Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-05-23

This time 1t was Freeun WHO was 81
lent as Edward turned to 60 back to
his room. AS he moved away she ask
ed him something about the debate.
I'm working hard at it. So Is vii.
son. ON the other side. But I'm going
to do my best to beat him." He paused
and then added, II had a letter from
Willis tonight that ! think l can use to
good effect"
"How Is he?" Freeda asked simply
as any one might inquire after any
chance acquaintance.
HE says he's all right. His mother
says he's drinking again." Edward add
I'd. and then. without being able to
give any reason for it, he said, willis
wished to be remembered to you"
There was just a moments silence.
then Freeda called out to Edward. who
had started on again, "When you write
10 him. give him my best wishes. and
tell him I hope he will let the drink
Alone"
"I've already written him." replied
Edward as he walked along, and he
was uncertain whether Freeda heard
him or not.
When he went up into his room, 1t
was quite late, but he sat down and
worked at his debate until midnight.
He went over every sentence with
painstaking slowness and care. When
he had added that part of Willis letter
which described the death of the Filipi-
no mother and her baby, he could not
help feeling that he had a fitting eli
max to the argument. For a piece of
work done by a young college man 1t
was really good. His training on the
paper was proving of great value to
him, and he was protiting by it to do
creditable work as a writer.
He had a feeling of eXultation as he
laid his manuscript down and got up to
walk back and forth, as his custom
was, to work off the mental excitement
before he went to bed. He felt more
and more confident that he could beat
Wilson, even if Wilson did have the
popular side of the question.
'If the judges are not p%rejudiced by
their partisan feelings, l think l shall
win," he said several times as he con-
tinued his short pacing of the room.
His mind was full of the subject mat
ter of the debate, and he was very
wide awake.
And still as he continued his walk
other subjects obtruded on his
thoughts.
His mind began to call up again Pro-
lessor Clark's unexpected call and the
probable motives that led to it. Then
he went over again the incidents of the
meeting. He could see the evangelist.
with his strong, earnest. sensible face.
pleading with the students for a rea-
sonable acceptance of Christian life on
it's w merits regardless of other peo-
pies Interpretation of it either on doc
trine or in daily practice. Then the
picture of the president rose very dis
tinct, his noble. frank plea seconding
the evangelist's, and then Wheaton
and Jaynes and several others giving
testimony and his own critical attitude
toward it all. The talk over to the hall
with Freeda brought up the reference
to Willis and raised in his mind the
disagreeable question of Freeda's pos
sible interest in him, although the
darkness concealed Freeda's face
when she spoke. and he had never de-
tected anything but ordinary interest
on her part for his chum.
Then at last he came back again to
the debate. and that was his last
thought before he went to sleep. The
contest was called for two weeks from
Friday night of that week, and his last
waking thought was q vivid picture Of
the appearance of the big chapel room
on the night Of the annual debate. 1t
was an indication of the way he had
put from him the religious question
that not ever the remarkable fact of
the presidents and professors appeal
had any real place in his mind by the
side Of the approaching debate, which
now absorbed him with an intensity
that even he himself did not realize.
How much depended on the result he
did not know. 1t is not easy to tell ell
Their ourselves or others the meaning Of
all the experiences that become not on
ly a part of our interest in life, but al
so the determining factors In U
choice of those habits which make the
real character what it finally becomes.
There were two Sundays between
this evening when Willis letter and
Professor Clark's visit had been events
for Edward and the night Of the great
debate. And when the first one came
Edward was tempted to do a thing he
had so far not done in his college
course
He was putting a vast amount OF
time and Of thought into his debate.
The work he was doing In addition to
his paper route had increased until
now every spare moment Of the day
seemed to be filed with something,
and he thought his regular studies be-
gan to suffer. He vas very ambitious
for classroom honors and had 40 far
prided himself on first rate work.
One day he failed In a recitation in
a rather humillating fashion. Next
day he repeated the experience with
Professor Clark, and to his chagrin
Wheaton happened to know Just the