The Delta independent., 1896-04-01


liberal contributor to the cause Of edu-
cation that there is in Canada He
says education made him, and he's not
man to go back on education. And
yet Scragmore has the check to say that
you were the only man in the class who
reflects credit on it,
The professor smiled quietly, as the
excited journalist took a cooling sip of
the cobbler.
you see, Yates, peoples opinions
differ. A man like Brown may not be
Principal Scragmore's ideal. The prin-
cipal may be local in his ideals of sue
cessful man or of one who reflects credit
on his teaching"
Local? You bet he's local. Too
darned local for me. 1t would do that
man good to live in New York for n
year. But I'm going to get even with
him. I'm going to write him up. I'll
give him a column and a half, see il l
don't. I'll get his photograph and pub
lish q newspaper portrait of him. If
that doesn't make him quake he's a
cast-iron man. Say, you haven't pho
tograph of old Scrag that you can lend
me, have you?"
II have, but won't lend it for such
n purpose. However, never mind the
principal. Tell me your plans. l am
at your disposal for n couple Of weeks,
or longer if necessary"
"Good boy! Well, I'll tell you how it
is l want rest and quiet and the
woods for n week or two. This is how
it happened: have been steadily at
the grindstone, except for awhile in
the hospital, and that, you will admit,
is not much of vacation. The work
interests me, and / am always in the
thick of it. Now, it's like this in the
newspaper business: Your chief is
never the person to suggest that you
take n vacation. He Is usually short
of men and long on things to do, so IL
you don't worry him into letting you
off he won't lose any sleep over it.
He's content to let well enough alone
every time. Then there is always some
body who wants to get away on press
ing ess-grandmother's funeral
and that sort of thing-so il fellow
is content to work right along his chief
is quite content to let him. That's the
way affairs have gone for years with
me. The other week I went over to
Washington to interview n senator on
the political prospects. I tell you what
it is, Silly, without Dragging, there
are some big men in the states whom
no one but me can interview. And yet
old Scrag says I'm no credit to his
class! Why, last year my political pre-
dictions were telegraphed ell over this
country, and have since appeared in
the European press. No credit! by
Jove, / would like to have old Scrag in
twenty-four-foot ring with thin
gloves on for about ten minutes!'
81 doubt If he would shine under
those circumstances. But never mind
him. He spoke, for once, without due
reflection, and with perhaps an exag-
geratcd remembrance OF your school
day offenscs. What happened when
You went to Washington?"
"a strange thing happened. When
was admitted to the senator's library
saw another fellow, whom thought I
knew, sitting there. I said to the sem
ator: 4 will come when you are alone
The senator looked up in surprise, and
said: 4 am alone I didn't say any
thing. but went on with my interview,
and the other fellow took notes all the
time. didn't like this, but said moth
ing. for the senator is not n man TO
fellows that I can get the information
! do. Well, the other fellow came out
with me, and as looked at him I saw
that he was myself This did not
strike me as strange at the time, but !
argued with him all the way 10 New
York and tried to show him that he
wasn't treating me fairly. wrote up
the interview with the other fellow in
terfe-ing all the while, so I compro-
missed and half the time put in what he
suggested and half the time what I
wanted in myself. When the political
editor went over the stuff he looked
alarmed. / told him frankly just how
l had been interfered with, and he
looked none the less alarmed when
had finished. He sent mt once for n
doctor. The doctor metaphorically
took me apart, and then said to my
chief: This man is simply worked to
death. He must have n vacation, and
a real one, with absolutely nothing TO
think of, or he is going to go to pieces.
and that with q suddenness that will
surprise everybody The chief, TO my
astonishmcnt, consented without n
murmur. and even upbraided me for
not going away sooner. Then the doc
tor said to me: You get some com
panion-somc man with no brains. If
possible, who will not discuss politics,
who has no opinion on anything that
any zane man would care to talk about.
and who couldn't say a bright thing IL
he tried for n year. Get such q man to
go off to the woods somewhere. Up in
Maine or in Canada. As far away from