Michael looked down silently and smiled. He was wondering if any eyes
were ever as beautiful as those before him. He had never had even a
little girl look at him like that. The president’s daughter was fat and
a romp. She never took time to look at the boys. The few other girls he
knew, daughters of the professors, were quiet and studious. They paid
little attention to the boys.
“I want to thank you for what you did,” went on Starr, “only I can’t
think of any words great enough to tell you how I feel about it. I wish
there was something I could do to show you how I thank you?”
She lifted her sweet eyes again to his. They were entering the large
Hall of the college now.
“This way,” said Michael guiding her toward the chapel door which had
just swung to behind the two men.
“Isn’t there something you would like that I could do for you?”
persisted Starr earnestly, following him into the empty chapel where
Mr. Endicott and the president stood looking at a tablet on the wall by
the further door.
“Your father has done everything for me,” said Michael sunnily, with a
characteristic sweep of his hand that seemed to include himself, his
garments and his mental outfit. He turned upon her his blazing smile
that spoke more eloquently than words could have done.
“Yes, but that is papa,” said Starr half impatiently, softly stamping
her daintily shod foot. “He did that because of what you did for _him_
in saving my life. I should like to do something to thank you for what
you did for _me_. I’m worth something to myself you know. Isn’t there
something I could do for you.”
She stood still, looking up into his face anxiously, her vivid childish
beauty seeming to catch all the brightness of the place and focus it
upon him. The two men had passed out of the further door and on to the
recitation rooms. The girl and boy were alone for the moment.
“You have done something for me, you did a great deal,” he said, his
voice almost husky with boyish tenderness. “I think it was the greatest
thing that anybody ever did for me.”
“I did something for you! When? What?” questioned Starr curiously.
“Yes,” he said, “you did a great thing for me. Maybe you don’t remember
it, but I do. It was when I was getting well from the shot there at
your house, and your nurse used to bring you up to play with me every
day; and always before you went away, you used to kiss me. I’ve never
forgotten that.”
He said it quite simply as if it were a common thing for a boy to say
to a girl. His voice was low as though the depths of his soul were
stirred.
A flood of pretty color came into Starr’s cheeks.
“Oh!” she said quite embarrassed at the turn of the conversation, “but
that was when I was a baby. I couldn’t do that now. Girls don’t kiss
boys you know. It wouldn’t be considered proper.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account