The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-07-24

and futile to try to preyentitb b. wetch.
ing.
As the eyes Of the freshman met
mine, I was conscious of a tug Of fell
~low-feeling for McRawney; he and II
thought alike about cheating, it
seemed, and he stood there apparently
so solitary. while The furtiFe Kisses ran
round the room. Yet never was there
a man IN less need OF sympathy.
~Im sorry to hear you hiss, boys
he went on, coolly, but you win prob
nbly have u to hiss a good deal
louder before sit down. I'm going to
do something that most OF you, I reck-
on, won't like at all, and I'll tell you
why I am going to do it. ! pass by
my personal feelings ia This matter,
though / do say this; When a man
has studied Greek hard all this term,
as I have, and can't pass, and then.
sees another man get through by
cheating, it's rough 1t isn't a fair
shake; but Iwaive that point.
''The more important matfer," he
spoke very gravely, lis that we have
been disgraced as o class BY the act
of a dishonest classmate. Down where
I used to live, how long do you suppose
a man like that could stay in school
among gentlemen Not one day-no.
sir! - not over night The boys
wouldn't stand It down there. and |
don't propose to stand IL here. The
man that / saw cheat must apologize
to the class!"
The anarchist paused. There were
no Kisses. One could have heard the
snow hecking against the window
panes, so still was the great room. Nos
body knew who it was that McRawney
had caught. There were perhaps a
dozen men in pitiable fear that they
had been detected. No one moved.
McRawney frowned. rs the man
waiting for me to name him2" he thun.
dered.
The dozen men stole glances at one
another. The face of a high-rank man
near McRawney was a CHASTITY gray.
very WELL" remarked the anarchist.
"As you wish" He pulled out an old
silver watch. 81 shall give him just
80 seconds; if he does not apologize, I
shall name him, and then he leaves
college or l do. I don't want to stay
here with him, and he certainly won't
want to stay here with me"
1 have seen some solemn things, but
never a more solemn sight than those
boys struggling with themselves and
thrilling with a new conception of
honor.
Five" said the anarchists drawing
voice, and at intervals that seemed end
less there followed ''ten"-"ffteen"-
'twenty-stwenty-5'
mfr. President exclaimed a black
eyed, handsome little Philadelphian,
rising from the far corner of the room,
and fellows, this is all ron We
don't want anybody to leave. If any
body leaves | suppose | ought to. !
haven't cheated to-day, because-well,
! brought the wrong papersl But /
have cheated lots of times, that is, for
a freshman. And l apologize. I'm sor-
ry. l think Mr.. McRawney is right
about it, A gentleman ought not to
cheat in examinations" He looked all
around him on the faces of his class
mates, and spoke on:
"Wc can peat these southern colleges
in athletics, but they have some good.
ideas, and | think the class of ninety
blank is the class to intro
duce them here. Fellows, l be-
lieve the professor will give us
another examination if we ask for
it, and if he win, / move you, Mr.. Presi-
dent. that from this time forward the
class of ninety-blank puts itself on its
honor"
He glanced timidly across the room
at me and sat down.
The anarchist pocketed his watch.
us the motion ~seconded?" he said.
gravely. But all parliamentary de-
corum was lost in a tumult of boyish
clapping, and a dozen freshmen were
On their feet at once, stammering out
confessions and apologies.
The professor made an incoherent
speech, and the next day he gave out
a new Greek paper, so easy. in truth
that even McRawney passed it; and
thus the 'honor system" famous
enough now, but suspiciously regarded
then, made its entrance into the old
college. where it has wrought more
miracles thar will ever be set down in
print.
AS for its foster-fathel, the anarchist,
he dropped around to my rooms a few
weeks later, to ask what ! thought Of
the advisability of his studying modern
Greek at Athens. ! replied, somewhat
lightly, that he would doubtless find
it an Interesting experience.
Il thought So" he said, simply. Il
reckon I'll go. You you see a man OF
my age gets kind of restless sometimes,
here among these boys"
But how ear you go?1I ventured.
He stretched his big shoulders.
'Oh, that's easy enough /" he laughed.
'sI've made a couple of voyages. And
after I've picked up that modern Greek,
professor" he confded, ~1'm going to
push on east and see what it's like
Did you ever read this poem2"
He pulled a tattered newspaper clip
ping from his pocket and passed it
} over to me. It was a single stanza
; iron, EfpIiDr,v n6a1ouO u-,~