Grinnell College - Cyclone Yearbook (Grinnell, IA)

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augh then 't it? ipose 's for 'aphs ,ce of locks Iouth your ns all get up 'illetts tween is the tance. j them likely illetts, .owing WILLETTS. She has, she sharpened them on me this evening. QThey both laugh.3 QAfter a pause, musinglyj Rodney is a bright fellow. - MISS W. Yes? One would judge it from the company he affects. WILLETTS Cgood naturedlyy. Oh, you mustn't always judge a fellow by the girl he takes. MISS W. tcurtlyj. Oh, thank you. There's nothing equivocal in that remark. WILLETTS Cstammeringj. Oh, now, you know-I beg your pardon. No offense intended. QRuefullyj You always catch a fellow up so, Miss Woolson. MISS W. fl.aughS wickedlyl. WILLETTS Qreminiscently after another pausej. Rodney said something awfully clever about you yesterday. MISS W. Indeed? Qicilyy. WILLETTS. Why don't you ever encourage a man to go on? MISS W. A man ought not to need any encouragement. But, well, it I must tassuming a sprightly vivacityj-indeed? What clever thing did Mr. Rodney honor himself by saying about me, Mr. Willetts? There, is that better? WILLETTS. Intinitely. But I don't believe I'll tell you after all. MISS W. Cresentfullyj. That is like a man after a woman has humbled herself. WILLETTS. Humble, you! I like that term in that connection. 12 Besides you know a repeated remark falls flat after so many pre- liminaries. I MISS W. Qcoldlyb. Oh well, as you please. 'WILLETTS Qrelentingj. Oh well, Isuppose I may as well tell since it has gone so far. We were coming down street together yesterday, and saw Arbuthnot leaving your door. He looked de- jected somehow. Henderson remarked upon it and then Said, 'tThere ought to be an inscription over Miss Woolson's door 'Leave hope behind, all ye who enter here , Qlaughs unrestrainedlyj. MISS W. Qwith suspicionj. Did Mr. Rodney say that, or is it a pleasing fabrication of your own, Mr. Willetts? WILLETTS. Oh Rodney said it all right. It bears his mark if you knew him. I never say anything clever. There's nothing cynical about me. MISS W. twith ironyj. No? WILLETTS. There you go again! No. CAfter a moment's pause, struck with a brilliant thought.J It's a pity you don't,like Rodney. You would make such a good match. MISS W. What discrimination you have, Mr. Willetts. But why didn't you make it span. I wouldn't hesitate at a sporting term in such a connection if I were you. WILLETTS. Oh I beg your pardon, Miss Woolson. Now you are offended. You know I- MISS W. tlightlyj. Oh I am not offended, at least not irreme- diably. But you say you regret that I do not like Mr. Rodney. 3...

