i, on occas
\\i|n SCCD "
tin- Hide: ' ‘
inu'v -_v bf“ f
\m \‘ ifl M“ ‘
: tilirl‘ WflB '5 ‘
i '1 'innr, nith- ’
* illiflllfl M:
ii~ bit‘ “'39
‘ililllilflh‘y. i' "
1|, \‘i‘y h“
-. mo may «i
g't.
lion-room. -
- i, wnziantcii
t
ilii‘orlii‘ition “-
‘i u
.. itilrinr the i" H
\\'ilii" the -
'z‘v toiii iii, ht" in
"r 5m runsp; i
i :w'w rmic'i."
«mum Mare. .
t lun-ky snug”. ,-
.\ml i'io fli'
,.
nus uuienia:
" imr mints s.“ 4i
i. m lurikui‘ie." \
i\:.~< inlay about i .-
nimii- :i “ism nail
iv initlflt‘i’lt'iii tasiw
iii-i.‘l.‘~li1l.‘lii(‘£lily l i'
it hccnmo ll'n
Llii‘~ that the pet
on undv'
lzl Ilw arbor WIN?
in timing the dish
i iii'ikiil“ enunilc
i‘fi“.
-i i li'l'il‘t‘
hunt the happy'fai
,, l"r .uh life r-usiiy.
p «mi-s any in e:
i ii m't know :myon
ii‘.ii makes mor
oriiii remind her.
i ii if» Father anw
.ytiitluic toward uni‘
'r‘ u.
vl‘.1lll'ii ovvr them, but
wo-rc lllunc. TO‘
:» 'i tin-y promoted a
Muihvr chose to re.
.iihvr "suit-aim] at. 'thr
iiwpt Silt‘lli. Atiti Vice
tine oivi policy. it has
Silli‘f‘ thi- iiuys of Abru-
il'.ih.
\urc niono, however
l-‘ur twcuty—sh‘
~
bt'aks all run down and mix up so-
cialny with their wings. It's a great
life." she uddml blithely.
It Was during this spring Vacation
that she began talking about Capitol
City. "I’m just living to touch there
next year. They send some mombcr
of the bound every sprint: to the train-
ing school to chonsr‘thc best tenchcrs,
in”
.V A)“
‘71
I”. ,5“
”I” [It
i Wit/,7
¥
i.
i
i :‘_
i
‘ I
%
l . tun,
i i ji'r'.’ ’
.i it”. Ari-l the strange
writlnr who always took,
it‘ Mother found fault
tiristie of her off-
‘lllliiiillit‘iy mail“ cx-:
i. litiiiv'i- offprint the
.i- ill-w tn licr child's TL.
:mihvr lwnr. ‘
isiiiiiM' was right I.” . must he ono. I (10".: want to
‘tii‘lliifl. Everybody , » i'my iitlii" twoJLV—four burg.
m hm-s null olil pco- w. i (7“,, rm, 1m: 1 ”3k an inter-
:iiiii liiul Benson. , ‘ 3. your lirzlyvru,”
- nut, and Lizzie T. n) Marvin justice, she ri-nliy up-
divsslnnkcr. “ ITSM’: that Fl'l‘itlk'. Tin- stakf‘s
.wut, ziwiiy to school, , 2., ortll working iul‘. 0n the last
n Ill‘t‘nt deal of tho
" Kit on home had gone
.2 t' rviurucd for va—
mnriiini: in April she had gone
0 colier in town on on: of her
l'..
Lamb :ln unimportant errands. and
and everyone. v N tiling liy tho (inu‘ti—tuwn station
1" 'l‘illic. seequ to i 9" college cur. As it. stall-poll. it
HEEHLL Al‘tt‘f‘ all, the g. t‘. slSl-(‘l‘ came down the SII‘DS.
"i"' “f them‘4h050 "iH'K , there," she whispered. “t‘np-
. .i'*.\"‘”5“‘-‘95 as the it I I ‘y supirintendent—comc for
the moon. t. .v in ,"
'1 came home she "W1 e?"
i‘. And Father and “l t. ”4,3” way down wright-hand
in repruvo. re- 6““;-
iii ‘rokcd just us Marcia would
‘ ~‘ would begin. "1 haw m, rected him to look—«heavy. dis-
"ins-us on some form “My”. .1. gray—haircd. with n Van
" i'i‘l‘ 01“ Professor D, 2.1 ! ’rd. She sat (lown bi’ilind him
"MS-‘4. nnd what I ant ‘.\‘ :percd to his broad back a.
mu could put in to “3] title Jargon: '
- n» ”hunt a. starfish—
-‘" Tls'ilUll standpoint— ppm“. meeny mlny mo.
