wet umbrellas and rubbers and cross
seniors
"And obtrusive college porters
who catch you dressing up in other
peoples furs Z" he laughed.
ooh, not" she said, without smil-
ing. 81 never can make the porter
fade away with the wet umbrellas
and rubbers. He seems to stay and
watch me float around in other peo-
pies blue satin dresses, dancing
with other peoples partners. He
just stays and laughs" She looked
up at him. "'Only there won't be
any porter in the cloakroom any
more. There will be just a poor stu
dent working his way through col
lege like the cloakroom girl. | shall
miss the porter, l think"
"But he couldn't stay, you know"
he said. "The cloakroom girl liked
him at first, and the porter used to
look forward all day to seeing her
the next. Then one day she re-
membered she was a student and he
was only q porter, and after that
she was cold and distant. But the
porter went right on dreaming
about her. And new" he said, tax
ing Molly's tired little hand in his,
'the is going to let the poor student
try his luck"
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