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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 1908)
jnn?"TOCCOT CTODAY JOtTRNAt, " POUTUITD SUNDAY MORNTNO 8BPTBJJTBCR 13 : I J ' ...... 4 . Btf Marguerite Stabler i IT wu several mltutes longer than? usual before , the girls of Nordmlnster could aettla down for the "quiet fifteen,as the evening prayers were. termed. Excitement betrayed itself In the craned ' necks and Inquiring glances on every side until at last a tall girl rustled Into the assembly ball and . took hr place among the seniors. ".With a general sigh of satisfaction; the girls turned to the reading of their responses, ; the singing of "Lead, Kindly Light." and, with many secret glances toward the senior row, bowed their beads to be dismissed. Reversing her usual order. Miss Briscombe dis missed the younger girls first, beginning with the "preps," and ending by calling the, senior class to the front seats and asking the last unwilling Junior to close the door behind her. Although Miss Bris combe had made the-same remarks on, the same occasion the last. twenty years, there was always an air of hesitancy and solemnity la Tier manner as she addressed the girls as "young women about to be, rewarded for their- diligence by receiving a diploma from Nordmlnster College." ''it was now four 'weeks' before commencement. The girls were from this Cstlme to be excused from, tie evening study hour, The essays were to be handed in without fail by the end of the week. The class day play must be pre pared during the second week, and the assembly concert for the undergraduates, the graduating gowns, the class picture and all the minor details must be ready by the end of the third week. Each girl sat rigidly upright as she listened to these Instructions, for the weight of dignity about to descend upon, her maie her a personage of great importance-' la the eyes of the school, . . , I J "And for any suggestions any youngr lady may need from me," continued Miss Briscombe, "regard ' ing the affairs that most concern her now, she will j find me in my study every day from 9 o'clock until ; 11. And now, young ladies, good night Will Miss 'Barrowes stop at the, desk, after the others have passed out. to explain her tardiness .to prayers?" The other girls trooped out. Miss Barrowes had x been up to New York three times this term, and on , this occasion had overstayed her time and returned on a late train. The" class of '09 was proud of having Miss Barrowes, or "Miss Arrogance," as she, was se cretly called, as a member, for; as Mary Powers, the class president, had said, "such a girl is rare." But, notwithstanding this admission, the feeling toward her was noi friendly. A girl whose education had begun under an English governess In Australia, con tinued In a French convent, followed by the Leland Stanford Junior University in California, was bound to be regarded with a certain disapproval by .girls'- "who bad scarcely been out of their own State. Early ia the term, Elisabeth -Bates, seeing her position as social leader might easUy be disputed by the new senior, bad given a luncheon to the "old set," which amounfed to a class luncheon with the . new-comer left outand had taken the opportunity J to announce that while Miss Barrowes was, no doubt, a nice girl, her manner was certainly very arrogant, and she, for her part thought it would be Just as well to let her see that she was not such a very Important factor in the class. This speech had had a telling effect the new girl was promptly dubbed "Miss Arrogance," and treated with what was in tended to be a chilling dignity by all but Luoy Cobb, . who didn't seem capable of rising to the situation. She hung in open-mouthed admiration on everything THe Purs of the Stranger BY CHARLES LOVE BENJAMIN THREE months had the purse of the stranger hung in the tent, of Jameel; three months had Jameel and his wife's brother, Ebn Malek, debated its division without reaching an. agreement; and three months had the sheep-herders of Oman fruitlessly discussed the ques tion among themselves until -!the purse of the - stranger" had become a by-word with the tribe, slg ' Blfying a problem passing the. wit of maa to decide. There were but sixteen paltry bits of silver ia the rurae la all Of these Jameel claimed seven, whereas his brother-in-law, Eba-Malk, maintained that ha (Jameel) was Justly entitled to but six, "Not 'that