' “H PI‘“T°9501‘ Briggs linw, kind sir. choose me to go."
.iriy cried over
~ an
. -.; r-lir-nt.
"i‘~il
and
girl,”
i"
iillir.
u. .‘l y."
I‘m-r
‘ .it (‘tiCh of the (it'll
i5 haste.
7i. 4 Wt; practitc‘zl grail; "Could 5-...) show my brother around
ii . ‘.‘,‘..’.‘ff’m: fire“, ; 1min? My brother. Mr. Wheeler.
'53 ‘ l 8 Miss Mnsrnr .‘ . I would go With
i'V ..,,, ~ _ him mySi-li. but I told Hannah if the
"‘ .1”?! igc'ifovff‘ baby lli'l‘wii it me. to put a red 'cloth in
.H.’ are shortest of the \Hmlcu. and there it.ls! She
‘ .,... to stay in a pointed osmiediy to her home across
ff“ Mm“... than he bu from the mmpus. She was breathless.
:: V ' A H 'il‘ cri’ul reply. And and anxiouu: to get. away.
' . ; . think about. it—who "Maybe Hm baby has only Joined the
“ Bolsheviki.“ her brother suggested.
T‘ . ., Marvin. laughed. She liked him. his
2‘ ~.. full: 33:33:11: keen brown ”yen and the Iudden hu-
' ' morou< lift in the mouth that she had
. . thouglat sn stern.
.. .§,':},li:2:1qth::§ “3;? "You ezm H68 for yourself he's not
_' . ,,,l\.,,mu;.oul gentlo— married or he wouldn't be so flippant
it”, I“Hm at Thankn- over a. serious matter, Mrs. Hastings .
t imit‘ln‘l‘g are awful
iirl.iiivlly. "Imagine!
ti,
those
"‘ v the
niuv
within to the disgust-
v
”Wily—and I wish
sH-n the
i
7-1 ii.
* This
‘ Wm oi wild—loom
x0'Id die to Ice thou—4'
”7‘. .1
“1:2,
the
. H: that little cchino-
ech'iuoderm. I
all I
to this day is
;-»:lils imd wiggles."
‘?.l’nul.;h life sidestep-
Father scr—
iillki suppressed a
those days you'll
minis-thing mighty
5‘ wu'ti applied your-
i‘iiiiwr!" Marcia rub-
Willi“. cheek against
“\thn that
iv like Sentimental
And soft-
-v- impcd it was true.
Mason held the
. ins hcen rainm'flnd
in iii-order prlmN’Y.
young-tern
lovely rain-
it was puppet-Gd
Jinn she summed up
"\Vo had a. perfect
‘r'w :ind hatch'etl Ind
training
. We simply fell over
«i itiii'fl, and we fairly flu "
Arron». the aisle from the great man
out .\ir<. Hastings. the college doctor's
W"! .‘i «trangc young: man Was with
her. l‘mm occasional rlimpiws of his
KOO‘i-ilrni..ng profile, Mun-iii (iccidcd
that iu' More 11 faint. resemblance to
Mrs ilumin s. Tliorc was something
abant Lil: he liked. his square jaw
and iiii'li manner and n (liganct air
of-swldusiication that none of the col-
lege m3. . had yet acquired.
Ti." mu stopped at .the entrance to
the "ultiliila and let out its land. As
Martin “:is about to pass Mrs. Hast—
ings and the strange young man. the
form'T suit. “0h. Miss Mason. are you
in a iiurij. 1'" As there was merely a
email lllzlltr‘r of an English Literature
clans (iiit' ihcn, Miss Mason assured
Mrs. Hastings she was not at all in
clued to Murcia. ‘fShow him the new
amphitimnireuand ,Sclenca Hall"—
Ihe W89 already half way acros- the,
ltroot—“and the new dormitory and
the training school."
"My sister." Mr. Wheeler said.
