The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-08-21
"A FLAT"
4 College Story

Arthur Hoyat looked at himself in the
glass seriously, and without self-lovc OF
sc.f-preiudice. He saw there n frank
good natured face. a pair OF blue eyes
and mass Of curly brown hair. AS 1al
as c could Judge there was nothing par.
ticuIarly out of the way with his countc.
nance.
"Say, Dick" he began, to his room
mate, "ho was puzzling over page OF
Xenophon, Il We been taking account OF
stock, and l don't see anything unpar-
donably wrong abont MY features. They
arc not angular enough to be called sharp,
nor level enough to be justly styled flat
so 7 can exactly see the suitablcncss of
the expression which has somehow come
to be my college cognomen.'
ssDon't be atool ggrewled Dick, with.
ont looking up from his book.
~ have always been n great Sickle
for the fitness OF. things, c,crnal and tenn
poral, continued Arthur; "and if to be
"A Flat is really appli cable as a correct
description of the impression my person
al appearance makes on my companions,
all right! I'd as soon respond to that
name as any other: but il it's not mine.
then, old fellow, it's got to be stopped."
"If you'd rob hcn's-roosts, and steal
the housekeeper's preserves, and lay traps
to tr1p up old men and women, and raise
Cain generally, you'd be the most porn-
lar fcllo v ia college, said Dick, with n
distlainful grimace, still with his eyes
fixed on his book "They let me alone,
You see because don't care a hang for
en-, and because they know I'm as poor
as poverty and as dull as a hard-s she'll
clam. You get ahead Of EN- in class.
Tn aluays in the rear. You have money
to subscribe to everything there is going,
and you refuse to spend 1t in riotous liv-
ing. / havn't any money, and therefore
I'm of no consequence. Whoever says
that there isn't compensation for every
thing don't know what they are talking
about
YOU'RE a patient old soldier" said
Arthur, with a merry laugh, land I wish
| had something of your philosophy !!
But the fact is, every time I'm called "A
Flat feel the fight tingling all over
nc. l am afraid that some time my fist
will become unmanageable."
~ guess not' Dick replied you'd
only get yourself in worse muss, beside
having something to be sorry for all the
days of your life, perhaps! But there's
the bell, and I'm out of the holt-ropes
as usual
"Thcrc's 4 row in the CAMP" said Ar
thurs right-hand neighbor, as the young
men took their seats in class. Some of
the boys scared old Mrs. Allen into fits
last night, and they say it is liner
Nobody thinks she'll pull through. One
Of the fellows dressed up in white; and
rode the OLD woman's cow clear into the
kitchen. r ey Let out the pig, and stoned
the house and broke the windows, and
goodness knows what they didn't do.
There won't be any show for the boys
that cut up those capers."
"Well, there ougutn't to bc!' said Ar
thur Indignantly.
Just then the Greek Professor entered
the classroom, and, after surveying the
students moment, said with great scri-
BUSINESS:
81 am requested by the President to
say to Arthur Hoyt and Richard Dcnham
that they were to repair at once to tnc
library, Nhere the Faculty Of this college
wait to see them"
"All right, sir" responded Arthur,
pleasantly. Conscious integrity made
him bold Dick rose slowly, and walked
out in his usual dogged manner.
Say, "A Flat you'r re in for it," said
young man passed him. "You'rc turn
has come now, "A Flatn - said another.
"Mcbbc YOU won't be so high and
mighty now that you're found out at
lastr'
"What do you suppose it is!' Dick
inquired, as he came up with Arthur.
''Some contemplate trick of the boys
said Arthur; "but We shall soon know,
Brace up old fellow, for here we are.
A few words suf1iced to put the visitors
in possession of all they wanted to kno ".
After few preliminary remarks, such as
having been iod to expect better tiling9
from the young men before him, the
President produced large silk handker-
chief, with "Arthur Hoyt plainly marked
in ono corner.
"Does this belong to you, Hoyt?' the
President inquired.
at does sir" replied Arthur pleas
antly.
"And is this yours'" the gentleman
asked of Dick, presenting a crooked stick,
or cane, which the young man was ac-
customld to carry on long walks.
'That's mine sir" said Dick.
"And here is cuff with "A. Hoyt
marked on it, the President continued
torn from the wrist probably in the
pleasant excitement Of frightening an in
n1J i,,tn 7 oh oil ho
compelled to ,old your property, sirs,
until such time as the law of the college,
or the law Of the State, shall be passed
upon YOU Mrs. Allen Is not expected
to live"
II am very sorry. SIR said Arthur, re-
specttully: land am sure Dick is, too
but what sort of Justice is this that takes
our guilt SO entirely for grantedl Your
evidence is mercy circumstantiai, sir
| and I wish to say here that | was never
on Mrs. Aliens premises in my lite, and
| am quite sure Denham never was"
81 never was.' said Dick, with charac
| teristic doggedness, and / never expecr
| to be-
'sWhat would you say, Hoyt, if l were
to tell YOU that one of the Professor
saw you there last night2' inquired tn,
| President.
81 should say, sir" Arthur responded
quickly, 'that the Professor was great,
mistaken; but if you were to tell me tina
one Of the students saw me there. shoulc
say that stud. Mt lied. ----
There was straightforwardness in tn
attitude of these suspected young me-
that was irresistible; still everything wa