The Republican., 1932-11-10
Mary Had a Little
Lamb
By JANE OSBORN
g by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service

= ter'S sophomore year in the STATE
university that she met Bob Lamb at
q country house-party. Bob Lamb had
just finished his junior year at small
er college. 1t was perfectly clear from
the end of the first day at the hOspit-
able old farmhouse 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 sup
porting a wife. But he did not hesi-
tate 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. It 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 college
it was noised about that she had
brought a heavy suitOr" with her.
The girls in her fraternity house
laughed at her and with her. Then
one of them sitting at the piano began
softly playing the strains Of "Mary
Had Little Lamb"
The girls took up the words and
Mary sat there blushing.
"But Bob's fleece isn't as white as
snow" protested Mary weakly. "He
has black hair"
"But he did follow you to school one
day-youIl have to admit that"
laughed one of the girls, and they
went on singing their song.
Bob Lamb had been transferred
from the fraternity in his own college
to the chapter in the university where
it was soon passed around that they
had a girl to thank for the transfer.
"Nice girl-Mary Lester-a junior
Gamma Sigma" informed one Of the
men. Some one ought to drop word
of thanks to Mary-she did us good
turn"
One of the men who had listened to
the remark began softly to whistle the
notes Of "Mary Had Little Lamb"
COAhC OAC Will VASE WIZ OC60h
croaking the words. A tenor took it
up. Two others Joined in and the i'm
promptu quartette stood up with
mock solemnity and chanted the song.
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 some
where with Mary. Yet as the teasing
persisted they saw less and less of
each other than they had hoped would
be possible by both attending the same
college.
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 going to
New York to 60 into business with
his uncle and Mary would be back at
college for her final year-a thousand
miles from New York
Bob heard of a college camp some
where in the next state. There was
a tent colony for the men and another
for the women-a study camp where
serious-minded students went to study
astronomy under the direction of
number of renowned astronomers.
Neither Bob nor Mary had ever felt
more than a passing interest in the
study Of the stars, but at least there
would be opportunity to see each 9th
er at lectures and on observation ex-
cursions. They could sit together in
the evening on mountain tops gazing
at the stars. True, there would be the
other students and the learned pro-
fesSorS, 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 go 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 ar
ranged to use his college certificate
for enrolment.
For the first two weeks of the ses-
sions at the summer camp everything
: went beautifully. Then it became ap-
parent that Bob-now Bill Ball-and
Mary-not Ella-contrived 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
become so odious to Mary. 1t seemed
as if everyone took up the air-whis-
tling or warbling as they went. Then
some one began singing the words.
ELLA had 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 Lam
rather Bill Ball. Lets pretend to
like it."
So they stuck it out-wherever they
were seen together some one was pret-
ty sure to take up the notes of the
, old song. And at the end Bob got a
letter from his uncle-Offerinp him