“missed her culling. 8m, would have
and. an excellent major general or
pork policeman."
admin laughed again. She still liked
hug, Mr. Wheeler looked down. at his
uppointcd guardian- She wore an im-
mculdie white suit with «an was-
cioufiy‘green silk awoutor and cap.
111.; V—Whaped neck of not. blouse set
‘ l ' of but man
unifiesuc‘f: . .
I, .1.) '9’] I’ll
' fart 'i
by any chance."
"to be the Miss
“Do you happen
Mr. VVheelcr asked.
Mason who is Keith Baldridgc'n
fiancee?"
"No.1ndced." Mills Mason said.
more cmphatically_ than ‘was neces-
sary. for it wasn't at all disgraceful
in he engaged to Keith Baldridge.
"That's my sistcr Katherino. I‘m
[Loon flooded her slim. youthful figure in its soil. clinging gown.
Mari-in. And you know Kcith?”
“Liku David knew Jonathan."
Thcy crossed the green sloping enm-
pus. su'i-ct—smi-lling from ifs recent
mowing. Thorn was Sun") conversa-
tion ri-lnth‘u to their mutual interest
in lx'cith Buldridge. and then Marcia
said glibly:
_\'«311
"You ace before the. new
Scioni'o llzill. it. is thirty—seven
.«eiorii-s high. :1. mile square and cost
svi'i-uty million dollars. The roof of
the now dormitory may be seen
through the trees. Out beyond the
Domestic Science building 1 the am-
phitheatre and beyond the amphi-
theater—lion Italy."
They had come. to a little rustic
ill‘itiKI' ucrors u rniniuturc crcck. Neithcr
one made a move to walk on. In fact.
to he cxplicit. they silt down on the
low railing
“As for the training school." Mar-
cia. continued. “I wouldn’t voluntarily
take you there. It's the ulaee where
you abandon hope all ye who enter
here." '
“You teach there?" ”
“I do." She looked at her wrist
watch. “And in fifty minutes I‘m to
teach before the superintendent of the
Capitol City schools, if I haven't died
of fright. He was on the car. Did
you see him—4; big husky Vandyker?"
Mr. W'heeler had noticed him.
“I want to make a professional hit
with him." Marcia went on confident-
inily. "I've simply got to teach in
Capitol City next. year. I love a city.
1 want to walk in the crowds and eat
at tea-rooms. I want to go -to the
theatre and sit in a box."
Mr. ,W’heeler looked judicially. ap-
pruisingly. at her. “I don't believe,"
he said soberly. "it would injure the
looks of the box." .
They both laughed. Marcia was en-
joying fi'erself immensely. He was
like that for the whole hour they were
together. keen, clever. interesting. In
comparison with him all the home
boys and college boys of her numer-
ous friendships faded quietly into a
blurred masculine background. In
the light of his clever repartee Mar-
cia. reveled. To his questioning she
told him a great deal about herself.
She described faculty members to the
last comic detail. Mr. Wheeler en—
joyed it. apparently. so she made fun
of 'the training school for his benefit.
artificial m era of the student.
teachers and imitated the head of the
department. His hearty, yirile laugh
was ample payment for her pains.
It lacked seven minutes of the hour.
Marcia slipped down from the bridge
rail with “'1 go.-like the quarry slave
at night scourg'ed to his dungeon."
throat in a. characteristic gesture.
"Oh. my goodness—I forgot—4 haw.
to get. a. whole violet plant. with the
roots on for my class. Qh. help me
look. will you?" ‘ , -
Mr. Wheeler sprang nimbly to his
feet and together they searched over
that particular part. of the compus.
Not. a violet showed itself above the
clou-croppcdlswn. nothing but hold-
faced dandelions. r -
She spared no one. She mocked the '
Suddenly she clapped her hand to her
you haven't everything your lesson
plan calls for. she just looks at you“
and you shrink——and thrivel—"
The wrist watch said three minutes
of the hour. ,“I‘ll have to taken dan~
delion root." she announced. ”and pass
it off for a violet. They won‘t know
the difference." Already her un-
quenchable spirits were rising. She
borrowed Mr. Wheeler’s knife and
hastily dug up a dandelion. “See! I'll
take two or three violet blossoms and
mover—she took them out of her belt
o—“attach them to the dandelion root,
and wrap my handkerchief around the
center as though it were damp—and
there you are!"
