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seemed rather queer to mc for I had never
been bothered ) Reaching the sea they held the maiden back and drowned her
with nerves. I told her so, but she said that I was sure to have
them some day and she wanted to prepare mc. I hate tea,
but since the old woman had been so kind as to make it, I
gulped it down and wondered what was coming next. I
waited patiently for my hostess to speak. Finally my patience
was rewarded.
'Ah! I knew that you were a stranger or you would not
have stopped. Most of them run on with a kind of skip and
pretend not to hear. I had a daughter with it once. They
called out at her too. She was so scared she fell in a faint
and never came to any more. I have looked up the history of
your kind and can tell you a good bit of a story about it."
Well, I thought anything better than that crowd again, so
settled myself to hear her story. I did not know yet what was
the matter. Was this a community of hoodlums, or was 1 a
hoodlum myself ! You, my friends, may have had an inkling
of the situation already, having seen such a scene many a time
on your own city streets. As for mc, remember I lmd never
heard of such a thing before, and excuse my seeming stupidity.
The old woman rambled on. Every now and then I heard
a word or two; enough finally to give mc an explanation of the
affair. She was a garralous old woman, and it took her sev
eral hours to tell the story which I will give you in a few
words.
Long, long years ago, long before Columbus ever thought
of discovering America (probably long before he was even
bora), there was; near the Atlantic coast, a small island,
whose inhabitants were supposed to have reached the highest
point of contentment. The women were celebrated for their
virtue, for their wit, and for their long, beautiful hair which
rivaled in color the glory of the sun. Everything that could
be desired was given to those islanders. Why should they
not be contented? Their island was indeed a second Garden
of Eden! The inhabitants were few; fifty men and twelve
maidens. There had been nineteen maidens but the other
seven had married and gone away. As all things have an end,
so this state of contentment became a thing of the past. The
maidens grew tired of the young men on the island. They
saw these youths ever)' clay and wanted novelty. One day
their wish was granted. A boat was drawn up to their shore
and a young stranger leaped out. The serpent had come
into the garden. lie was not especially fine-looking. lie
was far from graceful, but to the girls he was a god because he
was new. While the islanders dared not lift their eyes to the
faces of their loved maidens through awe of their glorious hair,
this young man not only looked, but he smiled also. This
pleasec the vanity of the eleven maidens. When he smiled
on one, the others grew jealous. The whole eleven wanted
one man, I say eleven for the twelfth only stood aside and
looked on. As was natural the man was drawn to her. lie
chose her and they were very happy for awhile. At last the
eleven grew desperate. They vowed that, if they could not
have him, their more fortunate rival should not. One night
they carried him away and buried him in the deep sea. For
this crime both their locks and their milk-white ponies were
changed to dusky colors. Conscience-stricken they rode out
through the shallow waters to a distant island.
In the meantime, number twelve, wondering at the long,
absence of husband and companions, found her only consola
tion in the company of her little white pony. She took it
everywhere, and the men, having only one girl left to love,
idolized both the maiden and her cteed. They could not bear
to have either out of their sight.
The eleven heard of this adoration and grudged her even
this simple pleasure. They returned and reconciling her to the
change in their appearance persuaded her to ride with them,
pony before their victim's eyes. There they left her. mourn
ing for her lost pet. When, towards dusk, they saw her come
back, the eleven called the men out and pointing to .the
advancing figure called out, "There's your red headed girl,
but wherc's her white horse?" The men, irreconcilable at the
loss of one of their idols, scornedbut there I missed the
connection through a slight doze and did not hear the rest of
the story.
When I awoke the old woman was still talking, and 1
aroused myself sufficiently to hear the origin of the question
to-day.
It seems that after Columbus had discovered America, and
the continent had become thickly populated, this chronicle
was found among some ancient papers and was published.
Everybody read the article, and was amused with the whole
story. Some brainless fop, thinking to amuse the populace,
called out after a "strawberry blond," "where's the white
horse!" He did amuse the populace, they all took up the cry,
and the poor girl fled through the nearest doenvay. .For a
while it was so popular that girls with the least tinge of gold
in their hair dared hardly to look outdoors. Finally the peo
ple grew tired of this amusement, and it only burst out , occa
sionally. I happened to be here on one of these . occasions.
"To be sure," said the old woman, "yours is such a bad case
they could'nt help themselves."
The only ". ay you can find out the rest of this story is to
visit the old woman herself. I am sure it would afford
you great pleasure. If you wish I will give you her address.
She docs not live very far away.
I forgot to say that when I went out again the streets were
quiet, and that I made my way to the hotel without further
trouble. C. Q.
ALUMNI AND FORMER STUDENTS.
Mr. Will O. Jones, of the class of 86 of this university,
for a long time assistant editor ol the Lincoln State Journal
and a well known alumnus and friend of the institution, was
advanced on the first of January to the position of managing
editor of the itate Journal. He has won his way by indus
try, pluck, good judgment, and general manly independence
of character. No one will rejoice in his advancement more
than those who knew him in past years as a university stud
ent and those who still keep close to him because of his many
admirable qualities. This includes all former students and
very many of those who are in the institution to day. One of
the first acts of the new managing editor was to call to the
position of exchange editor another alumnus, Mr. Holmes, of
the class of '90. Mr. Holmes has already had considerable
expe-ience in editorial work in this state, in which he has
acquitted himself to the entire satisfaction of all interested
parties. He will be an acquisition to the State Journai. Of
course all university men are glad to see the alumni coming
back to Lincoln and occupying positions of such importance.
It is a recognition of the worth of the men and of the value
of university training, which cannot be passed by without
iiuuuc. i iic uuuvcuir cuiuuii 01 me journal, wnicli is
almost entirely the product of Mr.. Jones' labors, has met
with universal praise. In its entire make-up it is all that can
be desired, and will certainly bring to the institutions repre
sented, to the capital city, to the State Journal, and to Mr.
Jones himself, very great credit, and it. is hoped even more
substantial returns. One can rasily imagine the sensation
created by such an edition as this when placed in the hands
of some of the people east of the Alleghanies, than, whom
.none are more . thoroughly provincial and. limited in .their
