The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-06-29
The exclamation annoyed Bolker

proctor did not in the least hamper
the acquaintance from ripening, as
time went on. into friendship. The
freshman was young and liked the
proctor's quiet reserve, his sophisti-
Gated advice. and Bolker became equal
" fond of the wild lad toward whom
his solitary heart turned with tender
ness almost fatherly.
One night there came from Watson's
room more noise than was usual. 1t
began early. and prolonged itself In
definitely. The proctor went to bed
doubling. The noise continued; 1t be-
came into!erable. Jumping into his
slippers (Which were always. toes out.
precisely at right angles to the bed)
Bolker raped at the door, For an In
stant the noise ceased; then the proc
tor heard from within: LET me 60.
I'm all right, | tell you," and an angry
"Shut up; get in there quick; I'll go"
in the voice of Watson, who thereupon.
looking extremely silly, appeared at the
door.
! won't you please stop the noise?"
/ faltered Bolker. ~ can't sleep IL you
don't"
=, "Were we making a noise? Really
IL"
at doesn't matter at all II you'll only
stop. Good night"
"Good night, SIR" The door slammed
with n scufIie and blended chorus Of
"You old liar-eh, eh--give me that
whoop!"
Bolker slipped into bed, very miser-
able. He hated to do 1t. Out in the
hall he heard another scuffle, mournful
reproaches, blasphemous diatribes
against all p-octors and reluctant good
nights. But II was long, despite the
succeeding quiet, before he slept.
Next morning Watson appeared for
an instant to iterate his regrets. "Just
beer night, you know-my eighteenth
birthday. 1t won't happen again, l as
sure you. Ta-ta!"
!; During the next week Bolker was
wretched because his neighbor did not
appear. Doubtless he was angry. To
have stopped his birthday party was
but ones duty! Rot! Ones duty was
to have waited at least awhile longer.
As matter OF fact Watson, as Bolker
should have known. was too busy for
visiting. In that year before the mid
years. To keep of probation would be
hard struggle. He had determined ac-
cordIngly to work hard, and did, SO that
he scraped through ingloriously.
One day after the troublous times
were over the proctor was disturbed
in his work by well-known bang at
the door, and in answer to his "Come
in," Watson appeared all breathless.
II say, my folks are in the next room.
They surprised me. and want you TO
meet them now, please"
"i'd like to-" replied Bolker. nervous
ly. "but-but I'm busy, that is-"
"Dosh. my dear fellow; there's NO
one but mother and sister. Two told
'em SO much about you they insist on
seeing you. and when they insist you
might az we'll give in right of; II saves
time. They'll be insulted II you don't.
Come on. there's good fellow"
Bolker had never before met any.
ones people, and didn't know quite
how to do II. So It was only after many
misgivings that he at length consented.
But he found Mrs. Watson much like
her son, and brief talk with her made
him forget his hands and feet Later,
TO Miss Watson's sincere thanks for his
looking after her brother. and to her
interested queries that disclosed abso-
lutte ignorance Of nll things academic.
: Bolker found himself answering with
more freedom than he had ever dreamed
; of. The girl had all the unaffected
, frankness of her brother, augmented
by a thousand little womanly graces,
! that quite captivated him.
At the end of blissful hour came
the climax; they asked him to dine.
And when he perforce declined. they
sweepingly rebutted his arguments; he
was not stranger; they had seemed
to know him for ages; he had been 10
/ good to Fred In short, he accepted.
At the end of week Watson's peO-
pie took rooms in Cambridge. Mother
| ukts Tie pibCc DcttcI tAnh ooosohs Ca
, planned the boy. "I'm the chief at
traction, and they want to be near mo,
r Oh-and they want you to call. often
Sis thinks you're just about the right
sort" Bolker flushed. That's very
, nice, I'm sure"
And he did call often; the girl was
wonderfully attractive When, after
/ two months stay, she and her mother
z left, Bolker, for the first time In his
college career, felt lonesome.
IL Worst Of all, the April examinations
/ put poor Watson on probation. my dad
writes he won't have me come back
3 If don't make my class. But, hang II
all, couldn't helpit! Ittakes me such
: a time to get started, the hours always
= up by the time begin. Looks pretty
E serious, eh? But I'll manage somehow
! l guess"
|, He did manage, in his first four finals
despite the innumerable seminars an6
y incessant grinding that preceded them
I to do very badly. That was sure.
III It so happened that In the fatefu
1 T. AL ~ t. In