Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-10
XXI.

Gray steel that seems unmovins be-
cause it spins so fast in the balanced
f1y-wheel, gray snow in a n avenue
of elms, gray dawn with the sun be-
hind it-this was the gray of Vida
Sherwin's life at thirty-nine.,
She was small and active and aal-
low; her yellow hair was faded and
looked dry; her blue silk blouses and
modest lace collars mi high black
and undermining as "a schoolroom
desk: but her eyes determined her
appearance, revealed her Al q per-
sonage and a force, indicated. her
faith in the goodness and purpose
OF everything. They were blue and
they were. never still; they expressed
amusement, pity, enthusiasm. II h
had been seer in sleep, with the
wrinkles beside her yes stilled and
irises. she would have lost her pc.
tency.
She was born in hill-snothered
Wisconsin village where her father
was a prosy minister; she lAboreds
through a ~sanctimontous college; she
taught for two, years In an iron-range5
town Of bluFfy-faced Tatars and
Montenegrtns, and wastes Of ore, and
when she came to Gopher Prairie, itE
trees and the shining ~spaciousness OF
the wheat prairie made her certain
that h was in paradise.
She admitted to her fellow-teacbers
damp, but she insisted that the rooms
were arranged SO conveniently--and
then that bust Of President McKin-
Icy at. the head of the stairs, ITS Z
lovely art-work, and isn't It q n inSptr.
alton to have the brave, honest, 4
tyr president to think About!" She
taught French, English. and history,
and the Sophomore Latin class, which
dealt in matters Of, a metaphysical
The Ablative Absolute. Each year
she was reconvinced that the pupils
were beginning to learn more quick
ly. She spent four winters in build
ing up the Debating Society, and
when the debate really was lively one
Friday afternoon. and the speakers
Of pieces did not forget their lines,
she felt rewarded.
She lived an engYossed useful life,
and seemed as cool and simple as an
apple. But secretly she was creeping
among fears, longing. aQd guilt. She
knew what it was, but she dared not
name, it, She hatea even the sound
of the word sex" When she dream-
ed OF being, a woman Of the harem,
with great white warm limbs, she
awoke to shudder, defenselesa. In tho
dusk OF her room. She prayed 10
Jesus, always to the Son OF Cod, Of
fering him the terrible power Of her
alteration. addressing him as the e4er-
nal lover, growing passionate, exalt-
ed. large, as she contemplated his
~splendor. Thus h mounted to en-
durance AMI ~eurcease. ~ r;Hf
BY day, rafting about In mary &C
ftivities. she was able to ridtcule her
blazing nights Of darkness. with
spurious cheerfulnesss.sieF announced:
everywhere, II guess I'm a born spin
ster," and "You men,. great big noisy
bothersome creatures, we women
wouldn't have you round the place,
dirtying up nice clean rooms, II II
and guided. We just ought to say,
Scat! to all Of you!.""
But when a ma held her close
at a dance, even when. Professor
George Edwin Mott patted her hand
paternally as they considered the
naughiness Of Cy BoEart, she quiv-
cred, and reflected how superior she
was to have kept her virginity.
In the autumn Of 1911. q year be-
Vida was his partner at q five hum
dred tournament She was thirty
four then: K%ennicott about t~hirty-six.
To her he was q superb. boyish, d.
vertins creature; all the heroic quail
tiles in q manly magnificent body.
They had been helping the hostess to
serve the Waldorf salad and coffee
and gingerbread. They were In the
kitchen. side by side o. a bench,
while the others p~onderously supped
in the. room beyond.