The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-06-11

How She Met Him
tst4sssss


Wen, how was the tear" asked her
older sister as the rosy freshman
came iii from an informal reception
at the college girls dormitory.
Wait till l put UP my things and
I'll tell ou ali about it" the fresh
man gir replied with much anima
ton.
Il didn't know any men were going
to be tnere, she continued, afLea dis
posing oil books and wraps and curl
ing UP in the colonial char. Its the
first one ever went TO. and they had
simply invited me to come in OH the
campus and have some tea. So
went in as was, wearing this old
blue serge. And the very first tning l
saw i'll the hail was fellow / know,
playing the piano divinely! l didn't
know ne could play, SO / was some
what surprised. His back was toward
the door and lot of girls were around
him, so l slipped thru Without being
seen aud escaped to a diln corner by
the stairs.
You see, he has been sitting right
next to me IN the English class since
the first OF the year and half the time
| haven't even said Good morning.
Was 81 angry at having missed all
those chances to make friend OF
this WONDERFUL musician that / must
have looked pale ana bashful, for one
of the oder glrls came to my corner
and sad 70 LIE:
why don't you so over and have
some TEA? You mustn't give way to
that tllAld feeling. All the freshmen
have to overcome it.
Il must have said something that
soundeu funny, for She Went straight
to a bunch OF seniors and told them
something that made them look in my
direction and laugh. stood quietly
in the shadow and gazed blankIy past
the dancing couples into the tire"
Heavens! Aou?" her sister com
mented
'Ill admit it does sound rel-ark
able continued the conege girl.
''Well, l gazed into the fire and no.
ticed that tie b1azes from the logs
Were 81 .---.94-~ ,s-.-. e..s el--
thin little flames from the candles on
the tea table look just as white and
shaky as felt. About that TIME an
other senior came and took lay arm
and piloted me over TO where they
were serving tea and sandwiches and
delicious CAKES.
Il was SO near the piano | didn't
know what | should do. SO kept quiet
as a bank OF snow and hoped that he
might not see me. l was so ashamed
Of my clothes.
But that very minute he quit play
ing and turned and recognized me.
Instead of having enough presence of
mind to be real cordial SO he wouldn't
notice that l wasn't wearing some
thing light and fluffy, nodded just as
stiffly as l had been doing in class.
Then l put down my unfinished plate
and fed to the farthest corner OF the
parlor 1t was practically deserted,
because every body was dancing in the
reception rooms.
when l got in there alone l felt
my cheeks were burning hot and nay
hands icy cold, SO l dropped Gown in
chair to collect my wits and stared
at a restful statue on the table beside
me-"
The older sister affected surprise.
Goodness, what fuss over one lone
mani" she remarked.
The college girl ignored her com
ment. She was engrossed i'll her re-
miniscences.
This statue represented an old i'm
migrant holding a baby" she CON
tinued. THE longer / looked at it the
more saw IN it. imagined that she
was the mother of about dozen chill
dren older than this, and that, beiRg
so poor, she had to leave this last
child with some charitable institution
while she went out to work to support
the other children. Her face SCENE d
so sad and tender, as if she were hold
ing the baby for the last time. Her
crudely clad shoulders dropped SO dos
pairingly. And in spite of their knots,
her rough Old hands were SO clingins-
~ caressing The whole thing expro5-
sed poverty, love, remuneration aAi
courage without hope.
For several minutes ! sat there
completely under the spell of that
statue In fact, / was thinking how
| would take a course in sculpture All
learn thru that medium to express
emotions that others can feel, wheA
| looked up. and there-t there stool
the fellow | was telling you about!
lie must have been standing there
watching me for a second or two. fol
he said
never dreamed that a formal
little person like you could have such
genuine appreciation of art!' And
-
Wait minute. there's the tele-
phone" her older sister interrupted,
Il must answer it."
"Oh, no. must" exclaimed the col