The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-06-30

inspiration in the social and literary
life Of the College He was fast be-
coming a universal fayorlte but he had
a rival Sad 30 say. this rival was
from Virginia. lie was at the head Of
the Freshman Olas' the session before /;
and VIII n the Norihe or, entering
sophomore. showed promise Of taking
the first place Jacob Delrose became
restless and bitter. But he was too
Sise TO show his animus. He only
bent the more 10 hard study. la q few
weeks, all we're comparing the two, Ja-
cob being the fovorite with majoriey
Of the boys and Joseph the favorite
with a m,j 1rity Of the glrls. Jacob g
friends said, with something OF q
snetr. that it was because the pretty
boy from Maine wrote poetry and was
rich. 50 1t may have been. But the
strong 1.-THE, daik.haIred Virginian,
had his warm admirers among the
girls too, and some Of those from the
colder States were mcst ardent in their
enthusiasm for him.
Ao Chamberlain went more and more
70 the front in the class. Delrose be-
came ore and more a fayOrite with
nis felloT students The explanation
was not far TO seek In one Of Cham
berlain's classes was girl from Ala
bama she was Freshman in most Of
her studies, bat had Mathematics with
the SophomJres. In this study Cham
berlaiu was weaker than in any other,
aud bright in this study as in ell was
Annie Mason After the first exami.
nation in Mathematics there was found
10 the desk where Chamberlain wrote
bis paper a copy OF the drst two exam.
Piles rs worked out by Annie Mason.
lt vas James Bolivar who found the
COPY. He Immediately showed it 70
Migoouette Meriva,e. who was with
him They at once said that it show
ed the genius Of Miss Mason in her
method Of solving one Of tie problems
on which both Of them had failed.
They showed it to other students, aud
some one searched among a pile Of *
animation papers that professor had
cast aside and found the paper handed
in by Miss Mason On comparison, the
paper found in Chamberlain's desk
was seen 70 be an exact copy OF her 81
luton Of the first two problems In
ouiries and comparison Of notes and
observations among the students deVel'
oped these additional facts that only
Miss Mason and Mr. Chamberlain had
succeeded in solving the second prob
lem that the solutions offered by these
two were essentially the same; that
Miss Mason had missed for a time the
first sheet OF her work from her desk,
had made a duplicate Of it, and had re-
ported this fact TO Prof Smith; that
Chamberlain, in going up to ask ques-
tion Of the professor, had passed by Miss
Masons desk that be came to the door
as Bolivar and Miss Merivale were ex-
aminiDg the paper that they had found
in his desk, presumably to recover this
very paper and that the same hour the
professor had gone TO Ohamberlain's
room TO acqualnt him with the fact
that a sheet Of Miss MasOn's exsmina.
tion had been removed from her desk
with circumstances casting suspicion
on him. Chamberlain, and had there
found the missing sheet lying on his
desk, nearly hid under other papers.
This professor some time after, got to-
gether Bolivar, Miss Merivale, Miss
Mason, Delrose and few other leading
students for conference on the situa-
tioD. It was the general sentiment that
the facts should be laid before the Ad'
vlsory Council Of Monitors by Mr..
Bolivar as prosecutor. Had this been
done, doubtless Chamberlain would
have been brought to trial. convicted
By the council, and recommended to
the faculty for dismissal from the Ool'
lege, aud cheating on examinations
would have been made forever odious.
But there was one voice raised against
this course It was Bolivar's. He was
most intense In his hatred OF all un-
fairness, and was fearless Of all risk to
himself but be said, TO the astonish-
ment Of all, Il have been thrown with
this young man Chamberlain. and l
have formed the highest opinion Of his
uprightness and ability. The evidence
cow against him seems unsnswerable
bat somehow my confidence in him is
not destroyed For this reason 1 am
not willing to prosecute. cannot
charge my friend with cheating.
Then Miss Mason said IF Mr. Cham
berlain is guilty he ought to be con-
vlcted and expelled. If he Is innocent,
he ought to have opportunity to clear
himself Of this charge If Mr. Bolivar
is not willing to prosecute,I / move thas
we request our Mr.. Delrose to do it, "
This was agreed to.
This was on Saturday. On the
Monday following, (and the weekly
holiday was Monday instead Of Satur.
day there was to be q boating contest
in the afternoon, and the Council would
not meet sill evening. At2 p m. the
whole College was OF the river, and a
large part of the other 90 inhabi-
tants Of the enterprisiug little city. The
factories even were closed. The annual
boat race was the great athletic event
| of the year. There were crews from
a.