Page 91 - 1930 Hartridge

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The bell rings at the end of study-hall. There is a scraping of chairs, and someone loudly groans “The French, my dear, the FRENCH!” d'hen noise in waves, in volumes, overwhelms my ears, and here and there a'staccato note draws my attention from baffling subjunctives. Some one calls, “ 1 actually got that problem!” Another, “What did he say?”
People straggle out, and 1 trudge none too lightly up the stairs. At the top Dobbie greets me. “ I don’t see how a fervor for the communistic state can replace their religion for the Russian peasants.” Ensues a long
and violent discussion on the subject, then suddenly roars of laughter. 1 f-urn into the room to hnd Caroline struggling with her rebellious French, arid a pair of my stockings meanly demanding to be washed. Quickly I put them out of the way and sit down to explore in the anthology, when
we hear loud shrieks next door. Babbie and Betty are chasing each other, and a moment later Betty crashes through the door, half-clad, and laughs an apology.
“Here, here, the younger children went to bed long ago.”
this injunction Miss Edgett joins us. She is immeefiately askeci what a (juadrant is, and whether she has seen “ Berkeley Square.” The quadrant is soon settled, and we talk at length of plays of the day.
Crapo approaches to wind the clock, and sets it carefully ten minutes ahead. Dobhie insists from the end of the hall, “ He didn’t make his point because he wouldn’t define any of his terms.” Babbie’s voice issues forth with, “ Did you finish the History? My dear, it took centuries!” Then
we all gaily call goodnight to Miss Edgett and Miss Gullette.
No sooner have 1 reached my door than strange, uncanny voices, shrieks, and cries come from Crapo and Dobbie’s room bombarding and
piercing Miss Edgett’s door. Smiling T shut mine and turn out the light. Darkness and bed are good even at this early hour, and after a bit of talking, Caroline and I turn aside to sleep. Babbie’s voice can be heard droning through the wall. Suddenly it rises louder and louder. Then
sounds a shuffling of feet, and a little rapping on the door. Silence.
J. F., 3 0 .
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