Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-04-10
Edward Blake:
College Student.
CHARLES M. SHELDON.
Copyright, 1899, in U. s. A., by Advance Pub
fishing Co., Chicago.
CONTINUED. J

So he got up, put on his overcoat and
went down into the city with Wills,
who was in high spirits and sang and
whistled constantly up to the very door
of the opera house. That was always
one of the surprising things to Edward,
that Willis had such a perpetual fund
of animal life in spite Of his dissipated
habits that turned night into day and
broke all the rules Of diet and digestion
that are known to medical science.
1.-THE Pace That Kills" was advertis-
ed on the faring billboards as "roar-
ing farce In four acts, interspersed with
the wonderful trapeze performance OF
the De Lacy brothers," etc.
There were things In it that made
Edward blush and tremble. They were
not perhaps absolutely indecent. but
they were things that he knew well
enough he would not care to have Free
da see or hear. There were several
really funny scenes at which he found
himself laughing, and 1t was an unu-
sual habit with him. Willis roared
boisterously and seemed to know the
slang names for all the actors and gave
Edward brief bits of personal gossip
about some Of them. Between the acts
Willis went out twice and got a glass
Of beer each time at the theater res
taurant. Edward Of course knew that
his roommate drank, and they had one
sharp debate over the fact, but the sub
ject was not referred to after that. Ed
ward had never known of Willis be-
coming intoxicated, although he had
heard the other Greek letter society
men speak of Willis as if he was drink
ing more than was good for him.
When the play was OVER and they
were climbing college hill, Willis sud-
denly asked: well, what did you think
of it? Wasn't it funny?
"Yes," replied Edward. "That is.
parts of it WERE"
"You couldn't expect the whole Of a
roaring farce to be funny" replied
Willis with sarcasm. "That would be
too much. But tell you, old man, it
did you good. You ought to go once in
awhile to brighten you up. saw you
actually laugh out loud tonight. Why,
If you don't do it once in awhile you'll
scare yourself to death one Of these
days when you laugh by accident and
wonder what it isl
Edward was silent, and while Willis
gas as usual backing his shoes he
Vas going over the evening in way
that would have astonished his care
less roommate If he could have read
his thought.
For Edward Blake, college student,
had reached, very largely unconscious
ly to himself. crisis in his life. AS he
lay wide awake for an hour after Will
lis was fast asleep, he was going over
all the scenes in the play and especial
~ those scenes that at the time had
made him uncomfortable. There was
positive fascination for him in the i'm
pure suggestion that for the first time
burned into his imagination, with pic
lures Of fire set about the stage realism
with a vividness that glowed like a
new sensation in his hitherto remarka.
bly, pure and unsmirched soul.
When the college term closed for the
holidays, Willis went home and Ed
ward was left alone. There were but
few men left in Rankin hall. Freeda
had remained in the ladies' hall,
which also was largely deserted. On
the Saturday after college closed Ed
ward had been over to see her. He re-
fected as he went back that evening
that he had said nothing to his sister
about the play or his going to it. They
had talked about the folks at home,
and Freeda had again raised the Ques-
ton Of leaving the hall to secure
place somewhere near the college
where she could work for room and
board. Edward had opposed the plan,
but he had a vague feeling when he
came away that Freeda, who was
very independent and determined girl,
might at any time do the very thing
she had suggested.
"I'm perfectly able to do the work,
Ned. 1t will save at least $500 year,
and you know mother is really shaving
at the dairy work to keep me here in
the hail."
Edward demonstrated again, but he
knew very we'll that what Freeda said
was true. AS he went away he vowed
that In some way he would work day
and night to make his own expenses
and Freeda's, too, and so relieve the
loving, faithful mother of her constant
burden.
And then the boys great temptation
faced him, and he was swept under by
his yielding to it. In the next two
weeks he lost one of the best, brightest
Jewels Of young mans life-he lost
his sense Of personal purity. The thea
tiers had never offered to the public
such a large number Of cheap, ques.
tionable shows as they offered that
winter during the holiday season.
Night after night Edward climbed the
gallery and sat through plays that
robbed him of his clean, healthy mind
and put in it's place imagination that
made him ashamed to see his own
face. He skunk up the stairs and took
obscure seats where none of the other
students who might chance to be pres
ent could see him. He found that hit
taste for the plays, where seldom any
one but men were present, was grow
ing and deepening, and, while he knew
we'll enough how deep down he wal
sinking and despised himself for It
hs continued to 60, and for the drst
time in his life he knew what thu
drunkard begins to know before he hal
become altogether lost to love OF wife
and children. He was appalled, at thu
end Of tho vacation to realize that hi
had spent over 80 for theater tickets
Ten dollars meant a. much to him q
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