The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-31
BROCK AND HIGBY.


 derstand David Brock of Lexington 1 Ky. He was a red-haired giant with
 bright, brown eyes and a smile that
 must have won his way with women If
 he had cared to try it, But he didn't l He had a grim, sly sort of humor and
 a capacity for affection peculiar to
 men of his type, but he seemed to ig-
 nore women, and during his first term
 at Bush Medical college he was never
 even suspected of ian affair"
 Then he didn't drink red liquor A
 Kentuckian who doesn't drink and has no eye for women is supposed to be an
 anomaly The contemporaries of Brock
 regarded him as a freak" even while they respected and loved him. He was as poor as Lazarus and as proud as l Lucifer. Perhaps these qualities hln- dered any natural bent he may have had for frlvolity, for he lived like a
 hermit and got his amusement free in
 the laboratory and the lecture room. Brock was So poor at the end Of his first term that he had gotten down, to
 oelluloid collars and dark-colored
 stock. He used to make his notes on pale yellow paper that looked suspi- ciously like the kind bundle wrappers
 use, and his one suit of clothes was
 getting past the stage in which brush
 ing and pressing fools people.
 If Brock had a chum Higby was the man. A rich, reckless trifer was Hig-
 by full of ebulient spirits and bent on
 proving that life was a farce, the med ical profession joke and woman toy. How on earth Higby ever got on
 the right side of Brock nobody knew,
 but he did, and, what was stranger yet Brock seemed to like him. Money? Not at all Brock would have starved before he would borrow money from any man and In the days of their closest intimacy the Kentuckian never was known to accept even the hospital ity of meal from his wealthy friend.
 When Brock came back for his sec- ond year he had new suit that must have cost at least ten dollars. He had risen again to linen collars, neckties and shirt, and all knew then that he had "put in' his vacation at work. There were a few blisters on his big hands and the tan on his skin was the real scorching of days In the wheat field rather than the sallow of season by the seashore Higby came back too He was wilder than ever, and he hadn't attended three lectures before he began to talk about "the new fairy"
 It seems that during the summer a new laundry had opened just round the corner, and behind the counter was sta- tioned a young woman who, according to Higby. flor looks and style, had the flag beat block" Brock was present the first time Higby mentioned his discovery" and even the enthusiastic scapegrace noticed the sheer on the Kentuckian's face as the slangy de- scription of the girls charms was spoken. Of course, every one of students who had heard of Higby's Laundry Queen" went past the place on the way home to get @ glimpse of the beauty, Sure enough, there she was eurpassing even Higbvs blatant praise; queenly girl of eigh- teen, great slumbrous eyes, hair like spun bronze the boise of an aristocrat In the gown of ladys maid.
 Within ten days every student, and, to be perfectly just, some of the profess sors of Bush college were sending their linen to the new laundry. Rather they were bringing 1t there and calling for 1t in person. If the trade of the place | had been all with medical students | there would have been no need of | delivery wagon. Every man jack of l hem not only insisted on carrying ] nome his own washing" but made a practice of calling for 1t at least twice before the time set for it's readiness.
 At least half of these customers were in love with the new di- ,inity within fortnight. They made he most extraordinary efforts to win l glance, if not a smile, they sat up nights contriving schemes to learn her name, to awaken her interest, to start ] conversation with her. The, janitor began to find lot of weird poetry in he waste baskets, the elovens began o dress up, and the dudes became al- most glorified in their satorial homage o the girl at the laundry. She yielded lot an iota of recognition to any of hem. She was serenely gracious to all ntil the business in hand was tram acted, and then she receded into a ard but beautiful shell of stately eticence that simply maddened her ad- airers. Higby, of course, was the most ar ent of pursuers. He swore that she 'as the most beautiful woman in Chi ago. and his hearers were inclined to gree. One evening he was standing n the steps of the college descantlng