We started to Institute the first day of June. It was in Osage City. Marion Oliver, Gertrude, Lottie and I rented two rooms in the second story of Dr Heller’s home. One, a great big room with a bed and a sanitary couch, bureau, table , etc. in it -- our parlor and bedroom. Then we had a cubby hole with an oil stove and table which served as a kitchen and another one that was a closet. Then we had the use of the bathroom too. Tommy, Oscar and Kenneth were next door. Zella had to go to Topeka. There were two girls down stairs from Lyndon, Ella Fleming and Ruth Potts. And two up in the attic, Laura and Eula Detrick. The Instructors at Institute were Mr. Deardorff, Mr. Heilmann, Mr Kratochril, Mr. Walter, Miss Schoecraft and Miss Hunsicker. I had classes under all except the first and the last. I don’t think I recited more than once all during Institute but it didn’t bother me much. Lottie and Marion got breakfast because they didn’t have to be there the first period. Marion and I got dinner and we all got supper or we let Marion do it. She really did most of the work. Institute hours were from 7am to 12:30. After dinner we would plan what we would have for the next three meals. Then in the afternoons we would shop, study, or visit with our neighbors down on the porch or in the yard, or we would go to town and always trying to keep cool -- my, but was it hot!
Dates? O yes! A great plenty -- thank you! The first two weeks I went with Oscar and Lottie went with Tommy and the other two girls stayed home and -- well -- and played mean tricks on us. I have been retrospecting and I find that I only went with Oscar that first week. One night, the four of us, Lottie, Tommy, Oscar and I took something to eat and walked ‘til we found some woods, but they were so damp we really ate in a stubble field nearby. But we had a gay time. Then I went with him to a lecture, and the rest of the time I suppose we spent down in the yard. You see there was one hammock and a bench in the yard, a bench and a porch swing on the porch. There was usually a mad scramble for the hammock. Oscar was really still going with Leone H at the time and she came down one night and stayed all night with us, about the beginning of the second week, and after that I didn’t go with Oscar and he started going with Bernice Nelson. A little fellow, the sportiest dresser and looker in Institute had been coming down to see Eula about every night. His name? O yea, it was Clifford Mickel, or Prof. C.G. Mickel. One night, I was standing on the porch, I guess I didn’t have a date that night and he and Eula were in possession of the bench in the yard and I heard him ask her where I boarded and she told him it was I, standing there on the porch, and she came and introduced us. Now I don’t remember the exact dates of many incidents I’ll tell but that matters little. One day, the last of the first week or the first of the second, Mr. Mickel and I “sat out” a class. We went into the Assembly room and talked. Then one afternoon about the same time, Lottie and I met him as we were coming from town and he was coming from our house from seeing Eula. He took us back to town and treated us and then came home with us. I think it was that same night that he was down to see Eula, Lottie and I have dates with Cozier and Fred D. respectively and Mickel made me understand some way, by what means I have forgotten, to get rid of my company and he would go and then come back and visit with me. Well, it didn’t work, for I didn’t get rid of Fred, and in truth I didn’t try very hard. But it was a rare joke -- because he came back and if I remember right, Eula was still in the porch swing and I don’t know what excuse he made to her. Well, to be plain about the matter, I lost my heart, or thought I did, to Mickel. Then Wednesday afternoon of the second week (June 10th), Mickel was down, in fact there was a crowd of us out in the yard studying -- Botany, I think. It seemed that Eula’s beau was coming to see her that night so Mickel couldn’t come to see her, and I guess he had asked Bernice Nelson for a date and she had one. So he asked me if he could come down to see me. I hated to be third choice but I said he could come. When he would come down with his white trousers on, looking so sporty, to see Eula, also a swell dresser and a pretty girl, I thought how nice it would be to have such a perfect gentleman to talk to, but I was disappointed! I’ll come to that presently -- however. By and by he called up and wanted to know if I wanted to go on a picnic on the lake with the “Carey” bunch. I didn’t care much about it, but we decided to go. Well, we had a boat ride, and something to eat, and by the way, the most beautiful sunset! But the bunch was sorta cool to us, so we decided to go home. We met Mrs. Karey and she asked Mickel why he didn’t take one of her girls. Ha! Well, he told me nearly his whole history on our way home, and when we got there -- wonder of wonders! -- the hammock wasn’t occupied, but it soon was. Then the kids began to come. Everyone had a date that night, including Ruby Mings and Marguerite Simpson. They stayed all night with us that night. Well, I was disappointed in Mickel and he was the same with me and when he went home we were greatly disgusted with each other and our selves. I’ll finish telling about Mickel and me first. No, I won’t now either, I don’t feel so inclined.
