Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-08-10
high JORDAN. "

HIGH JORDAN"
He was SIX feet two, and as clumsy
rs he was tail lie would come into
r citations and lectures, take his seat
without word or sign Of recognition
to aay one, fall at work upon hi notes
in perfect .io c., and tllel shamblo out
again. At first an amused smile went
around the class VIII, never he entered
the room. but tho stu lcnts soon got
used to his odd ways and he came and
went without remarks.
Ills namo was Hiram jordan. High
Jordan, big good-naturcd J)e Stanley
eahe him one day, with laugh, and
he nickname stuc like lurr, as nick
,amas will.
No one seemed to know anything
lbout him. lie was poor, that was cvi-
lent enough, for his ill-ftting clothes
we're of the cheapest material. lie as
,ociatcd with none OF the boys, and sell
iom appeared on the campus.
There happened that year to bo un-
usual interest il The class races. The
crews were very evenly matched, and it
was hard to say which of them stood
he better cha e. OF winning.
Its dollars aad ponui-s which como'
N first" gloomily sail Joe Stanley,
captain of our crew "lf | only had a
good seven l think | could mako it,
,,,t fbcro .I4.s.~ 80 -...-...s -
he class fitted for the position" and,
;ry our best, we co I'D find no better
nan than Charley Harvey, who was
good fellow, certainly, but not a ''good
even"
Onl afternoon, az the members Of
his crew were lying around on tho
Loaf, just before their usual daily pull.
lligh Jordan came up and asked for
stanley. Joe was in the boat-house fix
ng his strctcher, aud Jordan was told
0 walk in. The two men did not come
nut for some time, and when they di
iually appear, every one was surprised
hear Jo2 say:
"B 'ys, Jordan has rowed good deal,
nd wants to tIy Seven, ard | am
;oiug to give him a chance to pull there
oday."
Poor Charley Halveys face showed
lis disappointment. Ho had been
working very hard to keep his place in
he boat, aud now he was to be crowded
nut, aud of all men by High Jordan !
"Shan' row today2" he asked, ua-
lble to conceal hi, chagrin.
81 don't see how we can work it,
Charley " answered Joe, kindly
Hadn't you just as lief rest todayl'
Harvey watched the boat az she slid
# the flat. His eyes wero on one mar,
he new number seven. At the word,
he men leaned forward, their oars
struck the water ltaueously, and
The she'll shot lightly ahead. The time
Vas perfect.
"Its all up with mer murmurel
Charley. "Thal's the man we have
bccn looking for. aud he turned and
went # to his room.
Every man in the boat sympathzed
strongly with Charley Harvey. High
Jordan's popularity was not increased
oy his sudden cutting out of the hard
est worker and one of the mo, popular
nen of the class, and no little grumb-
ing was heard from the crew, though
hey must have seen at oace that Jordan
was the better man of the two.
dts a beastly shame to put Charley
Mt, | know" said Joe Stanley, who
'ould not help noticing tho prevalent
fcellng. 81 would like to see him il
he boat as well as any of you. You
know tLat, for ther. is no man in col
eso like bsttcr. know jordan does
rot belong to our set, and is what you
rall mutf but he is a COOL fellow, for
II that, and the best oar in the boat
and as captain of tho crew, l am bound
10 keep tho best man."
The weeks slipped by, aud confidence
IN ocr or " stca lily Increased The
ace was now only three weeks Fl. and
The names of the crew w,r3 officially
announced in order ia the IN n might
be initiated into the III. K y the class
iooI-ty.
This society, althou h ono remained
an active member of it for only one
year, was the controlling fact in the
iocial life of the class. The first mem
bers were elected 10y those who had
formed the society in the preceding
class, and the new members elected
theirs of tn ir own class. But
'crewman" was understood to be en-
titled to membership in the III. X. :
lmost as matter of right. To ic
,ure, it required only one black ball to
tcject a candidate, but no one had ever
known a member of the crew to b
voted against,