The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-02
BY INES MACDONALD.

| lecture that morning, there was gen.
eral discussion and he called on her
for an opinion on a certain passage.
| She arose diffidently, offering her
| little statement of disagreement with
the generally accepted theory. And
right there is where the professor
made his first mistake. He smiled
tolerant, skeptical sort of smile, the
trend of which Cassandra Andrews
caught Immediately, and she leaned
forward impetuousiy and fatty con-
tradicted his comment. Then she fol-
lowed up the contradiction with a tum
BILE of words in support of her own
opinion and sat speedily doawn again.
The professor was surprised. We'll"
he said. crisply. Pm glad that at
least one student in the class thinks
for herself. I was afraid you were all
| sheep"
| On the instant the bell rang and the
! girls arose and passed out in chatter
outside with light-hearted banter.
| Were all sheep but you, Andy.
dear" sang out Edna Phray, dancing
up to Cassandra delightedly. And
grow. I never knew you had so much
| spunk. Where do you keep it?''
And the two of them strolled off
| together, arranging to play tennis in
the late afternoon. Later that day
the professor of English and his
sought the courts for their regular af-
ternoon's tennis bout. The English
professor patted ball aimlessly into
the net while his contemporary
changed his shoes.
"Guess I've a touch of spring fever"
he said. absently watching Edna and
ECassandra tightening the net three
courts over. And right there the pro-
fessor of English made his second
mistake. 81 feel" he said, almost
ct, 1t,ynd
doubles. What do you say, Bill?"
And Bill. the economics expert,
i waved his raquet and called across to
the girls: Want to make 1t doubles?"
The girls drew together for an in
stant's consultation. and then assent
the two men were.
How'll we pair OFF," demanded
Professor Bill.
I We'll" said Edna Phray. practical
i nomics-and I'm very tempera-
mental"
The professor of economics grinned
as the two of them moved toward the
other side of the net.
But" continued Edna significantly
to the professor of English. Pm a
better tennis player than Cassandra
Andrews, even if am sheep"
Whereat the professor Of English
shouted with laughter.
Cassandra glanced at her stalwart
partner at those words and in her
young heart there leaped a mighty
flame, the golden points of which
shone in her shining brown eyes. She
forgot everything but the game. She
darted about, diving across the court
and smashing her return drives like a
little fiend. Twice she collided with
|. her partner and shot him a dazzling
little glance as she flung her head back
to shake the hair out of her eyes.
Time after time the professor of Eng
lish shouted to her, Good girl" after
a particularly difficult shot, and her
spirit scared on the wings of the wind
with the professors not far behind.
She had forgotten that she had worn
her best stockings, but they were so
that she wore them, for the professor
was getting more observant every
moment of the afternoon.
At the beginning of the third set
they were even, with a set apiece.
Then the couple in economics settled
down and won four straight games.
: They lost the next and then won
} again, SO that the score was five to one
against Cassandra and the professor
of English.
Easy money" jeered Professor
| Bill. I'VE need only one more camel"
, You can't do it, tainted the flam-
ing Cassandra- I'VE must wini" she
said eagerly to the professor of Eng
, 1iSh- I'VE r,ust-we r'ust!"
You'll kill yourself" he protested.
,, What does it NATTER" she said.
/ crouching to receive Professor Bits
! twisting service. What does it mat
!; ter-if one can die winning" And
she flung her tired body viciously into
. a smashing stroke and rushed to the
: net.
And so they fought on and on win
ming the next five games.
Zone more" she gasped breath
on
Five times that last and deciding
, game went to duce. and then came the
: shot The shot that stood between
! victory and possible defeat-and she
r made 1t, 1eaping high in the air she
smashed the ball in a grey streak
down the alley. and the game was
won,
y "Game-set-and match, whee."
shouted the professor of English
Great work. Andy. old girl And he
2 ostted his dropping little partner on
the shoulder.
: The racquet slipped from her ex-
haus.ed grasp and she swayed weak
e ly. We won" she murmured. and
would have fallen If the professor
4 hadn't put his arm about her and led
her to bench.
E Why. you blessed lamb. you, Andy
Andrews said Edna Phray, sitting
i beside her and shaking her by the
| shoulders Il neve- knew you to play
Y such tennis. The lamb has turned
{ tiger-cat." she laughed up at the two
D men, who stood over them.
Don't maui me, Eddie" protested
: Cassandra feebly. I'm all in" and
| then she smiled up at the professor
her professor. but we won, didn't
: we
!, You wJn," he said
Il didn't because you played some
: tennis yourself
. The next morning she slipped into
!, | her seat demurely as usual. AS usual
= too, there was a cluster of girls
= | grouped about the professors desk
9 chattering gaily. But then, what die
Il she care2 Hadn't he called hei
Andy, old girl" only yesterday? And