The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-08
EVENING STORY
Student Help
(By Jane Osborn.

! Jerrold Greig, who was being consid-
cred for the vacancy of Prof. Judsons
department. at Brompton college. He
had come from one of the larger east
| ern colleges and brought with him and
very obviously showed in his manner
| and bearing considerably more OF ar
banity than was possessed by most
! members CT the Brompton college
I faculty. At the head of the table sat
! Prof Judson and at the other end
/ Mrs. Judson presided over the tea
| cups, for Brompton families still
/ drank tea with their evening meal,
! and had the tea service spread before
/ the mistress of the house in as stately
array the meat platter and carving
/ things were spread at the other end OF
| the table before the host. The rule of
etiquette that directs the hostess to
seat her man guest of honor at her
| right and the woman guest of honor
at the hosts right apparently did not
trouble the Judsons. for Mr.. Jerrold
| GreiS sat where it was most conven-
| lent for the professor to talk with
! him at his own right, and Mr.. Greig's
/ eldest sister-for this sister. who, in
! the event that Mr.. Greig received
THE appointment, would be the head
! of his household, had come with him
sat at Mrs. Judson's left. Grand
/ father and Grandmother Judson had
their usual places on the other side
| of the table, and Rodney Judson, Prof.
| Judson's eldest son, who had but re-
Gently graduated from Brompton, sat
| between the young aspirant and his
| sister.
So there were good many dishes
1 for one small pair of, hands to wash
unaided and a good many pots and
| pans had had to be used in prepara-
| ton for the meal, and in Mrs. Judsons
| household no pots and pans, however
! stubbornly they had resisted the first
| additions were ever left Ito soak till
the next day.
So Ursula was still at her work
when the clock on the kitchen shelf
pointed to O'Clock. She heard a
creaking sound toward the back
stairs and wished that the light of the
solitary oil lamp shed a more far
j reaching glow. Then a door distinct
ly opened. Yes, it was the back stairs
door, and a mans figure that was
neither that of Prof. Judson nor his
son came out of the shadow. 1t was
the young eastern professor. and he
stepped toward Ursula with "a degree
of embarrassment that was not in very
good keeping with the. appearance of
perfect self-possession and poise that
he had shown at dinner.
Il just thought maybe you would
give me a glass of water" he began
as Ursula leveled her eyes at him in
| unfeigned surprise. Mrs Judson, 1
guess, forgot to put any in my room,
and L didn't want to bother any of
the people upstairs" he fabricated,
country college folk certainly go to
bed with the chictens.'
They always drink the spigot wa
ter" Ursula commented with voice
that marked no infection. Even
from the shadow in which Mr. Grieg
was standing she could see that he
was watching her with an interest that
was not entirely necessary.
She moved toward the tray where
stood neat array of perfectly shin
ing glasses, and took one.
i'Too bad to have to use a clean
one objected the professor. x re-
mem Der when we were youngsters the
cook at home used to make US drink
out of tin cup-hated to have to
polish extra tumblers, you know"
Ursula made no comment, filled a
glass and handed it to the intruder.
But, then, that cook was very
cross" said the man, trying to make
his voice sound perfectly self-possess-
ed, but not succeeding. ''and this cook
isn't cross, is she?''
Still Ursula made no comment
Jerrold Grieg drank the water, for
which he had no thirst. and then
watched Ursula intently as she con-
tinued her task at the sink.
used to help that cook of ours
dry dishes.'' he prevaricated, land 1
don't see why l shouldn't help you.
Every one has gone to bed and 1 am
supposed to be in my room-no one
will know" He had taken a towel
one of the pans that Ursula had just
washed. DO you KNOW" he VEN
4 tured, encouraged because Ursula had
not repulsed his effort at helpfulness,
do you know, you are the most ex-
traordinarily pretty girl I've seen in a
long time l noticed you the first
thing we went into the dining room
| couldn't keep my eyes off from you,
and fancy L made a tumble of what
I said to the professor just because
60 Mt 4oIai
You seemed perfectly self-possess-
| ed commented the girl. without a
smile. II should Judge that you are
ore of the sort that usually does keep
| a good deal of possession
pauge followed, and then Grieg.
| taking another pan from the draining
rack. got back to his first track. you
are really too pretty. A girl as pretty
as you are has no place in a kitchen.
In the place I came from she wouldn't
stay in a hole like this for a minute.
1 Hands like yours weren't made for
this sort of thing" Then, as the next pan
was transferred from the soapy dish
water to the draining rack, he tried to
seize the slim white hand that held it,
! but, thanks to the soap and water. it
slid easily from his grasp back into the
suds
Then there was a silence broken
only by the splashing of the water in
UrsUla's dishpan; and Ursula's deep
| blue eyes, as she washed pots and
pans with her unwelcome assistant at
her side, pepetrated deep thru the dish
! water into the regions of brown study
I beyond.
"a penny for your thoughts" was
the way the young professor broke the
silence.
81 was wondering whether you
knew anything about the girls in the
&C llege out here. You know it is a
CO. educational place"
I'm not especially anxious to meet
them" sighed Grieg- "A man doesn't
care-much for that sort of girl
brains don't count for much in wo-
men-not half so much as a pretty
face like yours" He was looking in
tently at Ursula who for one fleeing
second was tempted to rub the self