Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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12 THE ACORN wiped away the teais which she had not been quite able to withhold. As she did so the pale moonlight beat upon her countenance. She looked to hilt as a fragrant rose budding thru golden tracery as she sat there with her yellow hair partly unraveled. He turned from her, still holding her hand. Involuntarily he again looked ar. her. How sweet and beautiful you look, Constance.” She shuddered, but again he had conquered. She even drew closer to him. He looked at her again. Never in his life had he seen anything so beautiful. She looked like a queen of fairy land. Never had he been so enticed. He grasped her other hand. She submitted. Their breath was coining in quick jerks. Those possessing eyes! Those bewitching lips! Oh, how inviting they looked! He breathed heavily! Me stooped: his face felt her warm breath. 'I'he next instant their moist lips were pressed firmly together for a moment, then she withdrew. What have you done?” she cried. Where is Jack? Let us now return for a moment to Jack. When he arrived at his home he immediately retired. A hard day’s labor and the cool evening air had made him drowsy, and ho scon fell into a fitful sleep. He had only been in bed a moment it seemed, when his head felt uncomfortable. He put his hand to his forehead and felt a feverish beat. Turning to his side, he beheld Constance standing there. Never did she look so beautiful. Was this really his beloved sweetheart or was it an angel. He looked again and more intently to sec if she did not have a supernatural halo about her head. No, there was none. This was his Constance. Never did ho love her more. Ah. she had come hack to him. How lovable she looked. He reached forth his hand to seize her. She stepped back. He reached further, she again withdrew. Unable to restrain himself he began to follow. No sooner had he started than she vanished in the distance with Gerald. He looked into the darkness. A feeling of terror came over him. Where was he. With trembling hands he struck a match and looked at his watch. It was half past ten. In a moment he realized that he had been dreaming. As he thought of it the awful truth came to him. Yes, Constance was disappearing with Gerald. Sleep had vanished from him. He dressed and went out into the cold air of the autumnal evening. Involuntarily his steps wound their way to the garden where he had spent so many a happy evening with Ills beloved. He could feel the blood rushing in torrents thru his system. Every twig and branch by the roadside reminded him of her he Lad lost. Everything in life had lost its value. What was there worth living for? Half unconscious lie stumbled rather than walked into the garden. Every step was bringing him closer to her, but he could not stop. In this state of mind lie presently confronted the scene we have just described. The passion of anger siezed him like a monster. With liis eyes shining like those of a raving maniac he rushed forward and grabbed the terrified Gerald by the shoulders. Jn a moment he would - tear to pieces the cause of all his late grief. With the momentary strength of utter madness lie struck the unnerved Gerald blow upon blow. The latter sank upon the ground. Jack, still wild with anger, raised from the prostrate body and turned toward Constance with a gleam of insane delight in his eyes. But Jo! Lying there, seemingly dead, was his beloved. In a moment he realized what he had done. His anger, his hatred left him. Was he a murderer? Meanwhile Constance’s mother had become anxious for her daughter and came into the garden to look for her. It is unnecessary to relate what she found there. As Jack saw her coming, lie tried to flee.

