He gave in
,at once, for if Mame Miller , said so,
Mac. would believe it. Many people said that
Mame would, before long, be a sister to Constance.
So he told Constance to find out all about it Irom
Mame and he would let her go at the opining of
the next college year.
"And may I really ?" she cried vehemently
throwing her arms around his neck, ''Oh.!-Mac;
you are too kind to me," she cried kissing him.
He hated to be told this so he kissed her and sent
her to her room. Bright and early the next morn
ing she was over to see Mame Miller and came
back to her brother with her face all smiles and
throwing b2fore him an armload of catalogues,
pictures and souvenirs that lame had collected
while at college, she exclaimed, "here Mac, look
at those, I got them from MAW., and she says if
you don't let me go there you arc too mean for
anything."
During the spare moments for the next two or
three days, Mr. Courtney occupied himself in
lioking over these things, and finally he went
over to sec Miss Miller about the matter ;. for al
though he was determined to send his sister al ay,
still he was not quite convinced that this was the
place for her. Acting on Miss Mil'er's advice he
wrote to the president making certain inquiries
and after some days, they having in the meantime
exchanged several letters, he was willing to allow
Constance her choice.
It was now about three weeks till college would
opl3n and so it was a very busy time for Constance.
She was continually making ready or ruining here
and there, seeing her friends about this and that.
She had many confidential talks with Miss Mil
ler ; she called it "getting posted."
At last th day came when Constance was to
leave. Her feeling; can hardly be described ; for
up until a day or two it had been expected that her
brother would accompany her, but now matters
had taken such a turn that he would not be able to
do so. He and Miss Miller saw her off at the
depot ; and as he kissed her good bye he noticed
that it was an extreme effort that kept back a tear
THE FREE LANCE.
or two, which she would not for the world have
had her brother discover. They stood watching
the train roll out from the station More starting
for hom As he left Miss Miller at her door, he
said, ''although I hated to see Constance go away,
and I know I shall miss her much, yet I feel proud
that she acted so bravely." As Miss Miller took
his proffered hand, she said, "Mr. Courtney,Con
stance is living for something."
By this time Constance was well on her journey.
In the satns car with h.._r were several old students
just returning to College. She learned from their
conversation, as the train neared the Donju junc
tion, that they expected to meet several fellow stu
dents. When the train stopped there was a hurri
ed stampede for the platform. As Constance
watched the two parties meet, she thought that she
had never witnessed such an exhibition of hand
shaking in all her life. And such names as they
called one another, sate Ilk met! them to a pack of
heathens. As she sat watt hint; them from the win
dow she happened to glance up just in time to
catch the eyes of a tall, handsome, but bashful look
ing youth. Several of the buys rushed up to him
shouting, "hello Cleve—hello there Dunderdale
—put her there old fellow." Here they wer.: in
terrupted by the signal for the train to start, and
then there was a general scramble for the cars.
As Cleve passed under Constance's window, she
imagined that he glanced at her and she was very
happy.
He entered the coa c h in front of the one in
which she wassitting, and she could see him stand
ing in the aisle apparently talking to some one.
After a while he started back to the boys who were
conversing in the rear of her car ; but as he passed
her seat, she leaned forward to re•adjust the window
blind which seemed to stick; noticing the diffi•
culty, he asked if he could render any aid. As he
raised the blind she smiled and thanked him, say
ing she hoped she had put him to no trouble. He
looked away declaring it was no trouble at all, as
the thing worked quite easily. Trying to catch his
eye she said "I probably would have been able to