The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1930-12-18
Was Willing to
Keep a Secret
By MARY CAREY

anu SlVoc btuluu great iuliiol
0 desk, DR.. Mary James struggled
e with a pile of French examination
: papers. RidiculouSly young anC
2 small she looked; only shell-rimmet
r spectacles suggested the Ph.D., anG
: these she hastily pulled from heI
: nose as a gay whistle and a shout
of FLOWS for a swim, Mary p
brought her TO the window.
, "Oh, I'd love TO" she cried TO the
girl and man in the courtyard be-
low, "but | have to finish these
fiendish F3 books by noon"
To all of their temptings she
shook a reluctant head, and the
youngest gym teacher and the as
sistant professor of economics had
finally wandered off.
''Imbecilei" she Scolded herself.
why not admit what the whole
college has seen for months? Well,
why not? She's younger and pref
tier"
About half an hour later, an un-
usual amount of calling and rush
ing about for so quiet corner of
the campus, brought Mary James
. again to her window. whats
happened?" she called to a group
of chattering freshmen.
"Oh, Doctor James, such excite
ment!" They all answered at the
same time. Doctor Hunter hit his
head diving in Ramsey's pond and
Miss Simpson dived and rescued
him."
All that day and through the
long summer evening, Greenwood
had just one topic of conversation.
To escape the maddening chorus,
Mary James shut herself into her
room and with clenched teeth pen
ciled her way through the great
pile of French TRANSACTIONS. But
one part of her mind was thinking:
why wasn't | born an athlete?
If Allen were drowning I'd stand
and recite French"
With eyes focused on the page
I before her, she suddenly became
aware of the meaning of what she
read. 1t was a passage from 1.-The
Voyage of M. Perrichon," a passage
conveying very wildly the distaste
suddenly felt by that delightful old
rascal for the worthy young man
who had recently saved him from
death. Doctor James smiled-and
after a moment laughed out loud.
Ten days later, at the end of the
hottest commencement day in
Greenwoods history, two of the
gowned and hooded faculty mem.
bers paused in the rotunda of Col.
lege hall.
"Mary!" cried a very flushed
young man. "Where have you been
keeping yourself?"
"Why, hello, Allen" She man.
aged to make if very casual. "Are
you quite all right again?"
"Of course | am" he sounded |
savage. "Never was anything the
matter with me but a bump on the
head. Of all the fussl | say, let's
duck senior reception and go for a
SWIM"
Ramsey pond was deserted, cool
and green in the charming late aft.
erno0n sunlight.
After they had splashed about
on the shallow edges of the pond
for q while, Allen struck out with
a mighty thrashing and swan
once, twice end three times around
the little lake.
AS Allen rose from the board in
graceful swan-dive, Mary struck
out nlanfully for the deepest spot
In the pool. A score of strokes so
tired her weak muscles that 1t was
easy enough to sink beneath the
surface; but it required courage
not to call out until she had gone
down second time. She managed
one choking, sputtering scream of
"Allen!" then the green waters
closed around her and she thrashed
about madly in sheer terror. Down,
down, dOwn-utter darkness and a
queer throbbing in her head
MARY, Mary. Open your eyes"
She lifted wet lashes to find Aliens
anxious face bent over her. "Dar.
ling-are you all right?'
ut was frightfully silly of me,
Allen" she murmured. And, shame
lessly, she shut her eyes again
just to feel the quick tightening of
his arms about her. i
"Mary-if anything had hap
pened to you'll I've known for
months that l loved you, but
haven't dared to speak, because you
seemed scarcely to notice me. Do d,
you think you could learn to care
for me-a little2"
"Perhaps, just a little" she
smiled up at him. "After all, you
saved my life and 1t would be most
ungrateful. :"
"That's out" Allen pulled him. i
self abruptly upright. sits not
gratitude want. Please forget all !
about it right now-or youth be
hating me inside week. Don't |
know? I've never felt such a fool
In my life as have these last few )
days. wasn't really knocked out
at all; just stunned for a minute.
jeans been a life-saving instructor
all winter, and by the time she'd
tried all the different holds on me Y
and knelt on my chest for good
measure | was ready for the In.
hrmaryr'
He caught the twinkle in Mary's
eyes and acknowledged it with :
grin. Most unsport. {
ng Of me, | know" he admitted. !,
OF course I've kept quiet around
he campus and played the grateful
victim to my best ability, but | had