‘But. see here.
allkc." he protested.
"Oh, we should worry!"
blithe Miss Mason. "Thank you for
helping me. You can come along ‘if
you want to. and see me teach. I‘m
frightened senseless. anyway. at the
Vandyker, so one or two more able-
bodicd men won't matter."
Mr. “'hecler said he would be de-
lighted to sec the dandelion masquer-
ading before the great man. So they
hurried up the gravel driveway to the
huge training-school building. Marcia
pointed out the door where he was to
go. "I have in go in another way." she
explained: "the righteous from the
wicked. you know."
they’re nothing
said the
The model primary-room was an
awe-inspiring place. Eleven student
teachers. notebooks in hand. sat by
the side walls. Two critic teachers.
notebooks in hand. sat. by the rear
walls. The head supervisor. notebook
in hand. walked through the room as
though to remind one of the day of
Judgment. The Capitol City superin-
tendon: was there. and two or three
leescr lights. Murcia and nine small
pupils held the center of the arena
after the manner of the early Chris-
tian martyrs. Her heart ,was beating
sullocatingly. but she conducted a.
very creditable little reading class
whose lesson was based on a violet
pluntvthnt was much less modest than
it should have been. owing tovthe fact
that its pedal extremities. so to speak.
had be?" grafted from a member of a
family noted for Its brazen forward—
“€58.
Murcia. wan a model of the sweet
young instructor. Only once did the
throw a fleeting" Ehnce of roguishncas
'4“ Mr. Wheeler. to see his mouth lift
at the corners in the characteristic
way sho had liked.
The lesson was ovor.
breathed more naturally.
Everyone
The student
Il‘nChi'l‘S and visitors rose to go to
chapel exercises. Marcia looked
:iround for Mr \Ybeclcr, but did not
see him. In the doorway. she turned
to look at the (‘hpitol City superin-
tendent. in the hope that he was dis- .
'cussins: her with Miss Rnrivk [in
t
Romance comes to the Normal iCollege.
back seat and acted villatnousiy. To-
day was apparently one of their pious
days. for they filed decomusly .down
the center aisle to the front seat and
sang the opening hymn. “Holy. Holy.
Holy." as lustily as though they were
the original vestal virgins.
The superintendent of the Capitol
City schools. in all his dignity. sat up-
on the platform .wlth the faculty.
After the prayer and announcements,
President Wells arose and said. “We
haVe with us to-day the superintend-
ent of the largest school system in the
state." Murcia looked at him. sit-
ting there so calmly. How nice it
would be. she thought. to be so un-
disturbed when yOu.were about to ad-
drcsg an audience. President Wells
had ceased introducing him, but he
did not stir from his chair. Instead.
from the aemigloom of the back row
there was stepping ‘out a tall. clean-
cut. alert young man, with keen brown
eyes and a strong chin.
All eyes were upon him. Mnrcin's
own. wide. fascinated. alarmed,
watched him. The color dropped away
from her face. and then surged back
like a scarlet tide. From the chaotic
jumble of her mind one naked. lecring
truth stood out: He was the superin~
tendent of the Capitol City schools.
Like a kaleidoscope, things she had
said to him tumbled about in 'hcr
brain. forming a. nightmare of com-
binations. ’ \Vith dry, lips shc \vhispnr-
ed to the girl next to her. " Vho's the
big man-in 'gray?"
"Supe at Mapleviile—only has eight
teachers under him—acts like he was
I‘rosidcnt of the II. S. A.-
The man on the platform was
speaking. easily. forcefully. "Earnest-
ncss and sincerity form the keystone
of the teaching protestsion." He said
a great deal more than that. He said
it with fire and enthusiasm. He said
he was there to choose teachers. high-
grade teachers who had been faithful
in their work. Csrcl‘ulncss. attention
to details, were things that would be
considered. But over and above these
was the great {Untymcntal question:
\tht was the spirit of the teacher?
“'hnt gifts of heart and soul as well
as of mind did she come bearing to
her task?
Marcia felt stunned. sick. She sat
with miserable hot eyes fixed upon her
lap It was over at last. Chapel was
out. President \Vclls and other faculty
members had surrounded the speaker.
Marcia slipped away from the girls.
