The Van Buren press., 1897-07-03

+ rushed up 10 MeRawney with an ex-
cited: What's this? What's this
+ What's this?"
The scofch-Irishman, towering up to
his fall height above his PROSTATE foes,
replied blandly: lam waiting forsome
gentleman to pick up my hat"
Now the president was a gentleman
and a genius "HeIl. well. :" he cried.
7 viii pick up your hat for you!e and
he did.
The Kenfuekian bowed very low and
the sophomores avaiIed themselves of
this interchange OF cixiIities to disap-
pear around The corner, carrying their
fallen heroes with them.
Il was just about to call upon you,
sir" said McRawney.
II shall be happy TO have you do SO,
sir" said the president; and the incl
dent was closed.
Before night every student on the
campus knew that ninety blank had a
Kentuckian who had taken Two Of the
best men in the sophomore class and
knocked their heads together like a
couple Of eabbages. Some one dubbed
him '.the anarchist" as being an enemy
Of the established order of things.
The name stuck. but ere q week was
over the freshman had elected him
president of the class. and the varsity
football captain had personally invited
him to try for the team.
His record as a football player was a
brief one. For a space of some IS min
utes one afternoon he was persuaded to
line up on the scrub, with a coach sta
toned behind him to tell him when to
hold and when to break through, since
he was utterly ignorant of the game.
The anarchist seemed to enjoy that
quarter of an hour extremely. So did
the spectators. aud so, indeed, did every
body except the varsity guard and TWO
substitutes. who, in rapid succession.
yielded to one another the honor of
trying to block him.
As the third man limped off the field,
the anarchist announced TO the captain
that It was n nice game, but he was
afraid he might hurt somebody, and
reckoned he wouldn't play any more.
No one could induce him TO put on
football suit again, and his rapidlywon
popularity suffered a temporary eclipse.
Rut il soon proved impossible, after
all, not TO grow fond of the tender
hearted giant. With all his strange ae-
cumulatious Of experience he was abso-
lutely unworldly. lie liked all the
IL. r. .1a tgt
and all the ..profs,' without the slight
est reference TO the reputation they had
Hitherto enjoyed among the undergrad
yates.
His presence in the Greek recitation
room, ii must he admitted, did not CON
tribute much to the cause of exact schol-
arfhip, hut he had not learned that 1t
was bad form to ask questions. and l
always awaited his inqueries with Curl
esity, and sometimes with fear.
II was fine to see him there, side by
side with well-groomed boys from the
preparatory schools, who were loath to
hetray any interest in the text lest they
should be thought ''grinds.' and afraid
to express any opinion about college
matters lest they might injure their
standing with this or that fraternity.
McRawney was an object-lesson in IAN
archy," and made converts every day.
1t was in connection with the examin-
atoms mt the end of the term that the
anarchist sealed his reputation, and
added something, surely, to the reputa-
ton of the college. remember the day,
the room and the moment with perfect
distinctness.
The freshman Greek paper had Ie-
ceived the undivided attention of the
class for something more than an hour.
The best men were writing steadily, but
those ranking near the "danger-line'
were beginning TO wriggle in their seats
and sharpen their pencils aimlessly, and
watch the December snowfakes swirl
/ against the little, old fashioned win
1 dow-panes. The anarchist, in partic-
ular. seemed TO be in distress. looked
up from my book once or twice, and saw
him pull his red beard through his fin
gers. and cross and recross his sprawl
ing legs, and smile pityingly at his
paper
was sorry for him, but there was
nothing to be done. Presently he
seemed TO become interested in the
Inethodical way in which high-rank
man near him was reeling off the an
swcrs, and he grew quiet-absorbed,
supposed. i'm good-natured envy. My
eyes drifted back to my book, and |
soon forgot all about him.
All of sudden the anarchist startled
me by lcaping to his feet. Nc one
had yet left the room, and every man
in the class looked up to see who was
lucky enough or reckless enough to be
the first to go. They stared on per-
ceiving that il was the anarchist, and
stared decidedly more when he turned
excitedly to me and asked: professor,
may ] call meeting of the class?"
During the middle of an examination
such request was unheard of. hest
tated.
1T will take two or three minutes
only" said MoRawney, so deferentially
that il was impossible to refuse. Inod-
ded assent. If | had had more pres
ence of mind, l should have left the
room, but in that case | should have
missed most singular and memorable
scene.
"The class Of ninety-blank will please
come to ORDER" said the Kentuckian
strengthening himself to the last inch
Of his six feet four. Every trace of I'M
gainliness slipped from him in that
instant, and he faced the roomful OF
wondering boys with the air of born
leader of men. AS soon as he had
opened his lips he forgot my presence