The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-08-08

though buSily engaged, he could not fail
to overhear the sparkling sallies in which
4 Knyvett INDUCED during Crawford's
viva" This, he thought, was not giving
a man fair run for his money. Accord
ingly, when Knyvett came to his rooms
about 4 with the marks of the men,
Blades could not help saying:
II see you've marked Crawford very
low. I'm sure your marking is quite cor
/ rect, but l happen to know that he has
been lately very industrious, and that he
is a dull, slow fellow, who ought to have
time to think things over. Besides, he
is likely to do the college credit, and 1
/ shouldn't like to have him go elsewhere.
Could you give him another chance? Put
him on in his plays again-eh--any time
before 10 this evening will do
"Oh. certainly, II you wish" said Kny
vett, SHARPLY. II should imagine he is.
as you say, very dull young man,
though doubtless able to wag an oar with
ardor I'm afraid however, l didn't take
that latter fact into consideration. 1
can't re-examine him now, for l am en-
gagged this afternoon; but If you will COM
municate with him / will see him in my
rooms at 10 this evening. l am dining
with a lot of people at the Stafford hotel;
but I'll come away early"
Knyvett turned away abruptly. The
dinner party in question consisted OF
some American acquaintance whom he
had picked up, and to whom he was doing
the honors of Oxford, and it certainly
was extremely annoying that he should
have to leave them. Had Crawford seen
Knyvett compress his thin lips he would
not have set much store on his temporary
reprieve.
This, however, he happily did not see,
and when the porter brought him a mes
sage to his hotel that Mr.. Knyvett would
see him at his rooms at 10 that evening
for a further viva voce in his books. he
rushed to Lymans rooms in a state of
the widest hope.
His friend at once inferred that Blades
had simply given Knyvett to understand
that Crawford was not to be ploughed,
and the second examination was a mere
form to keep up appearances.
Elated and happy, the two friends put
off fiannels and had a game of racquettes
at the Holywell courts.
At the party of old Radfedians sal
down to a cold supper far more lux
urious collation. than those unacquainted
with the resources of a college kitchen
might imagine, especially when the host
supplements the college beer and wine
with a bowl of iced Moselle cup from a
neighboring pastry cooks This is, on
the face of 1t. an innocuous beverage;
compounded, however, by a university
confectioner, with plenty Of curacao in ii
to tickle the raw palate of the undergrad
uate, ii is good deal more insdious than
the partaker is aware OF. Moreover, to
fully appreciate its merits il should be
artfully contrasted with other drinks of
simple character In this particular
duty Crawford was not remiss. Raven
ously hungry with his hard days work,
ne pitched into the cold salmon, the pig
con pie, and the beef with hearty zest.
The evening was warm; the iced Moselle
cup a revelation; there is no better beer
in Oxford than in st. Boniface. Chats
over old times and olu friends necessitat-
ed the drinking of their healths; and.
when Great Tom doomed in the distance
and the scout came to clear away, the
bowl was empty and the decanters run
ming low. Apart, however, from feeling
of elation, and happy disregard for the
future, Crawford experienced no imme
date result from his hnwonted pota-
tons. And so they all sat round the Oriel
window passing the bottle in the gather
ing darkness. Suddenly, the college clock
struck 10. Crawford remembered his APP
pointment with the examiner. got up. and
with a slightly unsteady gait, walked out
into the quad, having promised Lyman
to come back and tell the result of the in
terview. Then, as certain novelists say,
"a strange thing happened" The mo-
ment he went out into the night air he
felt the quadrangle whz round him. and
his legs rocked violently. With a CHASTITY
thrill of horror he realized the truth. He
was drunk! He had no alternative but to
face the situation
So he stood In the center of the quad
as II whirled around; waited until Kny
Vetts staircase came opposite: made a
dash for it and eventually got to the
door. at which he knocked and entered.
There was a table on which stood sew
eral lighted candles. which danced madly
before his affrighted gaze, besides them
were the three text books. on the hearth
rug stood Knyvett. who in Crawfords
eyes. seemed gently swayed to and fro.
A voice which sounded strangely muf-
fled requested him to sit down and open
the book al a certain passage.
He obeyed. With violent mental ef
fort he began. Again and again he tried
TO concentrate his faculties. But in vain.
The face of his examiner seemed blurred
and distant. The room swan round him;
the words of his prosecutor seemed to
his dun hearing as inconsequent as he
was conscious his own were. and after
having unsuccessfully tried to translate
several passages he could stand It no
longer. and crying out. "Oh heavens,
what a beastly and degrading thing It
is for man to get drunk" he lurched
out of the room, made his way as best
he could to his hotel and flung himself
on the bed. and was soon in a drunken
slumber. When he awoke it was bright
summer morning. Bells were changing
all round, and by his side, distracted with
grief stood Lyman. He had noticed his
lIlenu unsteady gait on ledNluB the
room, and that. together with the fact
that Crawford had not returned to tell
his fate. had filed him with apprehension
and remorse
Just as Crawford, now realizing the
whole horror of the situation. was tell
ing Lyman his awful experiences the
under porter of the st. Boniface knocked
at the door and said that Mr.. Knyvett
requested to see Mr. Crawford in half an
hour.
You must go. Jack. at any cost: let