Wichita eagle., 1888-09-30
A TRYING ORDEAL.
HOW A COLLEGE STUDENT SUPPED
WITH THE PRESIDENT.

The Boys Rob the Henroost OF One OF
the Faculty-A Nice Young Man Caught
in a Trap-Before the Faculty-The Be
fnement of Torture.
| In the early years Of this century, when
| log houses were good enough for the average
! Georgian, q certain doctor presided over
| Franklin college
| The simple habits of their dignified sires
did not prevent the boys of those days from
having their fun-indeed, they carried on an
amount of devilment which the college boys
| of these times would consider respectable.
The boys thought that anything was fair
which would make one of the faculty the vic
tim of joke, and on one occasion they laid
q dark plot to rob the doctors poultry yard
and afterward celebrate the event by mid
night banquet.
The doctors chickens were the pride Of his
domestic establishment, and he had built for
their accommodation log house. The logs
were ''notched down" at the corners and held
in place by their own weight and the roof
AT late hour the boys repaired to the hen
house, armed with fence rail It was an
cS1oy UldJttI W ulSSIt ttic ldil Uct"ccA tWc
logs and prize up those above, so as to make
an opening through which a man could crawl
A dapper young fellow, who had visited the
doctors daughters, went in and began to pull
the chickens off the roost and wiring their
necks. While he did so the boys outside kept
their weight on the rail, and so kept the
crack open for his escape. The nice young
man, whom we will call Bob, had dropped
-: -. il L.
whole crowd was in high glee over tho pros
pective banquet.
DANGER AT HAND
Just then big, old rooster crowed
"Look out Bob; break that ROSTERS neck
end stop his noise"
Ssh! What's that's"
There was low growl.
"Boys, you have let these logs down too
low; lift them a little so can get out Be
quick about il"
At that instant there was loud bark and
a big dog bounded into the poultry yard.
The boys on the outside for an instant stood
their ground. They dropped the rail and
they grabbed chance weapons to beat off the
dog, but before they could disable him the
door of the doctors residence opened and his
tall figure appeared The boys scattered, all
but one
The logs had come together again and
Bob was prisoner. He crouched in cor
ner and held his breath, hoping that he would
be overlooked, but the dog told where he was.
By this time the doctor had come up and
other members of the family came out, eager
to see who was caught in the man trap.
"Why, it's Bob"
"Who would have thought it," The ex-
carnations were heard in the house and
echoed by the young ladies' Then the door
of the log house was opened and the young
man was sent to the dormitory. He was
called before the faculty the next morning.
The poor fellow would have sold himself for
song, and expected to be peremptorily ex-
PEELED and perhaps prosecuted.
THE DOCTORS CONCLUSIONS.
Meantime the doctor had thought the mat
ter over. He was man of great sagacity in
the management of boys, and he recognized
this freak as piece of wild mischief which
might not be meanness. He resolved to give
the matter such disposition as would put a
sober head on the young man. Accordingly,
when Bob appeared, looking like criminal,
the doctor lectured him severely, but in a
fatherly way, and told him that such an
OlleuSe uluSt uOt go WITHOUT Il severe putuSQ-
ment.
Bob expected the sentence of his expulsion.
With measured tones, like judge pronounc-
ing the death sentence, the doctor said:
''Mr. -, will expect you to take supper
with me tonight, and, as you show fond
ness for chicken, the fowls you took off the
roost last night will be on the table"
Bob would rather have been expelled. But
for the distress it would cause his parents he
would have gone home. In spite of his larks
there was good stuff in Bob, and with ire
mendous effort he resolved to face the music
1t is impossible to describe the mental az
ony Bob went through that evening VIXEN be
sat at the table where the doctor presided
with courtly dignity.
His elegant wife could not have been more
courteous to an honored guest than she was
to Bob, and her daughters treated the young
man as cordially as ever. Not word was
said about the affair Of the night before but
the la q dish of chickens was like mount
ain in the poor boys eyes 1t was the refine
ment Of torture when the doctor, with the
utmost suavity, helped him to the choicest
pieces.
The situation, which, under ordinary cir
cumstances, would have been ludicrous,
under the doctors composure and his wife's
tact was carried almost to the pathetic.
1t was a lesson written on Bob's memory in
burning letters, and he never forgot it.-At-
lanta Journal