Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1917-03-22
THE BLUE STOCKING
BY OSBORN JONES.

| ans college," said Justine Craddock,
| dean of Jones' College for Women,
when Alan Kilby went to her office TO
consult her regarding his acceptance
Of q position just offered him as the
new professor of economies.
| Alan had gone to see her, partly be-
| cause he had known her several years
| before when they were both students
| at co-educational college in the West.
and partly because the offer at Jones
college was distinctly better than the
assistant professorship he held in
mans college.
| 1T doesn't seem like mans job
he told her frankly, and she had looked
| at him not with the amusement he
expected.
| Hang 1t all, Justine, It's just that l
can't stand this blue-stocking atmos-
phere. | think It's that as much as
anything else"
There are very few blue-stocklngs
| here" said Justine ''In fact some
times | wish there were more. Blue
stockings have their good points, you
| know"
| From a womans point of view, per-
haps. But Pm primitive enough to
| like a feminine woman, and it goes
| against the grain to see these girls,
| some of them pretty, almost all OF
them healthy and happy, being fed into
| this mill, to have the woman and the
| femninlty ground out. They ought to
| be marrying, most of them-marrying
| and making men what they ought to
| be- and having children and keeping
house"
| "Of course YOU have never married
| yourself" suggested Justine.
mo, and when do | shall not look
to woman's college for wife. I'm
not educated up to that yet
From nll of which, / suppose, | am
to infer that you do not accept the po-
slton|
"No. The fact is, | think | do. It's
| too good to turn down"
so Alan Kllby became professor of
| economics at Jones. The first lecture
was more uncomfortable than he had
expected II 10 be- As time went on the
lectures were easier and Alan had time
! TO look about him. Sometimes there
were suppressed giggles, and some
times three whispering heads bent to-
gether in the back rows of seats, UNI
mindful of word Of the lecture-un-
mindful, too, that from the vantage
point Of his desk the professor could
not only see them but could catch
snatches of their whispered converse
ton.
"If | do say 1t, look awfully well
in yellow" said one whisper.
Not that lemon shade-more OF a
salmon, don't you Think"
| "How long is the skirt? They are
getting longer"
Il know, but my Tom likes them
short Have you learned the new
steps No, that new wiggly waltz step.
mean. He doesn't see us, and we
can get the notes from Ida" Isn't
he perfect dear?H "Ida's quite crazy
abolt him That's why she sits in
front and takes such long notes"
And later: We'll anyway, Kilby's
a dear. Did you eve see such eyes?"
Going down the corridor later in the
day he CHANGED the meet the dean.
Good morning, Mr.. Kilby," she said,
always with the same serenity. How
are the blue stoekngsg'
Blue stockings muttered Kilby. If
there are any they haven't elected eco
Monies"
!. Kilby fled from the building to his
own study in his boarding house
There as he pulled at his comforting
pipe he took Il leather picture case
from his pocket and opened it, II
contained n picture OF the dean that he
had clipped from the magazine article
on The Youngest College Dean" The
picture showed her in cap and gown
with none Of the graciousneSS and al
most motherly large heartcdness that
Kilhy had come to appreciate within
the few weeks he had been at Jones.
Still, he found satisfaction in looking
at the picture-just as a reminder he
said, of the allegiance he owed to his
chief This day be looked at the pic
ture longer than usual.
1--WE got to get better picture" he
told himself rs he rose from his chair
and hurried through the campus To
the deans Office But when he reached
there he forgot the picture and thought
only of the original"
Glow are the blue stockiugs?" asked
the dean, rs she closed the papers she
was working over at her desk and pre-
pared to take an easier chair by the
open fireplace, where she might chat in
comfort with Alan.
"Blue stoCkings-thpre aren't any"
groaned Alan. You're blue stock.
ing, and theyre-thoy're just girls.
Listen. Justine, I've decided that the
only type OF woman l truly admire is
a blue stocking. | used to think that
that was the trait in you that kept US
apart, back in the college days when
was half in love with you all the
time. But now l know that's what is
drawing me to you"
So IL was all because OF Alan Kilby
| that the youngest dean terminated her
/ damn sitff, ~ soon and t~,t~a