I berrndge t bee the extra eoln." stld Eba, "for thou art welcome to the whole purse. If thou wilt .take It; but right U right!" To which Jameel responded Chat right was right; wherefore he Insisted open the seventh coin, thouih, for his (art, be said, had the puree contained a thonnaad coin, and of gold instead of silver, be would rather that Eba should take all than that such erou should breed bitter feeling between brethren. Bo It happened that as telthn- could agree with ) the other, and as none of the tribe could decide the question for tbem. Jametl bang the puree op la his -tent earls" "That whJch men cannot decide ts left beet to Allah, who ia good time makes all tbiags (.Ufa.- fioms Urn after tils R dance that aa aged f3- , ' i 4 the new senior said, always managed to get a seat behind her la recitations so she could watch her, and made herself otherwise too humble. The first ' time she mustered up the courage to speak to her she had barely saved herself from disgracing the whole class. "Miss Arrogance" had lost a school text-hook, and Lucy, seeing an opportunity to serve her, had, in spite of the action taken by the class, eagerly offered her own, saying: "Oh, I can let you take mine. Miss Arro " Then stopped, colored to the roote of her hair, and looked appeallngly at Mary Powers, who sat opposite and listening to the offer, rigid with indignation. Whether "Miss Arrogance" knew her nickname or not, she could not help seeing the dismay Lucy's remark had caused.' but she looked up and said simply:- "Thank you, Miss Cobb; I shoua be so glad. But my name is not v Miss Arrow, but Barowes-rCon-stance Barrowes; 'and I wish you'd call me t Con stance." Poor little Lucy was so overcome by her mistake HERB ON THE FLOOR CONSTANCE FOUND HER, RED-EYED AND MISERABLE. and this unexpected mark of favor that she merely looked at her champion and couldn't think of a thing to say; but from that time' there grew up a Tery kindly feeling between "Miss Arrogance" and plain little Lucy Cobb-. ' , Finally, three of the weeks preceding the com-'' mencement bad passed. The essays were in and approved. The class day play was over, and had been a great success; Constance Barrowes' had played the leading role, and had received showers of . ap plause after every act The class picture was framed and hung in the recreation room; and after Bacca laureate Sunday the graduating gowns were to be Inspected, For this event the rooms were put In "Inspection order"-th'e table was pushed back against the wall, the little iron bedstead moved out grim, Journeying to Mecca, craved refreshment at the tent of JameeL "My bouse Is thy house, good father," said Jameel. "Enter!" - Then, while Ebn-Malek brewed a steaming cup of coffee for the pilgrim, and Ayeshah (his slater) set forth a savory repast of goat's flesh, dates stewed la butter and cakes of millet baked on the glowing embers, Jameel filled the narghUe the water-pipe for his guest and aswered to the best of his ability the pilgrim's tniny questions concerning the roads, the trails across the desert and the chances of falling In with a caravan or band of pilgrims traveling Mecca-ward. At length, when he had eaten, the pilgrim rose and ' asld: "I will not linger, my eon, for if I can reach the desert trail ere sundown I may perchance meet with this caravan of which thou tellest me. I thank thee for 'thy hospitality, and I win remember thee and thy household la my prayers at the boly dry 4f it be the wlU of Allah I should attars thither. This la the sole recompense I can offer for thy kindness to aa old aad broken maa." It 1 the best of recompense," said Jameel; I desire ao other. For, mark thou, the last stranrer that lodged with us left us the parse thou eeest bang there I would the gaJe of the Red Desert bad finwa away with him era be bad done so for since that Uxns nothing but tresbls hath come of it. ' Into the center of the room, and thereupon the grad uating gown was spread 'ia state. First the Juniors and sophs made the tour in wide-eyed "admiration. . The "freshles" and "preps" always saw the gowns - somehow, but. they were not' supposed to. " On ths morning of the t5th-4nspectioa day the north corridor was In a flutter of excitement 1 Each i" girl arranged her own things and flew across to see , her neighbor's. There, were organdies and suisses ( with, crackling silk linings, lace frills and floating ribbons, till each