Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 248, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 October 1911 — Tarnley'S Experience] [ARTICLE]

Tarnley'S Experience]

I Just after Tarnier had established lon his insntol Ms • sister camo to New York for a brief visit, mainly to see how her freshman brother was . .. „ . a pretty girl! Tarnley a sister exclaimed effervescently as she investigated the photograph. Then •he glanced at the one next to it—and the next—and then another. Rapidly she swept the walls of the room before she flashed an accusing glance at Tarnley. "You’ve eleven pictures of this same girl!” she cried. "You—you must be fond of her, Tommy!” r "Nothing of the sort!” contradicted Tommy, gruffly, meanwhile turning a brick red. "She —she’s In some of the classes. Just happened to pick them up.” - “Uh-hufi,” said Tarnley'a sister. "I’ve observed that one is apt to pickup |2O-a-dosen photographs from the dust of the street!" "Think you’re smart, don’t you?” growled Tarnley with his back to her, trying to recover his equanimity. There was no denying that Tarnley was frightfully smitten. It was so serious an infatuation that it had passed thy power of mere words, so he had ceased to rave about Miss Edmont to the other fellows. Other men might remark fervently that their best, girls were "peaches’* and "out of sight,” but Tarnley only gripped his pipe tighter and gazed at the ceiling while he thought pityingly of the other fellows.

They might fancy they were'in love with the Phelps girl because she had a dimple and lisped, or with Jessamine White, with the big black eyes and not an ounce of brains—they might consider such fluffy, ephemeral creatures admirable, but that was because they had not souls to appreciate Helene Edmont. Tarnley was certain Helen of Troy herself could not have been fairer, while as for sparkle and wit there was no one to beat this girl. ‘Cheer up!” Bobbett said to him rudely one day. Bobbett was a sophomore ants worldly-wise. “You’ll outgrow it and outlive it. The first attack is precisely* the same as being vaccinated—and when you get the real thing it won’t go hard with yqu in consequence.” Tarnley gazed upon Bobbett with scorq and passed on. Let Bobbett talk about the real thing in the fu-ture-little he knew that for Tarnley a great and glowing sun already had arisen Which was to illumine his life for ever and ever! > When the year was ended and Tarnley had to bid her goodby for three months, the occasion was epic. He stood pale and very straight and tall and held her hand. v i.. •‘©very day?” he asked, “you’ll Write every day?” “Oh, yes,” she promised. " li T don’t know how I’m going to endure not seeing you,” Tarnley went on. thrillingly. “It—it seems as if the world had come to -an end, Hel-ene—m-m-my Helene!”. * “Ch, you mustn’t!” murmured Helene. ' ■ ' * e Three months is a long time. Of course, Tarnley went about and. attended picnics nad parties with other girls, but fils heart was still true to Helene. Various things seemed to interrupt Helene’s promised routine ot a letter a day. She was at the seashore and there were trains ' and boats interfering and then, she wrote, she was having such a splendid 'time. ... . -

In the Fall when Tarnley came tearing back he rushed to see Helene the first thing. She was out. When he called again a six-foot junior was blandly occupying the reception room ahead of him. It seemed that the junior, too, had been at the seashore. When the situation became generally known the fellows wondered bow Tarnley would take it. They were prepared to feel very sorry for him, and when some man, who was decidedly new and ignorant of things; mention Helene Bdmont, every one in the room held his breath. Tarnley did did not flicker an eyelash. "Miss Edmont?” he repeated, condescendingly. “Oh, yes—she is a nice little girl; awfully nice! I used to know her well myself. Quite pretty, in fact—but shallow—awfully shallow!” He knocked his pipe against the table. “Gee!" reflected Bobbett. “He isn’t putting it on! He really feeje that way! Say,” he murmured to Tarnley, when he got near enough, “remember what I said to you last year about vaccination? Well, it took, didn’t IL ▼lth you?" 'T don’t know what you mean/’ •aid Tarnley haughtily, after a stare. For Tarnley was no longer a freshman. He was a sophomore.