Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-07-10
The Rivalryof
IBrockandHisby|
By J. H. RAFTERY

HE meUlcdI SJuueulS uluu qulVO
understand David Brock. of
Lexington, 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. He had a
grim, sly sort of humOr and ca
pacity for affection peculiar to men
of his type, but he seemed to ignore
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 "freak,"
even while they respected and loved
him. He was as poor as Lazarus and
as proud as Lucifer. Perhaps these
qualities hindered any natural bent
he may have had for frivolity, for he
lived like hermit and got his amuse-
ment 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 cellulOid collars and dark
colored stock. lie used to make his
notes on pale yellow paper that
looked suspiciously like the kind
bundle wrappers use, and his one suit
of clothes was getting past the stage
in which brushing and pressing fools
people. If Brock had a chum, Highly
was the man. A rich, reckless trifer
was Highly, full of ebullient spirits
and bent on proving that life was
farce, the medical profession joke
and woman toy. How on earth
Highly 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 even in the days of their closest
intimacy the Kentuckian never was
known to accept even the hospitality
of a 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 shirts, and all knew
then that he had put IN" his vaca-
ton at work. There were a few bis
ters on his big hands, and the tan on
his skin was the red scOrching of
DAYS in the wheat field rather than
the sallow of a season by the sea-
shore. Highly came back, too. He
was wilder than ever, and he hadn't
attended three lectures before he be-
gan to talk about "the new fairy"
1t seems that during the summer a
new laundry had opened just round the
corner, and behind the counter was
stationed young woman who, accord
ing to Highly, "for looks and style, had
the flag beat a block" Brock was pres
ent the first time Highly mentioned
his discovery" and even the enthusi-
astic scapegrace noticed the sheer on
the Kentuckian's face as the slangy
description Of the girls charms was
spoken. Of course, every one of hun
bred students who had heard of Hig-
by's laundry queen" went past the
place on the way home to get glimpse
of the beauty. Sure enough, there she
was. surprising even Higby's blatant
praise; a queenly girl of is, great
slumbrous eyes, hair like spun bronze,
the poise of an aristocrat in the gown
of a lady's maid.
Within ten days every student, and,
to be perfectly just, some of the pro-
fessors of Bush college were send
ing their linen to the new laundry.
Rather they were bringing it there
and calling for it 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 them not only in
sisted on carrying home his own
washing" but made a practice OF
calling for it at least twice before
the time set for it's readiness.
At least half of these customers
we're desperately in love with the new
divinity within a fortnight. They
made the most extraordinary efforts
town a glance, if not smile; they sat
ND nights cOntriving schemes to learn
her name, to awaken her interest,
TO start a conversation with her
The ianitor began to find a lot of
weird poetry in the waste baskets,
the Stevens began to dress up, and
the dudes became almost glOrifed in
their sartorial homage to the girl
at the laundry. She yielded not an
iota of recognition to any of them.
She was serenely gracious to all un-
til the business in hand was transact
ed. and then she receded into hard
but beautiful shell of stately reti-
,ence that simply maddened her ad-
nirers.
Higbv. of course, was the most ar
lent of pursuers. He swore that she
vas the most beautiful woman in
chicago, and his hearers were III
lined to agree. One evening he was
standing on the steps of the college
descanting upon her charms to
crowd of sympathetic fellow stu
dents.
"Such shape! Such "a"
"Cut that out, Highly" bawled
voice from the door behind him. Ev-
erybody turned to see Brock coming
out. His face was pale with rage
His big fists were clenched, and his
voice trembled as he went on:
you'll have to stop talking about
this young lady, Highly. l won't
stand 1t"
'Haven't'I q right to admire"
admire, but keep your mouth
shut"
Brock paused for a moment as il