She attended two. classes and got
through a noisy boarding-house din-
‘ner. She wanted to go home. She
wanted to see the family. especially
Mother. comfortable and comforting
Mother. Katherine would be home for
tho week-end. She had written to that
as Mother knew it would. They “"i
still sitting about the table-~91] but
Junior. ,wbose urgent business with
Runt Perkins and Shorty. Max-non al-
ways found him swallowing bio last
bites while on the way to the door.
Marcia told them all about“. Shg
spared herself not at all. She ball
made a fool of herself. [he said. and
they might as well know it. ,“The thing
that makes me maddest." she Inform-
ed them. 'tearfully. "is that. I stretched
things just to hear him laugh. I
made myself out lots‘woroe than I am.
He was the sternest-iooking man you
ever saw. and I loved to ace the cor-
ners of his mouth pull up. He laugh-
ed an awful lot.” she finished for-
lornly.
Everyone. looked sympathetic. Kath-
erine‘s consolation was. "Martin. I
just can‘t imagine myself tnlking so
glibiy to a strange man."
Marcia's contrition was complete.
"1 can't either, Kathie. I envy you
being so cool and sweet. and courteous
to everybody Only it seemed as
though I‘d known him a thousand
years." she added.
Eleanor’s contribution was, "Myself.
I think it was terribly romantic."
Murcia}: scorn was withering. “R0-
mantle? Tragic. you mean."
Father began a dry. “Well, Marcia.
I‘Ve 'always told you you'd run up
against—~" But as Marcia dubbed a
moist roll of handkerchief into‘ her
eyes. he finishgd lamely. "Never mind.
honey, I think you can have the third
grade here." " .
Tillie was on the wax-path. "There’s
a law about . false pretenses. ‘ He
ought to be sued. If I was a man I‘d
trounce the middle of the road with
him." -
Mother was furtively wiping away a
tour or two herself. “Marcia. there's
something about you that makes me
think of myself when I was a girl."
\‘crily the poet was an inspired phil-
usoplicr who remarked:
“’here can we better be
Than in the bosom of our fam—i-lee?
On Saturday it developed that there
were enough young people home for
the week-end to get. up a fair-sized
picnic crowd. Cars were prohibited.
Tommie Hidksou was .to bring a. hay-
rack so they could all go together.
Mother thought it a line plan and
began bustling preparations' for a
basket supper. Tillie. whose emotion
over Murcia had worn 0 was dis-
gruntlcd to have the Sn rday work
upset.
“You do spoil them girls. Molly." sheJ
volunteered. "Here's Kathie engaged
in itmt Baldrldge, and Marcia a. grown
woman. and even Eleanor getting
‘ituug. Accordin' to my " lights they
ought to be hemmin‘ sheets and
effect and also that Keith was com—
ing for Sunday.
piet'in' comforts instead a~galsvnntixr
round to picnics."
alias a. violet.
‘ The nightdlsturbed‘ be: somewhat.
but she putsthe‘thgugh of it ankle
and went on to than}. '
Auditor! ah
ut glint" part but?“ his"
senior
was not so engaged: He wan picking - y ‘ '
up from the floor a. dandelion root classes and she hung n frank
. Keep» Quiz" sign on be: door.
“Pil have to take iii-dandelion, root.” shc‘snnouncedrfind plus it: off}:
Marcia did not to to hé'r afternoon
“Busy--
. The!)
d clipped. down“
Ibo pack‘ ‘ edher gripan
‘y
r: a, violet." '
lathe; £21.ch
"lune,” 7
" "My
Q
I figure you can buy sheets and coin.
forts in any department store. but you;
can‘t buy dreams and memories '0!
Youth."
denoted scorn. ‘You can‘t eat dream
not cover your nakedness with mam:
Dries."
“NO‘.” laid Mother placidly. "you
can‘t. And when the girls 'are old.»
old ladies, the richest food won‘t feed
their minds nor the thickest comforts
bring warmth to their hearts."
SQ they went on working together.
side by side. two good old friends who
would do anything for each other. but
as far apart as the’ earth and the
stars. as far apart as Martha and
Mary—n Piece:- of Quilts and a.
Weaver of Dreams.
Tommie Hickson‘ came with the
hayrack and two} horses, which seem-
ed to share Tillie‘s scorn for the fes-
tivities. * '
Marcia appprently brightened under
the Witching Spell of the green woods.
the pungenn'hwiid smell of the crab-
apple blossoms, the sweet. weird call
of the mourning doves and the sheen
of the silver river. Mother was right.
