Show STUDENT LIFE have me out of his way Of course I didn’t want him to rave about it and sweat he would stop school and become the janitor in my office but then he might have said he would miss me “lie did one pleasant thing however When I bewailed the fact that I could not go home for the Thanksgiving dinner he said he was going to stay too and suggested that we have a little dinner of our own I was thinking of this on Tuesday when a faint ting-a-lin-g warned me that our telephone line was connected with one in use and I might hear a conversation I had nothing to do just then Should I have put my fingers in my ears? I did not and this is what I heard: “ ‘Is that Ilez Smith?’ ‘Yes father’ ‘The little wife wants you to come home for Thanksgiving’ ‘Who?’ ‘The little wife Mrs Smith You used to know Clara pretty well’ ‘Tell her I can’t come I’ve promised a — that is I’ve given my word to stay here’ ‘She won’t take any excusedsavs families ought to be together Would you like to have her come over and assert her rights before jour friends?’ Heavens no father I’ll come’ “The door opened and the secretary came in ‘Are you ill Miss Jensen? I wanted this letter answered right away’ “My head felt dizzy but I shut my teeth together and struck at the keys so viciously that the periods and commas cut deep into the roller and letters piled upon each ottier recklessly II is mother was dead ‘Mrs Smith— the little wife —your duty’ What a wretch what a viper I had loved! No wonder he didn’t care to talk about his home where a trusting wife was waiting for him while he was faithlessly seeking other girls “He came that night to say he had been called home by his father so we could not have our dinner I replied ‘It makes no difference whatever in fact I am very glad Knowing who it is that calls you I can hardly claim a better right to your company’ He looked at first puzzled then ashamed and walked slowly out of the door lie would never come baQk 3 Here indeed was my romance but I wished it had never happened outside of books Now that Ilezekiah Smith was not a commonplace boy I would have given everything to have him so again “The next night when I was sitting down mourning my great and terrible wrongs there n came the knock and in walked the tall boy with the plain face He was sadly embarrassed and began ‘I — that is you — I mean I thought by your words last night that somebody had been telling tales about me and perhaps had made it worse than it is They couldn’t have exaggerated the bad character of and the way she rules over my father but it is not true that she rules me as well I was going to obey her tomorrow ‘td keep you from finding out about her but how that you know it all I will not go home to have? her swear at me I was afraid you would have 2 nothing to do with me when you found out and I guess that’s why I couldn’t decide tohell well-know- step-moth- er Cj you’” oo Here Lena stopped to look at the ‘ smiled again “Go on” I cried “You dear little goose don’t you know yet why talking of happy Thanksgivings made me think of the one I spent three years ago?” Here there came a knock at the door “It’s locked they can’t get in” I said reassuringly “I think we had better unlock it the story is finished” replied Lena and I wondered to see a blush creep over her cheek “Remember it was all in confidence” she said If she had been Macbeth the continued knocking could not have made her look more guilty “Mercy on us! My mathematics!” I exclaimed as a tall plain boy came into the room When I reached my ow n desk however I did not work problems but sat down and wrote the words you have read because May had asked me for a story Of course I have forfeited Lena’s friendship forever but what is that compared to writing for this magnificent magazine? Besides I don’t think she needs any friendship of mine 3 o fire and3 |