Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-03-03
Polling the conviction that some one Of
the students was the culprit

the students was the culprit.
Shingleton accepted the possibility Of
crime in connection with its college
slowly and incredulously. In view of
the fact that nearly all Of the boys
came from we'll known families of high
social position, 1t was almost beyond
conception that any one of them should
stoop to the plebeian otfense Of stealing.
To man they belonged to the slave
holding aristocracy. They were the sons
of planters, doctors, lawyers The off,
spring Of senators and congressman had
drunk at the Shingleton fountain Of
learning, and, crowning boast, the
grandson Of bishop was among the
declaimers booked for that identical
mystery shadowed commencement day.
There was nothing commonplace
about Shingleton- Nothing shocking
had ever happened there, and the posi-
bility Of disgrace overtaking it through
the medium Of any one Of it's young
aristocrats shook the congregated house.
wives to the very center of their nerv-
ous systems
Mra Fitzwilliams, absently dipping
long handled gourd in and out of the
lemonade barrel, conveyed to Mrs Ma
ginnis, who was slicing cold tongue in
TO newspapers spread on a neighboring
tombstone, her conviction that "the
thing was impossible There was not
plebeian in the whole college. from
President Hopkins down"
Mrs Maginnis poised her carving
knife rehectively. "Yes, one"
"You mean that young MARTINI
eyes"
"Why, he is the valedictorian They
say he is dreadfully smart, studious
and ambitious beyond everything; mid
night oil sort Of boy, you know"
His father is old Colonel Strong's
overseer," said Mrs Maginnis, stabbing
the cold tongue severely.
eyes, that's true. But the boy came
here with Adrien Strong That ought
to be Endorsement enough. In fact, as
understand it, Colonel Strong sent him
with his grandson because the boys
had grown up together on the planta-
tion and the overseer had named this
boy for him, which inclined him to give
him q better chance for an education
than overseers' sons usually get
"Or need. think Colonel Strong is
doing wrong, very wrong indeed, in
breaking down the barriers in this way
What will that poor boy do with the
education he has spent four year in ac-
quiring when he goes back to tho plan
tation?''
HE need not necessarily go back to
the plantation The world is not bound
ed by Colonel Strong's plantation fence
Let him strike out for himself"
Mrs Maginnis fixed troubled gaze
on the heaped cold tongue on the tomb
stone Mrs Fitzwilliams' last remark
struck her as revolutionary. She was
sorry to hear such views advocated in
6hingleton. It panied her doubly to
hear them from the lips Of her own Sis
ter-in-law.
"Well. If this theft is traced to the
door Of that overseer's son it will go
long way toward proving the folly Of
any attempt to educate the masses Per-
haps it may be as you say, the world is
not bounded by Colonel Strong planta-
tion fence, but / still contend that it
was q very unca. for pulling down
Of social fences H.. him to have sent
his own grandson and lis c'r'' IN
here on footing Of soci,! It
cannot possibly be nlain."-Atu IL
they go homo.
1.-THE boys are devoted to each ether. !"
"Now-yes, perhaps"
Lawyer Seephar is to address tho
boys on the subject of th">.'' va -. $
when the exercises are Owe 'cr-
riette to wave her handkei t., soon
as he took the stand l don ,ure to 60
inside before"
"Nor l. l confess one does tire Of
the dear boys when one has been listen
ing to them straight along for 10 I'M
changing years "
In due season white handkerchief
fluttered briefly in one Of the open win.
dows Mrs Fitzwilliams spread pink
mosquito bar carefully over the lemon.
ade barrel and Mrs. Maginnis secured
the cold tongue against the possible dep
relations of flies and spiders Then
they were ready for the church.
keep your eye on that Martin boy,
Nell, while old Seephar is scoring the
boys, and will too We will compare
notes afterward. "
With this understanding the amateur
detectives separated, each passing by a
different aisle we'll up toward the hy-
drangeas and the sunflowers that were
making brilliant halo about Counsel
or Seephar's sternly intellectual face
Each seated herself where she could
get an unobstructed view Of the valedic-
torian's face He was seated on the
front form, this overseer s son, who, by
night of his plebeian extraction and So