Well, I think the next date I had with Mickel was the next Sunday night. He went to Soldier, his home, and planned to come back at noon and stay with me until the motor. But he called me up from Soldier and said he couldn’t possibly get here before motor. But he got off here when the train stopped and helped me on. I introduced him to Bernice. We got along somewhat better that night. I remember that it rained and we had to seek shelter on the porch. He had a girl -- a “regular one” -- out in Stockton and he didn’t think it was right to “spoon” with everyone. Well, I didn’t either, but I thought I loved him. Poor foolish child that I was! He even doubted the propriety of demonstrations of affections before engagement, but they weren’t engaged. Well, that week, Thurs noon, I think Bernice came down to visit with me. That night we had a gay time. As usual there was a crowd of boys and girls out front. Marion danced and sang and Lottie took up a collection among the boys. I think they got about eleven pennies. Then the boys said if we girls would all walk down to the drug store single file in the middle of the pavement they would treat us. It was only two blocks but one was right thru a block of Main Street. Well, we started out, I think there were nine of us, but Eula decided she was too dignified for such actions, so she took to the sidewalk. Lottie followed, as Oscar kinda wanted to go with Eula about that time. Finally we all followed, but we went to the drugstore and the boys followed. There weren’t nine boys at first, but several came straggling in afterward one by one, Mickel among them. And really, he came and sat by me! Well, it was a decidedly hilarious bunch. They clapped at everyone who came in, regardless of sex, age, or looks. Then the rest of the bunch went to the show. Mickel, Bernice and I went home. Bernice was rather peeved at first, but she recovered. Mickel gave me his ring to wear that night and Winifred was quite happy and he said that I was a proposition -- ah! The next night he went to Lyndon to his cousin’s wedding. Fred D happened to be hanging around me that afternoon as our bunch was planning to go to the lake. So about six o’ Fred and I walked down to the depot and we saw Mickel coming. He came over to us and seemed quite flurried and said, “I don’t know whether I’ll be back tonight or not.” We all went out to the lake, had several nice boat rides, and I remember Roberts singing ”Sit down, You’re Rocking the Boat” and something to eat, and then Fred was kind enough to come back early with me, for I had a curiosity to know if Mickel came back and he didn’t come. Bernice got disgusted about something and came home all by herself and we three went to the movies. I don’t think I had any more dates with Mickel after that. He started going with Bernice Nelson. Oscar was going with Eula, and I was left out. That last week I played the role of a disappointed lover and rather enjoyed my affliction, I’ll confess. Oh, he sat with me in several classes, we “sat out” another period in the upstairs study room and he came down often in the afternoons to study, but no more dates! The last night we were there, Fri of the fourth week, there was a musical given by the Institute. In the afternoon they had a picnic in the park and I remember one incident in particular. Mr Heilmann said that Mickel seemed to like to try all the girls. Mickel’s cousins (girls) came through Osage that day in their car and he went to Topeka with them. Miss Schoecraft and Glenn Gill were quite worried for fear he wouldn’t be back in time to sing in the quartet and Glenn asked me about it, thinking I probably had a date with him. But I was ignorant, quite! Kelley and Lottie had dates that night with Ms Daniels and a fellow from Lyndon. Marion and I went together The former sat with Jennie Scott and I sat with Bernice Nelson. That night is very vivid in my memory. It was fearfully hot in that assembly room. It is on the north east and the bugs flew in quite thickly. Bernice was oh-so nice to me and well she might be after stealing my man. I finally decided from what she said that she had a date with Mickel for that night but he had sent word to her that he couldn’t be there until later. Finally he came looking quite sporty in his white trousers. I can see him quite plainly as he turned around several times and looked at us two sitting there together and I remember his solo part of the quartet, “Who Did?” There was a boy, man, or creature here by the name of Jesse Jones. Marion nicknamed him Uriah Heep and we always