The Wrangell sentinel., 1918-06-27
COED COURTSY;P.
BY SYLVIA TURNER.

! lily decided that Hilda should go to
Sycamore college was because il was
coed. Aunt Jane held that in strict
/ ly female seminary Il girls mind WAS
apt to be so filled with her studies and
feminine pursuits that she was untitled
! for her life role of wifehood. The
doctor took an entirely different view
of the situation as he told Hilda the
night before she left
Dear girl. you've lead lonely, mo-
notonous sort of life ut this old Place.
with lust jean and myself. You need
companionshp of boys and girls your
own age. Long ago your mother.
bless her. was student at Sycamore.
You are to have the same room she
! had. and her seat in the dining hall.
| Have 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 l know you will
love-
You mean Mrs. Everdon. dad?" she
asked. little break in her tone.
II mean Paula Everdon," he re
/ sponded, quietly.
/ When she had been at Sycamore
| just two weeks. far too busy to dwell
upon her own personal troubles, she
was one day on Il tall mountain spur
overlooking the Hudson for miles. A
! storm had been brewing and she had
/ been trying to make the college
! grounds before it broke. But in her
hurry. she stumbled on the rocks, lost
her footing and fell. She tried to rise,
but could not. and suddenly there came
| Il drenching downpour OF rain, with
'crash of thunder.
She wore short military cape, and
threw this around her like Il poncho,
! trying to shelter herself from the
! downpour. All at once she felt her
self lifted bodily in strong arms and
carried Oh /; run to the shelter of an
old deserted shack used by workmcn
who had been blasting.
! 1t was dark inside the hut so dark
that she could hardly discern the face
/ of her rescuer. The terrific noise out
/ side barred any attempt at conyersa-
/ ton, but he had removed her cape and
was busy trying to light Il fire on the
old stone hearth. When the blaze
| nnred up she caught IL glimpse of his
face. 1t was Il strong young one. lie
turned and smiled at her, feeling her
scrutiny.
1'Were apt 10 be here for some time.
| You'd better make yourself comforta-.
| BILE. | hope you're not far from your
'home?"
'"Just Sycamore" replied Hilda, hold
ing out her hands TO the fire. I'm
afraid | can't help myself very much.
MY shoulder and ankle both seemed
! to catch it when | fell. Perhaps when
you go, you might leave word at tie
college, SO they'd send for me. I'd be
awfully obliged"
81 think l ean manage to get you
over myself" he said; "at least as
far as the gates then l can run down
after you in the deans car"
1t did not seem that they were to-
! gether long before the storm cleared.
/ yet three hours had passed when Iiilda
! finally reached her own room.
isn't he Il perfect darling" said
! Anne Rathburn, her roommate, when
Hlda was snug on the big couch.
drinking tea 81 haven't seen him ut
any OF the classes. He must be Il
senior"
1t surely gave her prestige among
/ the other freshmen, this being cared
for in cavalier fashion by Il senior.
His name was Ralph, she found out
! from some of the other boys, Ralph
Kingsake. After she grew to know
/ him better. he told her something of
/ his own life. TIilda had been fear
/ fully curious over the visits of Il
very handsome woman in black whe
came and left the college grounds in
n large touring Car every Sunday.
"Oh. that's the mater" Ralph told
her 'She's fearfully good to me.
She's just my stepmother. but we've
been regular pals ever since my ia
Their died. She put me through cob
lege, and we rather keep an eye ON
each other You see, by the terms of
my fathers will, if she marries before
Tin twenty-five, she loses all but her
dover right IN the estate. But then
again, If I marry before I've estab-
lished myself under twenty-five, III
lose a whole lot and she wins"
Hilda looked Mt him approximately.
81 should think it would he splen
did to go deliberately against such IL
WILL" she said.
The months pissed, and June doomed
ahead Iiilda viewed its coming anx-
iously. Her fathers wedding was set
for the latter part Of June.
Somehow she felt that she could not,
go home and find a stranger in her
mothers place. Ralph told her his
plans one night when they We're walk
ing up the embroidered campus.
From habit they went into the little
room used rs college post Office. There
was letter in each of their boxes.
Hilda finished hers first.
--'Oh. Ralph. dads married Mrs. Ev-
er,lm!" she cried. '1'm so glad we de-
n. A.