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SCENE III. Sixth avenue, High and Elm streetsvmoonlight--several couples seen walk- ing slowly-Miss Woolson and Willetts in foreground. Miss W. Centhusiasticallyy. What a perfectly charming night. Don't you love moonlight, Mr. Willetts? WILLETTS. No, I love y- MISS W. tinterposing hastily with a determination to keep the conversation under controlj. You have made such a study of astronomy, Mr. Willetts, I suppose the midnight heavens are an open book to you. WILLETTS tfalling into the trapj. Oh, I suppose I know 'a little something about them. g MISS W. tfeeding' his vanityj. Oh, you are too modest. I have always heard that you were exceptionally well informed. You have established a great reputation, Mr. Willetts, perhaps you Clidn't know it. WILLETTS Qtrying to think of something modest to opposey. Well-er-l- I MISS W. Cskillfully keeping the conversation in her own handsy Now to me the most elementary excursion into that science was quite Sllmtlltillt. For one thing, the instruments are all so pain- fully delicate. I was simply scared into tits every time I was re- quired to enter the room where the equatorial was. I expected the thing would go off, it looks exactly like a gun and tconhdentiallyj it will take argument to convince me that it isntt loaded.- CWilletts laughs immoderately.j MISS W. ttalking against timey. Itls a shame for you to laugh at my ignorance, Mr. Willetts. You ought to pity it. And then there are all of those little what you call 'ems-verniers, isn't it? to read. I wonder you have any eyesight left. And I suppose sextants and siderial clocks and binary systems have no terrors for you, and that you stand in no terror of sun spots or chronographs or electrical disturbances. tShe rattles on with an exuberance of spirit that comes with the knowledge that she is within two blocks of homey. And I suppose you would walk right up to the mouth of a dynamometer or face a transit or a solar plexus. WILLETTS Cstill laughingy. Oh, I say, aren't you getting your terms slightly mixed? MISS W. Qlightlyy. Perhaps. I have my scientific terms all thrown together in a confused heap in my mental loft. I get up there every once in a while and sort them all over. Mr. Willetts Cconhdentiallyy, what is the law of attraction existing between those two bodies just ahead of us? It can't be inversely as the square of the distance, can it? for you see there isn't any distance. And are they terrestial or celestial bodies? WILLETTS. Well,that's Rodney and Miss Bowen, so one of them at least is a heavenly body, or as near heaven as she will be likely to get for some time. MISS W. treprovingly, but with laughtery. Oh, Mr. Willetts, Ididn't suspect you of cynicism. She must have been showing her claws. --W-

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How do you know it isn't the other way, that Mr. Rodney doesn't like me? WILLETTS flooking at her with an unmistakable expressionj. Unimaginable! MISS W. Oh-h-h! And you said that you never say anything clever! WILLETTS tbluntlyj. I never do. That's only truth. MISS W. Csweetlyl. Oh then falsehood is your synonym for clever. I think I got the impression a moment ago that you thought me clever. I thank you for the implication I am sure. WILLETTS ffloundering againl. I-now Miss Woolson-you know that I don't mean that-you know what I think of you-you know I think- MISS W. thastily averting the strokel. But you may have hit on the very reason that Mr. Rodney and I are antagonistic, if, as you seem to think, we are alike. People are said to like their op- posites, you know. WILLETTS Cbrighteningl. Do you think that? MISS W. Cwith her eyes on the distance where Rodney is taking leave of Miss Bowenl. Oh there must be something in it. WILLETTS. Because if you do, there may be some hope for me. MISS W. tin the double consciousness that she is within a step of home and that Rodney is approachingy. t'While there's life, there's hope they say. CAdds hastily with some consternation at the ex- pression of his facej I am afraid you have forgotten Mr. Rodney's warning, Mr. Willetts. ' ' WILLETTS. No, no I haven't. If I could forget Ishould have asked you long ago to let me go with you to the con- 1 MISS WOOLSON fasidej. The fates forfend! tAloud, in a tone of painj Oh! tshe deliberately steps off the sidewalk and lets her- self carefully downl Oh! LRodney is seen to hasten his stepsj VVILLETTS Qin great trepidationl. Oh Miss Woolson-Gladys, what has happened? What can I do? tHe spins around helplessly.j MISS W. Oh don't be frightened, Mr. Willetts. It is nothing, a little sprain perhaps. I shall be allright in a moment. QAttempts to rise as Rodney passes stiftly with lifted haty. Oh-h! CShe sinks down again with a cry of pain.! Rodney pauses irresolutely, then turns and comes back. RODNEY Ccurtlyl. Good evening, Willetts. What is it? What has happened? WILLETTS tdancing about distractedlyp. Oh Miss Woolson has sprained the sidewalk-she stepped oft her ankle--and she's dread- fully hurt and I don't know how to get her home. You see she cantt get up and I-the tries to raise her by pulling at her arm.j MISS W. Oh! tas if in great pain.J RODNEY Ccontemptuously brushing Willetts asidej. By your leave. tl-Ie stoops and picks her up in his arms. J MISS WOOLSON Cin dismayp. Oh Mr. Rodney! tShe clasps him about the neck. J WILLETTS ffranticallyj. Ah-Oh-Cantt I help--I-isn't there something- ..24..