themselves very much, still they were glad to get
back again. They spoke of the outlook of the col
lege for the coming year and what they each in
tended doing. Jack Spence declared that he
would ''make the first team if it were in the wood."
Sam Beck, or rather Beckie, as he was known to
the boys, said, "I will try my best for the prize on
the oratorical contest." "I say Cleve, what are
you going to do this year anyhow ?" asked Spence
at the same time slapping him between the
shoulders.
"Well boys," replied Cleve Dunderdale, for
such was our hero's name, "I don't intend doing
anything great ; I shall peg away at my books a
little and loaf the rest of the time I guess."
"I tell you what," cried one whom they called
Goat, probably from his prominent chin, "you
and I must fall in love Cleve."
A hearty laugh greeted this remark,
while Beckie claimed that "Cleve would
rather miss his dinner than look at a girl."
Cleve took it good naturedly and said he
was much afraid he would not do anything for
them in that line.
'•I am willing," said one of the boys called Tom,
"to set up the supper to the crowd to see Cleve
good in love once; and I hope I may have the
chance this year." But here they were interrupted
by the breakman calling out the station and then
they all left the train to change to another road.
During his Junior year, Cleve 14a.d been an edi
tor on his class annual, and had written many ar
ticles for the college journals. In the annual all
his writings had been illustrated by a Mr. Court
ney, a young artist, living about one hundred
miles from the college. Cleve would send the
article by mail to Mr. Courtney, making a few
suggestions and noting the paragraph to be illus
trated. Now,it so happened that as Mr, Courtney
was an orphan, he had .under his care his sister
Constance, a girl of some eighteen summers.
Constance spent the most of her time with her
brother and used to help him with his work.
One day she happened to run across a story our
THE FREE LANCE.
hero had sent to her brother and noting the title
she read it. It was called "Why Did She Ask
for Bread" It was to her, full of bright ideas
and always after that she was anxious to read
everything that came from his pen.
One evening during the latter part of July, Mr,
Courtney was sitting •on the side veranda watch
ing the moon rise, and wondering if he could get
that effect into a picture. After a while Constance
took to him his pipe and tobacco saying as she
handed them to her brother, "Mac I want you to
sit here and smoke and talk to ma," and with
this she threw herself upon the step and
nestled up to him as though she were cold. Hav
ing lighted his pipe he said to her in his kind way,
"Connie," he always called her that when alone,
"how do you think you would like to go away
from here for a year ard study real hard at some
college?" She did not answer though inwardly
she longed to go. Ever since she had read that
first story, she had been day dreaming of this one
tning and wishing that she might be able, at least,
to attend some Female Seminary. And now she
was wondering if her brother were in real, true,
earnest and if he would send her to school near
Melena; and if she would ever get to know Cleve,
and most of all if he would like her. He had ex
pected her to act just as she was doing, for he
thought that she had never imagined such a cir
cumstance as this, He said he hoped she would
wish to go, not only because she needed it, but,
it would be an aid to her in many ways and she
could also have a good time. "Come, little one,"
he said, "tell me what you think of it, and • where
your would like to go."
"Do you really mean it Mac ?" she asked,
"Mean it ?,' "Why of course, and will you let
me go to Melena?"
"Why do you want to go there Connie? Its no
place for girls; hut I see that man DunAdale has
much to do with this."
"How do you know its no place for girls? I'm
sure Manic Miller went there and she says it is
real nice," hhe exclaimed with much fervor.