The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1917-10-11


girls; short, stout girls; old girls with
spectacles, and nondescript girls with
clothes which fitted them tightly about
the neck and nowhere else In particu-
lar. began to wonder how was
going to find, among all these girls, the
one who might prove to be the most
sensible and entertaining. OF course
might 60 and call on all of them In
turn, but baked at this. It would
take too much time and suffering, and
besides there were two or three girls
Technically speaking-ln the class.
any one Of whom might be the logical
candidate, and to tell the truth,
didn't have the nerve to take the
chance.
/ sat through half a dozen classes
looking over the collection and sizing
them up from their recitations, and !
finally decided that Miss Martha
Scroggs would just about do. She was
q thin, freckled girl, bright but not
gaudy, with severe hair tied up to
be out Of harms way-a girl whom
had passed on the campus until had
gotten perfectly familiar with her
hat, without ever once looking at her
face. But she had breezy way Of
sizing up the great has-beens In Eng
lish history which pleased me. She
was girl who might be really enter
tanning. I decided to talk with her,
to call on her, and to become her
friend. 1t would be just recognition
Of her abilities, anyway. It was O
shame that so many Of the really de-
serving and able young women should
be condemned to loneliness because
their faces didn't happen to embellish
the college scenery. I, Peter Simmons,
would not submit to this injustice and
Martha Scroggs, the brightest girl in
the class, should have q good time II
I 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. BE
lleve me, Miss Scroggs," said, lifting
my hat, "you certainly handled old
Henry the wife-collector without
gloves today"
She turned quickly and looked at
me. Then I remembered that I had
never met Miss Scroggs. OF course
we had been in the same class and all
that, but / realized that l had never
tripped over any chair earlier in the
year fighting for an introduction. She
looked at me, not In an unfriendly
way, with a sort Of curioslty-as II I
had been some new kind of bug. [
felt my fool face beginning to blush
l have an awful time with that face
Of mine-but 1 wasn't going to back
out, and toddled right along, wait
ing 10 take whatever she chose to
hand me.
Miss Scroggs looked at me some
more with sort of perplexed air. Sud-
denly her face frightened.
"Oh, yes, / know now" she ex-
claimed. you're the little man who
hides behind Mr.. Pierce, aren't your
"Huhp I said Indignantly. Pierce
was a football man and broad, and I
had lodged number Of flunks by sit
ting very quietly behind him. But I
didn't care to have the whole class
notice 1t. l stiffened up to my full
height. Miss Scroggs," said l, "you
know my name and you know you
know 1t, and you also know l know
you know It."
"Oh," she said, "Tve heard you re-
ferred to as Mr.. Simmons, but It's 50
much nicer to get information first
hand and accurately"
my name is Simmons" said, bow
ing 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 Thad thought Of this incident
for the rest of the day and most Of
the evening. l decided to be even
larger than had any idea could be
and overlook the whole thing. It was
natural that Miss Scroggs should be q
little confused by my unexpected
friendliness. Possibly she was even
suspicious. 1t did seem queer, up-
doubtedly, for me to take so sudden an
interest in her. Anyway, she wasn't
used to attention. 1 might have to
persevere very gently SO as not to-
brighten her. But she was a bright
little girl and deserved notice and,
confound it, she was going to get Il.
l had chance to take off my hst
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 un-
adorned members Of the class, but
they seemed to enjoy each other so
much that / hated to burst ruthlessly
In on their ranks and take Miss
ScrOggs away. 1t made me mad, how
ever. 1t was Friday, and now would
have to wait until Monday to become
intimately acquainted with her. Some
how, seeing her hedged about by for
bidding females and entirely inacces-
slble, made me more anxious than ever
to begin the friendship. and Sunday
seemed long day.