Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-07
A QUESTION
The Story of a Man of
Principle.
ev EUPHEMiA JOHNSON
ey EUPHEMIA JOHNSON

eIudy III Lie bis S%hoOA- A'o41
their desks with their books or were
working together in little groups at the
long table. They were free to move
about and even to speak, If necessary.
for Percival never Insisted on military
restraint. All he required was quiet and
work. Percival himself sat little to
one side with his own books and pa
pers. ready to help any boy who might
come to him with knotty point His
letters had Just been brought TO him,
two Of them. He had only opened the
first, but that had seemed TO give him
plenty to think about.
Lawrence Percival was the son of
bishop distinguished for learning aud
eloauence. 1t had been expected that
he would enter the church. and his bril-
liant gifts and great personal charm
caused his friends to prophesy for INN
a career Of even more distinction than
the bishops. But shortly after he had
taken his degree his father died. and
that autumn, instead of entering the
divinity school Lawrence began to
study law. He explained frankly 10 a
few intimate friends that, great as was
his love for the church in which he had
been brought up. he did not feel he
could subscribe to all the pledges she
required of her ministers. His friends
pointed out that the words were not
expected to be taken literally and that
he could take the VOWS in far better
faith than many men who still gave ex-
cellent service to society and the Chris
tian religion. But Lawrences decision
remained unchanged. and his friends
soon gave up demonstrating. AFTER
ALL" they observed to each other. Law
offers greater cha noes to a fellow as
able as Percivai."
But Percival did not remain long In
the law school. IT'S not the place for
me-" he said at the end of the first
year. II can't stand the point of view.
and l don't like grubbing down under
the darker side of human nature"
He turned next to journalism. AS he
had made himself rather well known in
his college days by editing what was
said to be the best undergraduate pub
lication in the country. he had several
openings. He accepted a place on the
STAFF of an important daily and at last
seemed to have found his proper cor
ner. But in the excitement of a polit-
Zeal contest the paper stood for pol
icy which Percivars judgment and
conscience condemned. and he decided
to sever his connection with it. This
time his friends demonstrated hotly.
They pointed out that his department
had no connection with politics, that
he was perfectly free as far as his own
work was concerned and that he would
be throwing up an unusual chance Of
personal distinction and public useful
ness. Percival smiled. sent in his letter
of resignation-it gave a full statement
OF the reasons for his action-and en-
gagged himself as tutor to the son of
new blown millionaire. He went abroad
with his charge and was gone some
time alternating travel with residence
in English and German university
towns and having opportunity for
study and for writing. Finally, after
several years in Europe and the orient.
he came home, passed his pupil into
Yale, declined two offers from news
papers and college instructorship and
took a position as master in large
school for boys to which one of his
best friends had just gone as head.
Here he had now been for nearly
three years At first the life had suited
him-he was in sympathy with the
head and the other masters, several of
them men from his own university.
The boys were fine, manly set of fell
lows, and Percival. who was cham
pion tennis player aud a capital story
teller. was soon as popular with them
as he had always been with his contem-
poraries. Yet now for year past he
had been moving heaven and earth to
get away. and that was all because of
Lillian Campbell He met her one sum-
with a set of boys in the mountains
Lillian was visiting in country house
near by. and Percival found her differ
ent from any woman he had ever
known. The daughter of marine art
list OF some reputation. she had been
brought up in great retirement on the
beautiful coast that was the inspiration
of her fathers paintings Books, pic
lures. a few Interesting and unusual
friends. summer or two in Brittany
and Norway. were all she knew OF the
world. Her Quickness of Imagination.
her playful. delicate wit and sensitive
responsiveness charmed Percival at
their first meeting. and by the end of
the summer they were engaged.
Then. for the first time in his life,
Percival became aware of the value of
money. Hitherto be had thought very
little about it He had always had
enough TO buy his clothes in the right
place and TO secure himself freedom of
action. Now he found that if he We're
20 think of marriage he must at the
least double bis income. This had SEEM
ell when he had engaged himself a fea-
sible thing. but at the end of the first
year he found himself as far as ever
from his aim. There were but remote
prospects of advancement where be
was. and yet no better place offered.
Moreover. his articles began to come
hack from editors i'm wav that had