Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-08-01

intercourse, when he lay down and when
he arose up. Sitting, standing, walking,
, eating, he was the Pariah Of his whilom
, mates.
Youth is cruel in love or in hate, and
we never wavered in our declared pur-
pose. even going out of our way when oc-
casions rose not ready to our hand, to
make him feel the full weight of our ven
geance. And--Heaven help us! we
thought ourselves manly and righteous
throughout, worthy indicators of the
soiled honor of the class that had "spawn-
ed an informer'' That was our grandiose
way Of describing the offense which SMELL
ed rank in our heroic nostIils.
After one vain attempt to induce me to
listen to his story, the culprit offered no
resistance to his doom, bearing it with a
steady mien, so far and so equally remov-
ed from sullenness, or abjectness, that we
would have called him 'sgame," had we
not preferred to consider him insolent.
Thus went on two long months, in
which, although we still roomed together,
Lady Jane and had not exchanged one
word. There was superb skating that
season, and we spent most of our leisure
time upon the river. One afternoon, in
passing the "bend'' where the stream was
widest aid most crowded, heard shouts,
and saw all recoil, as one man, from the
middle of the channel.
sit is student! I saw his cap in the
water!'' I overheard some one saw.
The next second I was in the open space
left by the aghast throng, had throw my
self flat upon the ice, and leaning over the
Jagged edges of the hole, was watching
and cropping in the wateer in the frenzied
hope OF seeing or touching the vanished
man.
did both. A head arose-it was for
the third time-within reach of my grasp.
I clutched and held it until we were pulled
out together and dragged ashore. The
crowd closed around the rescued student,
and be was borne off before had seen his
features.
By the time could extricate myself
from officious friends and strangers, I
found messenger awaiting me on the
bank, with a request from the ''young
gentleman whose life had saved" He
wanted to see and thank me. He had
been taken into the nearest house, and lay
in bed wrapped in blankets. Only his face
was visible.
| Wide brown eyes, with the solemn mem
DRY of a just-escaped death shadowing
their depths, dark curls clinging to his
forehead, lips culver ing in the effort to
shape into words the gratitude he would
express to his deliverer, was the unwel-
come vision that met my sight-for eyes.
brow and mouth were Lady James.
halted upon the threshold, staring as
at wrath.
''Dick!' he cried, in amazement as great
as my own. "Dear old fellow, do I owe
my life to you2'
SIT is nothing,' I said coolly. ''They
said studentsswas drowning; did not
suspect who it was"
The boy gazed at me as 10th to credit
the evidence of his senses, his eyes filling
with a grief for which language had no
vent.
"You did not suspect who it was?" he re-
| L
was ID
He turned his head upon the pillow, his
face to the wall, which was no more blank
and cold than the visage of the man who
had been for two years to him.as brother.
fingered one awkward moment, then
left the place.
1t was Saturday afternoon, and, I was
glad I had engaged to spend the Sabbath
with friend out of town. could not
meet those haunting eyes again, for we
had, by solemn pact and covenant, sent
him to Coventry, and should be the last
of all the league to sound recall. When
I returned on Monday, Lady James trunk
from our dormitory. He had been sum-
moned home by news of his fathers sud-
den death. He never came back to our
college.
Ten years later I met "Prex," now a
somewhat garrulous old gentleman, at
Saratoga. He came to my room one night
with newspaper IN his hand.
.sDo you remember John Grey, of the
class of 1882" he began.
81 do,'' replied, briefly.
''By the way, never guessed how un-
justly the poor fellow had been treated by
you hot-headed boys until after he left col
lege," pursued the good-natured official,
crossing his legs after the manner of one
who has story to tell. s'He never gave
information against you in that stove-and-
| for
gotten it -
Forgotten It'll Nothing less likely.
Prex pressed on. "a youth of uncom-
mon ability was Grey, especially in Ian
guages. In Greek prodigy, according to
Prof. Field. By-the-by, it was Field him
seld whose lynx eyes saw you sift the pep
per and birthstone compound upon the
stove there he laughed like the scara-
mouch you were. He gave direct evil
dence to that effect before us. We sent
for Grey to thank him formally for the
consistency of his respectful and gentle
manly department towards Prof. Field, he
being in that respect a marked exception
to the rest of his class. He looked like
one receiving censure rather than praise,
while was talking. AS finished, Field
said, in his blnIt way:
"'Now, tell us who split pepper upon
the stove to day?"
"'I decline answering that question,
SIR said the lad. 'or any other that may
} eliminate my classmates
"Field smiled. Don't trouble your
self, he said, 1t was your Fidus Achates
your roommate! We have caught him
this time i