Undaunted Be

934 IMPROVEMENT ERA

"He seems to be very gallant to Daisy. Perhaps she is here with-

out a partner and he is looking after her," she thought. When they

got outside in the cool night air, Helen courteously suggested that

they take Daisy home first, as she lived only across the campus and

a short distance away. But Frank insisted on taking her home first,

although she lived through the park and several blocks beyond. On

the way home, in the crisp, starlit night, conversation noticeably lan-

guished. John and Mary were already on- the porch when they got

to Helen's, so bidding Frank and Daisy a hurried good-night, Helen

entered the house.

That night, when Helen shook down her raven locks, and Mary

was brushing the powder out of hers, while bemoaning the fact that

she "guessed she'd have to wash it," she suddenly exclaimed, "I call

that a perfectly horrid trick!"

"What?" asked Helen, looking up.

"Why, that Frank had you two girls there tonight."

"That Frank had us two girls there? What do you mean?"

"You and Daisy. Neither of you knew that he had brought the

other, although every one else in the room knew it. Jen declared that

she thought it was a shame and was going to tell you, only Frank

coaxed her off to dance and persuaded her out of it."

"How did he take Daisy and me?"

"Well, he went and got her first, and took her over there. Then

he slipped away and came and got you. That's what made him so late.

Then he thought that you would leave early, and that he could bring

you home and afterwards go back after her, and neither of you would

know about the other. Your staying till the dance was out spoiled his

plans."

"H'm, I thought he didn't seem very enthusiastic when I told him

I'd stay late. But what did he do it for?"

"Well, last winter he took Daisy out and he asked her a week ago

to go to the character ball with him. She wouldn't give him any an-

swer, but told him that she'd let him know. The week passed and

—

he heard nothing from her, so yesterday knowing that you'd quar-

reled with Leo, he asked you to go. You said you would, and fifteen

minutes later he received a note from Daisy accepting his invitation.

He wanted to take Daisy and he didn't have the nerve to explain the

situation to you. Of course, the decent thing for him to do was to tell

her he'd made other arrangements. But he siezed on your saying

you were going to leave early, decided to take you both and trust the

rest to his wit and chance."

''Well," my one comfort is that I made up with Leo tonight,"

said Helen slowly. "For it seems to me that with Frank I played

second fiddle all the way through."

Undaunted Be

O, Soul, what e'er betide, undaunted be!

And keep thy vision undefiled;

For God all tenderly hath called thee

To the path that thou must tread,

And he hath said: Be not afraid;

What oft appears a shape of dread,

Like that dim form upon the sea,

May be the majesty of One

Whose glory over-shadows thee!

Maud Baggarley