The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-10-14
A College "Reminiscences.
By CARL.

This evening. as / was seated on the
verandn. with my feet elevated upon
the railing and leaning back in an arm
chair, istlessly watching the passers-by
on the street, one of them attracted my
attention and caused my thoughts to
drift back down the long corridors of
time, and bring up wildly to mind
scenes and faces long buried in the past
He was only boy, this individual
who had thus suddenly stirred up old
memories, and casual observer would
have noticed nothing peculiar about him
except that he was dressed in a suit of
cadet gray, heavily bespangled with gilt
tering buttons, and wore upon his head
q cap of the same color-the uniform of
some military college. But as he turned
his head for moment toward me / saw
the letters "a. @. c." on his cap, sur
rounded by q glittering wreath. In an
instant knew that he was cadet of the
University Of -.
Some of my readers may remember
that in the. catalogue of that university
for the year of 1S- the name of Leslie
Barton appears as q student, and oppo-
site the name there was blank where
the residence of the cadet should have
been. As 1 have the time at my disposal,
/ will crafty the morbid curiosity that
any may have upon the subject.
1t was at the age of 18 that I entered
the university, and it was upon the day
Of my arrival that first met Leslie Bar
ton. was standing near the entrance
Of the college, watching the groups of
cadets out upon the parade ground, and,
being unacquainted with any one, I was
feeling decidedly homesick and lone
some.
I had been standing there some time,
trying to devise some plan of getting
acquainted with the boys, when my at
tention wns directed to youth who was
standing few yards from me, leaning
against the corner of the building. My
attention was called to him by an excla-
nation which he had, seemingly, un-
consciously let fall from his lips, and as
i turned toward him heard him mutter:
"Yes, it is he. 1t is impossible for
me to be mistaken In that face"
And as followed the direction of his
eyes L saw that he was intentlv watching
cadet who was approaching the college
from the direction of the entrance to the
grounds. As he came nearer saw that,
though rather small of stature, he was a
man of at least 25 years Of age. Had it
not been for his smoothly-shaven face
and the badge cf the Clantonian Society
which he wore upon his breast, / should
have supposed him one of the professors.
As he passed looked into his face and
met a pair of as wicked, devilish eyes as
it is possible to conceive of. 1t had al
ways been customary with me to read q
persons character by the eyes, and had
found that during my brief experience
had seldom been mistaken in my esti.
mate and MS this man passed into the
building decided that he was one cadet
whom L did not care to become intimately
acquainted with.
As / turned from watching him,
found that the boy had first noticed
had moved up quite close to me, and
seeing that / was observing him, ht
raised his cap from the cluster OF crisp
black curls that covered his head, anG
asked, in voice that struck me as being
uncommonly low and soft
"Do you know the gentleman that ha,
Just passed?'
"No," j. replied, 81 am strange
here this'is my first day. and 1 am no
acquainted with any one"
Then we two should become ac
quaintcd by all means, for we are in tn
same fix. My name is Leslie Barton,
he said, holding out his hand, which,
noticed, was white, soft and shapely.
"And mine is Carl -" said, as
took the proffered hand.
just then the cadet had before oh
served entering the college came OF
and brushed against Leslie Barker
passing. Such look of mingled hat
and disgust as came over his face hop
never again TO see on human count.
nance. / saw his small white hand
cliuch till the nails were buried in th
flesh. He stepped back as suddenly q
though some loathsome reptile ha
touched him, and heard him mute
between his clenched teeth: