Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1918-01-03
COED CoURTSHIP.
BY SYLVIA TURNER.

/
Der syniicate)
The principal reason why the fam
T. ~ decided that niida should 20 to
= Sycamore college was bccausc 81 wa.
, coed. Aunt Jane held that In n strict.
ly female seminary a girls mind WINS
. apt TO be 50 filled With her studies and
: feminine pursuits that she was unhtted
Tor her life role OF wifohood. The
: doctor took an entirely different view
Of the situation, as he told Hilda the
night before she left
Dear girl. you've lead n lonely, mo-
notonous sort OF NE NJ this old place.
With just Jean and myself. You need
companionship OF boys and girls your
own age. Long ago your mother.
bless her. was student ut Sagamore.
You are 90 have the same room she
had. and her seat in the dining hall.
Have a good time and don't have too
many love affairs. BY the way. you
may find n stepmother here when you
come back, one whom know you will
love"
"You mean Mrs. Everdon. dadf" she
/ asked, little break in her tone.
II mean Paula Everdon," he re-
sponded. quietly. o
When she had been nj Sycamore
Just two weeks. far too busy TO dwell
upon her own personal troubles. she
was one day on n tall mountain spur
overlooking the Hudson for miles. A
storm had been brewing and she had
ruin N.
grounds before II broke. But In her /
hurry, she stumbled on the rocks. lost I
her footing and fell. She tried 10 rise. 4
but could not and suddenly there came 7
q drenching downpour Of rain. with n
crash Of thunder.
She wore n short military cape. and
threw this around her like a poncho.
trying 10 shelter herself from the
dOwnpOur All at once she felt her
self lifted bodily in strong arms and
carried on n run 10 the shelter OF an ,
old. deserted shack used by workmen ,
who had been blasting.
II was dark inside the hut. so dali;
that she could hardly discern the face
Of her rescuer. The terrific noise out
side barred any attempt ut CONVERSE
ton, but he had removed her cape and =
was busy trying 20 light fire on the I,
old stone hearth. When the blaze
Haired up she caught a glimpse OF his
face. II was n strong young one. He
turned aud smiled at her, feeling her -
scTa;;i.a;sy5 80. -.-..---
Were apt TO be here for some time.
You'd better make yourself comforta-.
BILE. hope you're not far from your
homer" b
"Just Sycamore" replied Hllda. hold I
Ing out her hands to the fire. "rm n
afraid can't help myself very much. /,
My shoulder and ankle both seemed
to catch II when fell. Perhaps when 7
you 90, you might leave word at the '
college. so they'd send for me. I'd be J -
lwfully obliged"
II think / can manage 20 get you
over, myself" he said; Eat least as
far as the gates; then l can run down
ifter you in the deans car"
II did not seem that they were to-
,ether long before the storm cleared.
'et tEee hours had passed when Hllda
lnalles reached her own room.
isn't he perfect darling" said
Inne Rathburn. her roommate. when
iilda was snug on the big couch. y
rinklng tea. IL haven't seen him at
ny Of the classes. He must be a =
nnior.' I
II surely gave her prestige among
he other freshmen, this being cared
pr In cavalier fashion by senior.
His name was Ralph, she found out
'om some of the other boys, Ralph F.
ingSlake. After she grew to know
Inn better, he told her something OF
Is own life. Illlda had been fear
lily curious over the visits OF a -
Fry handsome woman In black who
inc and left the college grounds In -
large touring car every Sunday.
"Oh, that's the mater" Ralph told
ar. "She's fearfully good 20 me. m
he's just my stepmother, but we've IN
Sen regular pals ever since my ia iri
Ter died. She put me through coll w
&c, and we rather keep an eye ON 81,
ch other. You see. by the terms OF Ike
y fathers will, II she marries before III
N twenty-five. she loses all but her IN
'wer right In the estate. But then de
'ain, II I marry before I've estab- an
she'd myself under twenty-five, I'll SIN
Sc a whole lot and she wins" de
llilda looked az him appreciatlvely. fal
81 should think IL would be splen-
d to go deliberately against such a
H." she said.
The months passed. and June doomed
Iead. Hllda viewed its coming anx- ,
lsly. Her fathers wedding was set
r the latter part OF June.
Somehow she felt that she could not
home and find a stranger In her
others place. Ralph told her his 10
ans one night when they were walk In
g up the embroidered campus. exl
From habit they went into the little ed