little Iron1 bedstead Hooked as' If some fleecy white cloud might have lost Its way and settled down to rest a moment there. The last room on the left Bide of the corridor was Constance Bar rowes, and . as each inspection party reached her 'door a little scream of ecstasy went up; they had all expected "Miss Arrogance" would have a beautiful gown, for nobody In the school dressed as well as she did, but nothing so lovely had ever been seen In the halls of Nordmlnster as the filmy heap of lace and'frills that rested upon her bed. Instinctively, as Inquisitive fingers were put out to touch it they were drawn back out of sheer reverence for this marvel of a graduating gown. . ' Then it appeared why Miss Barrowes hack-made so many trips up to New York. A famous milliner had made it one who designed N the wedding gowns of duchesses and of countesses bad made this gown for y the '99 commencement" of Nordmlnster. 4"he foot- steps that passed Constance's door Were almost muf fled in awe, and Constance herself seemed ' to lose her supposed arrogance, and- chatted and sparkled with delight at the prospect of wearing this exquisite creation on commencement day. ' The next room across the hall belonged to Lucy Cobb. Poor Lucy I Never In all her plain little life had she felt so plain and so unlike the other girls as now! If only her room had been farther down the corridor things would not have been quite so bad; but to have the girls come direct from Con stance Barrowes room, with the. linage of her gown still shimmering in their eyes, was the bitterest ex perience of her life. When her box bad come she had been all excitement and anticipation; but when it was opened her heart had turned sck with dis appointment Muslin! plain, common muslin, with plain hems such a thing as one might wear any day In the week. Unconsciously a little surprised "Oh!" escaped from every girl who looked at it lying so apologetically upon Lucy's bed, and the repetition of that little "Oh!" at last broke down every bit of flagging cour- seeing that my brother Ebn, here, and I cannot agree on it division, nor can any of our tribe decide the question for us." "Strange," mused the pilgrim, eying the purse "Tell me the story, my son. I was in my day ac counted a elever band at ciphering ay, even to cal culations of star distances and magnitudes; it may be I can solve this problem for thee." - ' "An thou" canst do so," said Ebn, "we shall ever bless the day thou earnest among us. Tell him the story Jameel first thy contention, then will I recite my argument "Well,- said Jameel. "this, then, Is the story: It was in the shearing month. Ebn and I Journeyed together in search of our flocks, and pitched our tent on Jebel-Akhdar, the green - mountain thou seest yonder. Here, while we sought our strayed sheep, . a stranger came and eraved lodgment in our tent We took him In, and, in his honor, killed each day a lamb sometimes a lamb from Ebn's flock, some times one from mine, whichever came readiest to band. Bo for seven days we fared, and oa the eighth day the stranger disappeared. vBut Ayeshah, who came that day to visit us, bAorht word of him. He sent by her band this purse, containing sixteen pieces of silver, which, he said, was in payment for the lambs; as to the eighth lamtv which bad that morn ing been killed he bade Eba and me divide between us, since be would not return to share it Ayeshah prepared our meal that. day. aad while we feasted Eba and I reckoned the lambs that were from his flock aad thoee that were from mine fa order that we might fairly divide the purse. Thns we found that oa the first fourth and seventh days my flock bad furnished the feast wherefore I took six of the slxteea pieces of silver la payment of my three lambs. Ia like manner I' gars to Ebn eight pieces of silver 'la payment of the lambs his flock had famished oa jthe . second, third, fifth and sixth days of : the stranger's stay, and of the remaining two pieces of silver I gave one to Ebn and kept one myself, s.'aee COPYRrGHT BY THE CENTURY COMPANY, T llmVLtj . I t an - age the poor child had been trying to summon to her aid. Throwing herself on the floor when the ordeal of inspection was at last over, she crushed Into her belt ' the home letter that had come with it, and sobbed out her disappointment against the hated muslin gown, without a thought of how she was ruining Its neat muslin frills. She could have