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THE ACORN 11 MODERNIZED It was Indian summer, a clear evening in September. The saffron colored quarter moon was scorching the sky against which :t hung. A purple haze rimming around it, dimmed its pale light as it fell upon the upturned face of Constance and the curly locks of Jack. “No, I tell you, Jack,” she was saying, “the old perverted ideas have changed now. We can now have more than one friend and still be good. I have indeed been talking a good deal with Gerald since he arrived. But you know he is a nice college bred young man and has given me no occasion to quit speaking with him. Constance, you know I would be very soiry if you would not be on speaking terms with anyone. But that is not what I mean.” “Now see here, Jack, that is as far as my relations with Gerald reach. We have been living here in this frontier town all our lives and are not yet quite up lo all the modern customs of behavior. Why. here we have been listening to our mothers give us their own account of their ideal courtship days, how true they were to their lovers never spoke to any one else, and all that ancient truck—Oh, I tell you. we must be free and talk to everybody.” “Well, you seem to know the latest style pretty well since that dude moved to town. Maybe it is so, but I liked the old ways better. ‘‘Oh, very well. Ha! ha! Say. let’s talk about something interesting. Do you remember, Jack, how many a beautiful summer evening we have spent in this garden? Ever since we were a couple of kids, and used to come here and pick strawberries until it was too dark to see them any longer, and then sit on this bench and eat them. “Yes, Constance, I remember them very well. Those were happy days all right.— Well, It is now getting pretty late and I have a hard day's work before me, so 1 must go home. Quite reluctantly he kissed her good night and started for his home, a short distance outside of the small western town. Constance remained on the bench. As she saw his figure slowly departing in the night, she muttered to herself: “That's just the way these country dupes are. Gerald has even hinted to this a couple of times. Oh, 1 don’t want any of this old tied down business for mine. I am going to be free and have some fun out of this world. When I am older I can redeem my promise to poor old foolish Jack. Gerald is going away soon anyway. Why can’t I talk and have fun with him while he is here. Anyway he does really pay more attention to me than to the other gills. As she sat there she heard steps coming from the house. They were close by. Ah, had someone heard her soliquy in the dark? She became frightened with shame. “Oh, here you are! “Is it you, Gerald? said Constance with a trembling voice. “What’s the matter, did I scare you, are you frightened? he asked. “No—yes, I got a little scared just as I heard you coming in the dark.—I—I didn’t know who it was.” “Ah, tut. tut, it certainly was a rowdy act for me to do. How you tremble. I will hold your hand. What an ideal little hand you have!’’ He held the hand up in the dim moonlight. Slowly he brought it nearer his face. She quivered and jerked it back just as he pressed his lips against it. For a moment her eyes were riveted upon him sternly. He met her gaze and in a moment his playful, yet manly look had conquered, and she smiled as she

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THE ACORN 13 hut overcome by anger and fear he dropped upon the ground, powerless. The mother stooped over her child. Being a typical frontier woman she did not loose her nerve, but began to look around. The experienced mother's eye soon saw and understood. Constance soon revived from her swoon and then her father came and helped to carry Gerald into the house. The blood was washed off from his face and soon signs of life appeared. The father and mother now returned to the garden. Here a beautiful sight greeted them. Jack sat on the bench and in his lap sat Constance, softly stroking his hair. An honest confession had been made and there was now a mutual understanding. The very same night a telegram arrived calling Gerald to the West. And thus went on file another story in Dan Cupids large library. —Joel Burkman ’ll. NATURE. 'Plie snow has disappeared, the birds are here Once more to cheer us with their happy song. O'er nil the world their notes ring clear, We wonder where they've been the winter long. Winds blow the dark and heavy clouds about, To pour the rain o'er barren fields below, And signal to the sleeping buds to sprout As Nature wills that they should live and grow. The grass shoots forth, most everywhere we see Old Mother Earth’s green carpet being wove In colors blended most exquisitely, And harmonizing with the sky above. Henry G. Thunell, ’12. IS CO-EDUCATION DESIRABLE? Co-education is no longer an obscure theory: it has been tried on an extensive scale and proved beneficial. No institution, so far as we know, that has tried the co-educational system has ever abandoned it. This in itself ought to he sufficient to convince the majority of its superiority to ncii-coeducation. It is true that there are many and apparently mighty arguments against co-education, but a careful and candid study of the subject will surely reveal that they are theoretical and imaginary and not consistent with practical experience. A first fruit of co-education is a created tendency towards urging the student on towards greatest exertions in his school work. It is a common argument against co-education, that the students, as a rule, being at an age when they are especially susceptible to the tender passions, arc liable to become absorbed in each other to the neglect of study. Actual experience however does not uphold these views. Before young men and young women meet on equal terms in the class-room, they freely mingle in society, with benefit to both sexes. As soon as their college life is over they once more meet without restraint. And such is the beneficial influence of their polite intercourse that every thoughtful and judicious parent de-