The free press., 1894-03-15

written during some recitation 80
years before: ''Can you tutor me an
hour in trig. tomorrow" BY the
time that Wilson had observed this
much the prayer was ended and the
president was walking down the mid
die aisle, while the seniors, in accord
ance with custom handed down from
long ago, were making prodigious
bows as he passed and falling i'll un-
tremendously behind him.
Pocketing the book Wilson returned
to his room, and, after few prelimi-
naries, began to get ready to study.
He put on his slippers and study-coat,
pulled out Latin dictionary and
opened it, and then went to the chair
on which his overcoat lay and got his
Horace. Then he put his feet on the
table and was ready for work. The
lesson assigned was the first two odes.
No one can study book, however,
until he has thumbed it over and over
and made himself familiar with it,
The first thing Wilson did, therefore,
was to glance over the pages of his
Horace and see what sort of q fellow
its former owner was On the fifth
page he saw something that attracted
his attention. Written in u mans
hand in rather small characters, as
though the writer would not have 1t
too public, and on the inner edge OF
the leaf was the name "Mary." Smil-
ing to himself, Wilson turned on.
Nothing else noteworthy appeared till
he came to what was evidently very
difficult passage on the fifty-tirst page,
for the leaf was badly worn and soiled,
and written in the same hand as before
we're the names "Mollie" and "Mame. "
"Getting more familiar, evidently,
soliloauized Wilson as he turned on.
He found no more writing, however,
except on occasional repetition OF
these names, and now and then the
meaning of word written between
the lines.
Wilson turned to the first ode and
worked steadily over the dictionary
for two hours. Then he kicked his
slippers across the room, threw the
study coat on the bed and pulling on
on his shoes and coat started for the
recitation room. The professor was
William B. Henderson, but the boys
always called him Billie behind his
back and occasionally made slip,
and called him Billy to his face. lie
was very serious, seldom known to
smile, and regular "Srlnder.
Stories were abundant about some
love affair that he had had while a
student at Yale, and of girl whom
he had been engaged to who left him
for a Weather man and trip to Eu-
rope. But stories about college pro-
fessors are common, and no one pays
mucb attention to them. No one sup
posed that Billy Henderson could
ever have thought much OF anything
except Latin.
The men were seated in the recita-
tion-room alphabetically, and Wilson
had n back seat. More than once he
found cause to be thankful that his
name began with letter at the end Oh
the alphabet. Not being called on TO
recite ON this day, he acquitted him.
self creditably.
Every time that Wilson took up his
Horace to study his eye caught siSh'
of "NIary" or "Mollie" or "Mame'
"I should like to know who this
duffer was, and whether he married.
Mary" said Wilson one day to John-
sop his roommate. johnson was
busy with a pipe and some drawing
instruments and large sheet OF paper
and did not condescend to reply ana
Wilson went on with his study.
One day, in looking over the notes
in the back of the book Wilson maze
a discovery. Down in the corner OF IL
mage in the same handwriting was
"My Mary"
"Gad!" exclaimed Wilson, ana
Johnson turned round to see wha'
was the matter. His questioning
look received no reply, and wilson
nut ON his coat and went out iof "
walk.
.I'd like to know who that 1eilow
was and what become OF Mary
thought Wilson. "What nice h''io
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