stood anything but the tone of those thoughtless "Ohs!" for her overwrought nerves put much more meaning into their tones than the girls had felt. She read the crumpled letter over several times: VI hope you will like your dress. I know you will , look sweet in it and do us all credit; I only wish we could be there to see you wear It, but we will have a nice treat for you when you come home, for your father at last sees his way clear to putting up an east porch. We are going to begin it next week, and Nita has already planted a clematis where it will be ready to vine as soon as the posts are up." And so on all the little home gossip about Tom's fine colt and her own little guinea-hens, and loving thoughts from them all for Lucy. But Mrs. Cobb . had never been graduated frOm Nordmlnster, and to her the simple white muslin seemed fine enough; her plain, practical soul could never appreciate the scjiool-girl tragedy that lurked in the folds of that muslin frock. Then Lucy tried to think of the other children, of the expense of their education and clothes, for she knew that if she sent her dress back and told them It would not do, it might defer the building of the east jporch another year; and the whole family had counted so much Upon having it Here on the "floor Constance found her, red-eyed and miserable, when she ran across to show Lucy a box of roses that bad been sent to her. In an Instant "Miss Arrogance" was on ner knees and had the girl' in her arms, where the whole pitiful story was sobbed out. Without a word about the gown, Con stance changed the subject to her own life, and told Lucy a story that brought the tears to both their eyes, but not "hlte-muslln tears," as Lucy after ward smilingly called them. To her amazement Constance told her that she would give everything , she possessed for Just one such letter as had come with that muslin gown; that she had not one relative near enough to care whether she looked sweet and did them credit or not; that she had no home at all, not even so much as an east porch, to go to, and when she left Nordmlnster she had no one to receive her but a - great-aunt, who traveled contin ually, hoping to recover her health, and never stayed more than a month In a place, or an uncle who was a mining man in the heart of South Africa. The plain little gown was folded carefully away, and Constance slipped down quietly and arranged to be put In line next Lucy in the graduation exercises, now only a few days off. During the remaining time "Miss Arrogance" was treated with a marked defer ence. That exquisite gown would make the class of '99 famous for all time, and, either because her manner was changed or because the sight of the gown had changed their point of view, each girl decided secretly in her own heart that she was not so arrogant, after all. Then, before the last day, Constance made another hurried trip to New York, which made four that term, and It was rumored v that she went to see her guardian about securing her passage on one of the great steamships to Join her aunt on a trip around the world. At last the great day came. The assembly hall was crowded with the parents and friends of the girls. The class of '99 marched proudly through the halls and up on to the platform. Suddenly, as the girls looked shyly down the line, the same uncon scious little "Oh!" that had broken down Lucy's brave resolves went up In fifteen different gasps. For there at the end of the line. In the most prominent place, stood Constance Barrowes, dressednot In the won drous creation that was going to make the class of '99 go down In the annals of Nordmlnster dlstin- guished as no other class had ever been, but In a plain white muslin gown as nearly like Lucy Cobb's as she had been able to find on that last hurried trip to New York. the stranger had said that this, the eighth lamb, we were to share half and half. Such was the division I proposed, and fair it certainly seemeth to me. But thou shalt hear Ebn's contention." "I am listening." said the pilgrim, turning to Ebn. "I am a plain man." said Ebn. "and not versed In calculations, and, I confess, when I listen to J a nisei's argument it seemeth sound, for since the stranger's silver paid for the lamb, surely it was his right to say half shalt thou hare and half thou. Yet this lamb was also from my flock, so that of the eight lambs I furnished five and Jameel but three. There fore, though