Nb matter what Fate held in the hol-
low of her. hand. the girls would al-
ways have memories left to them.
On the way home, after the manner
of Youth. the crowd sang, Marcia did
not sing. She sat in the end of the ,
hayrack and tried to reason it all out.
Since yesterday she felt changed. sub-
dued. unreal. She looked up at tho
clearucalm face of the yellow-whit.
moon Why did that hour on the cam-
pus seem so set apart. from or
hours? It was like a. .little bolls in
the woods...She had come upon it.
rested in it 1'51" one hour—and gone on
again. Must She forever be looking
back at the little house by the side of
the road?
The crowd‘was unloaded at the var-
ious homes with merry good-nights.
The Mason girls found that the rest
of the family had gone up—stairs for
the night There was a letter on the
dining~room manta; ather had
brought it home from the five-o'clock
mail. The letter was for Marcia. With
fingers that trembled she tore it open
and read it Then she ran upstairs
and called “Folks! Everybody! Come
here!" ' »
Father and.Mother. fully dressed,
came to théir door. Tillie opened her
door cautiously and put out her head;
a striped kimono falling away from
her long neck gave hr the ap -
ance of a curious giraffe. Junior,
bearing the, no.5e, came stumbling out
of his room.
"Listen I
aloud :
It's from him." She read
"Dear Miss Mason: I tried to see
you yesterday afternoon but your
landlady said you had gone home for
over Sunday. 1 hope you are not tak-
ing my talk to heart. Most probably
you are noL as your disposition seems
to be of a marvelously cheerful and
elastic typo. And. anyway. what's a.
dandelion or two betwein friends?
“Have ,1qu come from board meet-
ing and have the pleasure of report.
lug your election. 1 have placed you
in the Lafayette School for. next year,
the grounds of that building being
somewhat Overrun with certain yellow
weeds You will no doubt take pleas-
ure in assisting the janitor to eradicate
them.
“I havgjust been talking with Keith
by 'plionq and if i do not from
you that it would be Incon at, I
will drop in with him on Sun .and
congratulate you in person the
‘professlonal hit: you made with
Capitol City superintendent.
“Sincerely.
“JOHN R. \VHEELER',’
Marcia threw out her arnis.,to them
all. "Folks!" she said in a little tense.
awe-struck voice. "I was born under
a lucky star."
“Land sakes. I believe
isald. ’
They were all talking at once. after
the manner of Masons.
Katherine laughed. "You old fraud.
you don’t deserve it."
' Eleanor‘s contribution was. “0h.
Marcia l adore 55. good profile."
Tillie was saying. “My good land.
you do beat the Dutch!" ’
Junior. at the close of a prodigious
yawn, asked unintelligibly. “W’h'd '0
mean, dundcllons?"
‘Only Mother said nothing: was
looking at the love "flushed ace of
her starry-eyed girl d making a lit-
tle incoherent - prayer. “Dear Lord—-
keep her happy—ilk? that."
it!" Father
back to their rooms .
"I can’t help but be and she got it."
Either wan pulling at: his sock’ and
tenderly regarding his favorite corn.
”But it wasn't a very good leesonjor
her to have it mm out this way.” ,
blather -was immediately on the
gather side of‘ the argument. “on. 5113':
had punishment enough. Fathér.—tha.t
scare.” ’ Mother brushed her hair for
n. {ow moments. and then added. "I
must say—though. I don't like‘that dun-
delion do”. it’s too much like deceiv-
mg.ll . . , .
Father, with slacrlty, veered t9 the
opposite slag. f'Oh..'I ddn't know,” he
3ng cheerfufyf ‘fthat's what I call
good. old.“ ‘ finned gYnnkee shrewd-
.: heap“ So theirent 'to bed. ”going
. W17. quarrckgg peaceably. as any 5
for twenty-six years.
“I. bail. Marcia ’ finish”
hair. turned out the
flfip‘. pod up the nhadeil. Palg
Elan-white, _the moon flood. .
«in
"Pfsi" Tillie had a spccial snort'that f
The‘ excitement ovef,‘ they all went '
‘..g
Norwalk Chronicler