Kansas University Weekly.
197
A Peace-Maker.
Dorothy Holmes was not very pretty, but just the kind of girl most men call "attractive." She was about medium height, with soft black hair, gracious brown eyes and a ready smile. One could not explain her charm, she was not particularly stylish, yet there was that indefinable something about her which made each of seven or eight callers, ranging from Freshmen to Senior Laws, think he was the only one there in whom she was the least bit interested. She had a way of "bringing out" boys, and making them her willing slaves forever.
There was one boy in school to whom she had been particularly kind. Ned Allan had come from a small place and had had no social advantages. She saw possibilities in him, invited him to call, taught him to dance and helped him in every way she could. They were the best of friends. Their interest in each other lasted during the whole college course until, a few weeks before commencement, they quarreled at a party over a dance. It was really very silly; both of them thought the other was to blame. Both cared very much but wanted the other to think it was a matter of no importance. After that Dorothy did not speak to him on the street. He made a remark about her to a friend, who at once told her. And this did not make affairs better, so he left school without seeing her again.
That summer he and his particular friend, Jack Walker, went to Colorado together. Jack had been an old school friend but had spent the last year East. He knew of the friendship of Dorothy and Ned and was sorry it had been broken up over so trivial a thing. He was a fastidious little man, a few years older than Ned, with great confidence in his own ability as a peace-maker. They had talked over the quarrel many times, Ned always declaring that it was no fault of his and that he would never apologize, thus bringing forth from Jack an apostrophe upon the stubbornness of some people.
One day Ned had been to Colorado Springs with friends. As he got off the car that evening at Manitou, he was much surprised to see Jack coming to meet him with beaming face and elastic step.
When they were still some distance apart, Jack greeted him with, "Guess who's here!" but before Ned had time to guess or even wonder, Jack said, "Dorothy Holmes." She came this afternoon and is going to be here two days; I asked her to go to the hop tonight. You are going and you two have got to make up. Why dont you say something?"
"I hardly see where I had a chance" said Ned dryly, then added—"thanks for your interest in me, but I hardly think I'll dance this evening." They walked slowly together toward the hotel, Jack trying to fill up the silence by whistling.
That night Ned sat alone on the veranda. He usually enjoyed the dances, but he did not care to dance this evening, for some reason. Strains of music, voices and laughter came to him from the pavilion and just as he was becoming decidedly bored, he looked up and saw Jack coming toward him.
" Dorothy is charming to-night Come and dance just once with her," he said coaxingly.
"I don't want to dance with her, you know that," growled Ned, "and besides," he added slowly, "she wouldn't dancewith me,"
"Yes she would," pleaded Jack.
"Well, I'll not give her the chance to refuse me any way," replied Ned decidedly. "Just as you say, said Jack starting away, "but I asked her and she said she would dance with you, if you invited her."
"O! kind in you," Ned muttered. But after Jack disappeared, he had a desire to know if she really would dance with him. Then he thought he would look in at the window awhile. He saw Dorothy and concluded to ask for a dance, but to let her know that Jack had come to him.
He went in, greeted her stiffly,and was given a dance. As soon as the music ceased,they walked together from the pavilion to a convenient bench. They sat apart at the end of the ver-