The Coolidge examiner., 1932-10-28
Mary Had a Little
Lamb
By JANE OSBORN

state university that she met Bob
Lamb at country house party. Bob
Lamb had just finished his junior
year at smaller college. 1t was
perfectly clear from the end of the
first day at the hospitable old farm
house that Mary liked Bob and that
Bob was keen about Mary. But Bob
thought he had no right to speak
about marriage-he had q year
more of college and it would be still
another year-whatever work he
took up-before he could think of
supporting wife. But he did ont
hesitate to tell Mary of his feelings
for her. For the time all he begged
of her was that she would permit
him to be somewhere near her. 1t
was Mary's idea then, that Bob
should transfer himself from the
smaller college and enter the senior
class of the university she attended.
SO when Mary went back to col
lege it was noised about that she
had brought heavy suitor" with
her. The girls in her fraternity
house laughed at her and with her.
Then one of them sitting at the pi-
ano began softly playing the strains
of MARY Had a Little Lamb"
The girls took up the words and
Mary sat there blushing.
aRnt ROh,S Hnooa
as snow," protested Mary weakly.
"He has black hair"
Bob Lamb had been transferred
from the fraternity in his own col
lege to the chapter in the univer-
sity where it was soon passed
around that they had a girl to thank
for the transfer.
Mice girl-Mary Lester-a junior
Gamma Sigma" informed one of the
men. "SOme one ought to drop a
word of thanks to Mary-she did
us a good turn"
One of the men who had listened
to the remark began softly to
whistle the notes of "Mary Had a
Little Lamb"
Some one with a bass voice be-
gan croaking the words.
No one meant to give offense, but
everywhere Bob Lamb appeared
with Mary-at college dances, at
concerts or just strolling around
the campus-there was always some
one nearby to warble or whistle the
annoying tune. All Bob desired
was just to be somewhere with
Mary. Yet as the teasing persisted
they saw less and less of each other
than they had hoped for.
So after the end of Mary's junior
year and Bob Lambs senior year
they felt that they had seen far too
little of one another. Bob was GO
ing to New York to go into business
with his uncle and Mary would be
back at college for her final year
thousand miles from New York
Bob heard of college camp
somewhere in the next state. There
was a tent colony for the men and
another for the women-a study
camp where serious-minded stu.
dents went to study astronomy un-
der the direction of a number of re-
nowned astronomers. Neither Bob
nor Mary had felt more than a pass
ing interest in the study Of the
stars, but at least there would be
opportunity to see each other at
lectures and on observation excur-
sions. They could sit together In
the evening on mountain tops gaz-
ing at the stars. True, there would
be the other students and the
learned professors, but there would
be no one to tease them. They
needn't let anyone know that they
had ever met before. 1t was Mary's
idea that their names must not 90
with them. Some one might think
of the stupid song about Mary and
her little lamb. 1t would be simple
enough in Mary's case. She could
easily use her middle name, Ella
1t took some maneuvering on Bob's
part. Finally he took an old friend
Bill Ball, into his confidence and
arranged to use his college certifi-
cate for enrolment.
For the first two weeks of the
session at the summer camp every
thing went beautifully. Then it be
came apparent that BOb-nOw Bill
Ball-and Mary - now Ella - con
triyed to sit next TO each other on
all occasions. One evening when
the class of campers were starting
off up the mountain side some one
in the party began to hum the tune
of the nursery song that had be-
come so odious to Mary. 1t seemed
as If everybody took up the air
whistling or warbling as they went.
Then some one began singing the
words:
ella had a little Ball, his fleece
was black as coal
And everywhere that Ella went the
Ball was sure to roll"
Lets pretend we don't know
they mean u.s." whispered Mary.
THAT won't work." said Bob