called him “Uriah”. He made such a fierce face when he sang as though he were in great pain. Marion told him not to look so pained so this night when he went off stage he smiled so broadly at Marion that she about laughed too much. Marion and I went to the drugstore after it and Mickel, Jennie and Bernice had the nerve to follow us and to sit at the same table with us. Many and expressive were the looks Mickel and I gave each other. He asked if any of us had a fountain pen we could lend him, he had lost his. I said he could have mine, and he and the girls came down for it and I guess I showed my feelings pretty plainly -- foolish, of course, but I never see my indiscretion until too late. The next afternoon he came down to give me my pen, to tell me some of the questions, and to get his ring (an awful loss for me!). Then he went up to the depot with us and I remember of wondering at the time if he would come down a little later with Eula, and then the next day with Bernice. Now I believe I have exhausted the subject of Mickel and me at Institute and I’ll tell something else.
Other dates! Well, a few with Fred D, one with Max Hoover, one with Glenn Gill, and it seems like I had one with Willie G. They had ball games quite frequently and we girls went whenever the Institute team played and other teams too. My little Mr. Mickel was catcher on the Ins. team and cute he looked too! Some of the tricks Marion’s fertile mind conceived: towards the first when Lottie and I were out later than they, the girls sewed up our nightgowns around the bottom and sewed up the sleeves -- a lot of trouble! I came up first and didn’t turn on the light (the street lamp was sufficient) and when I discovered it I went to the bathroom and ripped it and came back into bed without a word. When Lottie came, I told her and she did the same and we laughed in whispers and never mentioned it. Another time, they put our gowns in the pillow slips, but we couldn’t find them -- so! Later when Kelley was going with Willie and Lottie with Tommy, Marion and I went early to bed. By and by, the kids came running in to escape the thunderstorm and others with them -- Eula and Oscar, and I think Ruth had a date that night. They stayed in the hall and on the stairs and Mrs. Heller played the Graphophone. Our bedroom is right at the top of the landing. There is a turn in the stairs and so Marion and I went out on the landing, danced to the music, and peeked down to see who they all were. They heard us, I guess and Tom started to come upstairs and we sure hastened to safety. He stayed at the turning of the landing and so all Marion did was to throw a pair of Gertrude’s stockings at him she had just bought. I think he kept one of them for about a week.
A couple of houses west of us lived the dearest little girl, about nine or ten. She had dark hair that was bobbed, and was rather small and very pretty -- Florence Webb. She would go past on her bicycle, especially in the evening when it was cooler, singing with the sweetest little voice and waving at us, if any of use were near the window. She came down often and visited with us, when we were out in the yard. In fact, she spent most of her time with us, but I, for one, liked to have her. She has sat with me many times in the hammock or on the bench and she was the first little one I ever felt much of a love for, and at times I loved her even passionately. Strange perhaps, but true. She called Oscar “Cutey”. She had a crippled sister, about fourteen, that played the piano and her name was Frances. I think the mother was crippled too, but not so badly. Bernice Nelson needs a little explaining -- but not today!
Oh, yes. Bernice Nelson! Well, she is a pretty girl with dark hair, a very pretty mouth and teeth, and a dark complexion with pink cheeks. She has a slender form and is a little taller than I. She stayed all night with us girls one night and came up one afternoon that I remember very well. She wanted to go over and see the boys (Oscar, I mean) and this weak-willed child yielded. I rather hung back for I didn’t know whether the boys would be in a condition to receive visitors or not, but up she went and she certainly acted a fool. Oscar has told me since that he sure thought that was a peculiar thing to do and he said he noticed my embarrassment. One thing about her, she understood Mickel pretty well and he made no fool of her. I got one card from her after Institute. She went with Fat Brackman some last winter, but he didn’t exactly like her foolish ways. It’s too bad, she is so pretty!
