Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-01-17
CHAPTERL
The Letter

Three heads lifted quickly to listen.
Three pairs OF Eye met, the same
thought flashed through three minds,
Won't we miss that bell. though?
back stand perfectly still and listen
TO It with their eyes all weepy look
ing. That's the way we'll feel by and
BY" one OF them said slowly.
And the chimes used to make me
d~readfully homesick! Don't those
fresh days seem ages ago?"
The third girl slammed the lid Of
of the disordered room. She crossed
to the window.
Over. the. stretch Of green between
the dormitory aQd the campus many
people were slowly walking. Their
fluffy. dresses, their a parasols. the
aimlessness of their wandering steps
marked them as visitors. The girl in
the window frowned as she watched
them.
IT always hate it when the campus
fills up with gawking, staring people!
1t ought to be kept-sacred-just for
us!"
One of the three laughed merrily in
answer.
How selfish that sounds. Claire!
Haven't all those people come to see
n of us graduate? This is their day
ours is past" She stopped short.
did you see Thelma Kings sister at
the class-day exercises? She's a
peach! She's going to enter next fall.
She's a leader in everything at the
High where she goes. She'll make a
good college girl; you could see the
right spirit. in her face. How 1 envy
her! It's dreadful when you think Of
new ones-coming - taking our
places! I wish I was just beginning
my Freshman year-Td even be will
ing to endure Freshman math." .
The third Of the group who had
over the tree tops with the dreamy
gravity Of n who-as long ago as
neutrality-suspicious. from the great
University, suddenly interrupted.
Dear girls, eas your whining!
What do those pieces Of sheepskin re-
posing somewhere in the mess on yon-
der bureau stand for? Remember
we mustn't think this Commencement
is the end of anything-it's just the
beginning. Why, this new world
that's been born out OF the frightful
var is full Of work for our trained
minds and hands! We mustn't look
back for a minute-we u look
ahead!" Thrilled by her own words
her two companions.
the inspiration from things that you
always seem to, Anne. l guess I'm
not built right! I couldn't make my
self listen to half that man said. I
can't think Of anything right now but
what a job it's going to be getting
everything into that trunk. Mother
was heartless not to stay over and do
it for mel"
Never mind, Claire, we'll help you.
OF course you and I can't see things
in the big, grand way that Anne can
because she's found herself and we
come we'll do it! 1t may not be off
in Siberia OF China or Africa-like
Anne's-but, wherever it u.s.. I guess
u Alma Mater won't be ashamed Of
us! The girls eye softened with the
passionate tenderness of the new
graduate for her University.
Back in the freshman days a curious
gether: Then, for four years. years
Of hopeful effort, aspirations and
youthful problems, the currents of
their young lives had intermingled
closely; now each must go its way. The
moment brought the pang hat comes
bonds. were something closer thar
friendship. Behind them were months
of. the sweetest intimacy that youth
can know-ahead were the lives they
must live apart out in a world that
cared nothing for college ideals and
inspirations. where each must find
her work and do it, sc that her
Alma Mater might be proud"
Statistics, even in a university,
would be dull If, now and then, Fate
did not play a trick with them. Upon
the roster OF the class of Nineteen
nineteen had been entered two names:
"Anne Leavitt. Los Angeles, Califor-
mia: Anne Leavitt, New York City"
When one thinks that in the great
world>war there was an army of. APP
proximately s~eventy-five thousand
Smiths alone, and a whole division of
John Smiths, one need not marvel
that two Anne Leavitts came that Oc-
tober day to the old University.
Doubtless, in those first trying days,
did not know, but a week later, when
Professor Nevin in First Year French,
read slowly from his little leather
book: Miss Ann Leavitt," two girls
\ jumped to their feet and in astonish+
ment, faced n another.
1T am Anne Leavitt!" spoke the
larger of the two. ~
"And I am Anne Leavitt, too!'
laughed the smaller.
A smoker ran around the room.
Professor Nevin frowned and stared
first, at his little worn book and
then at the W offending young wom-
en-. OF course he was powerless to
undo what had been done ears be-
fore! And as he scowled, across the
classroom m Anne Leavitt smiled at
the other. When the hour ended the
recitation they walked away armt,in
arm, laughing over the ridiculous, sit
iuatton. 4 ~
At the Library steps they were
Joined by another girl from the French
1 nj -, D. Ch4 h11 -, &C. h>~
to overtake them.
"Are you really both Anne Leav-
itts?" she asked b~reathlessly.
They assured her solmenly that they
were and that they didn't know just
what to do about it-old Professor
Nevin had been 80 funny and upset.
They all three laughed again over 1t
Of that October day began the friend
chip of these three-for the third girl
was. Claire Wallace.
The students in the University
found countless ways of distinguish;
ing between the two Anne Leavitts.
One was tall and grave with a medita-
tive look in her deep-set eyes; the
other, q head shorter; had a lfghtness
about her like an April day. reddish
curly hair and an upturned nose. One
Anne Leavitt had never bee called
anything but Anne, the other. since
her baby days. had been Nancy. The
more intimate Of the college girls
called them Big Anne and Little Anne.
The professors. d.gnified perforce,
read from their rolls, Miss Anne
Leayttt, Ca1ifornia-Miss Anne Leav-
1T, New York"
In name only were the two girls
alike. Anne had been born with the
Legendary "silver spoon" and III
mythical fortune. When her father
and mother died a friend of her faith