I lack the wit to lay my finger on the flaw in J au eel's argument I feel that if he recelveth six pieces of silver for his three lambs, it is but Just that I should receive ten pieces for my five. Is" it not sor "What hast thou to say to this, my sonr said th pilgrim, turning to Jameel "I hart said my say," replied Jsraeel; "U is tor thee to decide which of us is right" The pilgrim mused a moment In silence. Then, with a smile, he said: "What if neither of you should be right r At this question, so startling and unexpected,. Jameel and Ebn-Malek stared at each other In open mouthed astonishment "What If neither of us Is right!" exclaimed JameeL presently. That is not possible! It is clear one . of us is wrong, but it sppears to tne that it is equally certain that the other must be right" ' "Nevertheless." rejoined tie pilgrim, quietly, "I ask again, what if neither of roe should be right?" "In that case," cried Ebn, laughing, "take them the puree!" "What. sayest thos to this, Jameel?" asked ths pilgrim. "I say. with Eba. the puree Is thrni sy. wni'.orTy! if thos cann prove that aelthrr lis djTUirn nor mine Is right" "Nay, my son," UUrrsptei ths pCgrtss, i!.' A WISE PRECAUTION ""By E. L. Sylvester. I'm taking my umbrella, 'cause perhaps" It's going to rain; , I beard my papa read it in the paper, Just as plain, ,' It said the indications were, for four an' twenty -hours, ' ' . There'd be some local temperchure an' stationary j showers. "QUESS " By Montrose J. Moses. Ha stands against the wall and says, Shaking his head in odd little ways: "Guess what I've got behind my back?" And then he laughs my youngster Jack. f "A doll?" "No." "A ball?" , "Ncv" "A gun?" "No." "A bun?" "No." "A cat?" . "No.'" "A hat?" "No." . "A slate?" "No." , "A skate?" ' "No." ."Well, IH confess, I can't guess!" And then he Jumps and laughs with glee. auu uimas it a, sue jojte uoes ne; With outstretched arms, this wee boy stands. And says: "I only had my hands!" FREDDY'S PROFESSIONS By Montrose J. Moses.1 When I'm a man I'd like to be Something big and great: An admiral who lives at sea. Or governor of my State; I'd like to be an engineer Who runs the State Express) I'd like to be a brigadier. And eat my mealr at mesa f T I'd like to keep a candy store. Or write a book or two About the countries I explore ' From liere to Timbuktu; And then I think it would be fine . If I could b and by Be a captain on a baseball nine, , ' A Sampson, or a Schley. So now I think I ought to grow The quickest way I ean; For what I'd really like, yon know Is first to be a man. ; - - But when I ask my Uncle James What he would most enjoy. He laughs at me, and then exclalmaj Td like to be a boy!" Daughter," hs continued, addressing Ayeshah, "glva me of the millet cakes that are left eight Behold, here are the eight lambs. There art thou, Ebn, there thou, Jameel and hers am I the stranger. On ths first- day we three devour a lamb 4s it not so. Teat Here, then, is thy third, Ebn, here thy third, Jameek and here the stranger's portion." The pilgrim broke a cake Into three pieces, as be spoke, and set the fragments before the shepherds and himself. .On the second day we eat another lamb so!" Hs divided a second cake aa he had the first "On the third day another," on the fourth another, and so on the fifth, sixth and seventh days. On the eighth t '., oonUnnd Prlm. "the last of the lambs is killed, but the stranger does not eat of It Ayeshah takes his place. Hers, then, Ebn. is thy third, and nere, jameel, are two thirds thy portion and that Ayeshah. thy wife. How many lambs were from iur oocs, jameen Three, Is it not so? Couut then, and tell me bow many bit of cake thou hast before thee!" . ' "Nlns." said Jameel. counting. "Even so." said ths pilgrim, "nine thirds! Thres lambs thou gaveet Jameel. three thos bast consumed, eeest thou. then, that thou hast bo claim cn tie Purse? That Is wholly Ebn's." r rsy, said Ebn, pressing the purse inln the t'l- grim 8 Mlm. "It is thin. Kir da mnt ihnka t&r bead: thou hast fairly earned It Take it an4 fir we'l!" Fsr a long time after tie pflrHm fcai d-ar? ! re shepherds sat ia thocthffut silesr. At l-r- i Ebn spoke: -"JaaetL canst thos cake heal or bx f cf -"Not V m"4 Jarrt "I t?.rrt t' t I wee rirtt t"t rfw 1 ascw tt li I ia f ' thou, cr te. Nfl.'tg it t:ar " "Ten." !? u r .-'.! :i si v - '4 r.lm fD'errarffrr ?.-i; -r- rr t tn tf a t . tr t r-.i cf a i 1 t a; si!"