When my Normal grades came Mama called me up and told me what they were. In fact we were all talking to our mothers about that time. Mine were: 83 in U.S. History, 87 in Reading, 88 in Methods, 89 in Management, 94 in Geography, 96 in Arithmetic and 98 in Grammar. Kelley and I called Mr Heilmann up and told him our grades. We all passed but Beulah.
Lee Kelley brought Inez down one evening on his motorcycle for supper. That reminds me I had a short ride on Fred’s motorcycle one evening. Zel was down and stayed all night with us oce, but I don’t remember what we did that night.
Everyone called Marion O “Ma” (Mickel does yet) and naturally we spoke of Miner as “Dad”, so we three kids wrote a letter to “Darling Dad” one day and he sent back a dandy cartoon of himself, old Farmer Corntassel Mr. Deardorff was awfully good to me, he went out to a school board (during Institute) and tried to get them to hire me, but there was nothing doing. He talked to Keller and me one day in the study room all one period and his subject of conversation was “That Boy of Mine.” He and his mother were to visit once and he was a pretty fellow!
Another person that was always in the study room with us was Lloyd Sharp. He sure was a big one -- physically at least. I had a short talk with Tommy one day. He showed me a letter he got from Ruby Mings and there were shocking things in it. I think that Ruby believes I broke him and her up. I hope I did, although it wasn’t intentional. Tommy is too good a boy to be spoiled by Ruby or any other girl like her. She has her match now -- Eugene Sellards. It’s a wonder to me how they can keep out of serious trouble. The next subject is Stahl’s picnic, but later.
I went down to Burlingame at noon and went to Miss Palmer’s and ate dinner with them. The Camp Fire Kids all went in a carry all. Marshall Randel and Walter Palmer too. I saw a few of Zel’s Auburn pupils. Also, Bernice and Dale. About supper time we had a great shower that spoiled the supper program. Henry Allen spoke in the afternoon. We ate our suppers and then soon started home and another storm came up. We certainly did get soaked, but we wouldn’t worry about such a wee thing! I stayed at Miss Palmer’s till time for #17. I got about two hours sleep too Then when Mr. Palmer came along in the bus, I went. Mr. Allen and I were the only ones in it and at the depot too. In our conversation I got onto another dangerous subject. That is a weakness of mine, and the results were worse than I would like to have them. Marion, Lottie and Kelley met me at Osage, at least they were across the street. They didn’t stop to dress, just shoes, a skirt and a coat! Ha! Marion did put some stockings on but she kept pulling them up so she finally took them off. I didn’t get to sleep for some time after I got to bed that night. My brain kept going and I was filled with all kinds of feelings. I know just how I felt as I lay there looking out the window at the heavy clouds in the sky that were moving so fast, and every now and then I could see the moon for a minute.
The next is my correspondence during Institute:
The next day I wrote him a letter -- foolish probably? Joe wrote me a letter the first week I was at Institute and I went with him still some times, but after Ins. was out, I wrote him a letter. I discontinued our partnership and in just a little while they got a car. Think of it! The second week, I got one from Lura and one from Harold, also one from Karl B. I wrote one to Mrs. Charlton and one to Happy M. which was never answered. I presume I wrote to Lura and Harold the first week and answered the ones I got from them. They were going together at the time and Harold said it was the first time he was really smitten. I got a letter from Mary the third week (I wrote to her the first), also one from Lura and one from Margaret H. Lura fessed up to loving Howard yet and I guess it lasted most of the summer. He went out to see her a number of times and made Mina feel bad and he just owned up to Mina about it in the Hall sometime and then stopped going out to see Lura. Now I believe I have told all the Institute incidences I remember.
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