Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-04-02

catch the o'clock in time"
Blake rose again and walked over to
the window. Suddenly he turned
around and faced his new acQuaint.
ance with q color that was in startling
contrast with his blanched look when
the news came.
Il haven't a cent with me to buy q
ticket orr
"That's all right" exclaimed Pres
ton, with sigh Of relief to think he
could do something. '1'll lend you all
you want" And then, to his great re-
lief, Logan, the man Of all work about
the college, came up and helped him
get the trunk down stairs. Blake fol-
lowed mechanically, the crowd about
the hall looking on gravely.
"I'll go down with you and help you
of. We might as we'll ride with To-
gam" said Preston, and he and Blake
got into the wagon and rode out of the
college grounds together.
Down at the station Preston bought
Blake's ticket, checked the trunk and
telegraphed the mother that her son
was on the way. When the train came
in, he saw Blake on board, and as it
started he waved his hand sympathet-
ically to the sorrowful figure by the
window. AS he turned away to walk
up College hill he said to himself,
"Wonder how would feel to get word
of my fathers death like that?" His
face had curious look on it as he
thought Of the possibility. When he
returned to the hall, he was unusually
serious, and it was many a day before
he could dismiss from his mind the
tragic event in the other boys life, and
yet not even then did he realize the
meaning of it all or it's bearing upon
his own life in Hope college.
Edward Blake went home, and the
next few days were filled with grave
experience for him. He was 10 years
old. His mother and sister were all
the family left, the sister two years
younger than he. Edwards father
had been a thrifty, careful farmer
who had passed through all the expert
ences of deep poverty, struggles to pay
interest, sickness and the loss of two
younger children. But this last year
matters had turned toward a more
hopeful future. For two seasons the
crops had been so heavy and prices so
good that for almost the first time in
his life the sturdy farmer felt able to
send one Of his children to college, and
after long planning the boys trunk
was packed with many carefully
mended and made over garment that
mother and sister had worked over,
while the tears fell on the garments as
Edward Blake had hesitated to open
his trunk in the presence of stranger
was not because he was ashamed of
the homely clothing packed into it, but
because, with delicacy Of feeling that
marked really poetical temperament,
he shrank from showing others the
contents of trunk into which had
gone such a lavish display of affection
pitifully bestowed on the best they
could afford at home.
When he entered the college grounds
that afternoon, anticipating his coming
SoAAN5S AAAC Win IAC hCCuCSl
this young man from the humble farm
at Randall had only so cents in money.
After he had paid the expressman and
turned around to face the group Of
careless students sitting on the steps of
the dormitory he had realized that he
was absolutely without cent, thrown
upon bis own resources for making his
way through a four years college
course unless his father could advance
him little help. 1t had not been his
fathers wish that Edward should start
for college until certain money due
from the sale Of grain could be put into
his hands. This money was promised
him by his father and would meet his
immediate expenses tor few weeks.
But it was with the definite knowledge
that he was on the whole to depend on
his own struggles that he had ventured
to start and begin his college life,
ready to do any honest work he could
find in order to pay his way. His room
had been already reserved for him, &C.
cording to the custom prevailing at
Hope college. He had great hopes Of
finding plenty of work in the neighbor
hood of the college, and no boy or girl
of the hundreds that came up College
hill that September afternoon had a
more courageous or sanguine heart
than Edward Blake.
The event of his fathers sudden
death changed in a second the boys
programme of life. He found himself
at once the only support of the family,
and during the weeks Immediately fol-
lowing his homecoming he simply &C.
cepted the situation as meaning for
him the giving up forever Of all his am
billions for an education. He had talk
ed the matter over with his mother
and sister, and there seemed no way
open and nothing to be done but to go
on with the farm work and give up the
college course altogether.
That was a month after his fathers
death. Three months afterward at
Christmas time, as he was at work in
the barn mending some harness, Ed
ward Blake had a new idea come to
him. He had brooded over the break
ing up of his ambitions and had grown
not only more serious, but more gloomy
as winter went on. He suddenly rose
to his feet on this particular afternoon,
and. throwing the harness down on the
floor, he went into the house. His
mother and sister were at work there,
Freeda preparing to get the evening
| meal.
Mother" said Edward as he came
in, II want to talk with you and Free
| da about going to college,"
His mother paused in the work she
was doing and looked at him in aston