The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-01-24

! EDWARD BLAKE: COLLEGE STUDENT. /
COPYRIGHT 1890 ADVANCE PUBLISHING Co.. CHICAGO

BY CHARLES M. SHELDON
Author of YIN His Steps, "Maom Kirk
Robert Hadys Seven


So the month Of June came on, with
its commencement season. The ma
tons history had been of an exciting
and unusual character. Admiral Dew.
ey's battle in Manila bay. Lieutenant
Hobson's feat In Santiago harbor and
the landing Of the American army near
Santiago were all history before the
day came for the usual exercises that
closed the college term. All this time
the college company was fixture In
it's southern camp, and every letter
that Edward received from Willis con.
tanned wall at the enforced inaction.
Edward was struck with the tone of
his last letter received during COM
mencement week. 1t seemed to him as
IL something was wrong with Willis,
something that was vitality out Of keep
ing with his usually careless but hap.
by habits. Just what it was he could
not TELL but it made him uneasy. and
even in the midst of his examinations
and all the stir of the commencement
week he wrote Willis a long letter.
cheering him up all he could. He also
sent Willis letter to him to Willis
mother with line expressing his con.
viction that something was not right
and asking Mrs. Preston to let him
know If there was anything that he
Edward could do for his roommate.
Freeda had continued her position
with the professors family in spite of
Edwards plea that she go back to the
hon hot hn iNte
new paper route warranted it. She
promised to begin the fall term in the
hall, and Edward had to be content
with that. She was planning to go
home for the summer and stay on the
farm, and Edward had decided to re-
main in Raynor and carry his paper,
besides doing some extra work that
had been offered him in laboratory
practice. His determination was
strengthened by news from home that
matters on the farm were in a good
condition. and his uncle could manage
affairs without him.
In addition to all this the president
had unexpectedly given him some work
to do in copying manuscript on a vol
ume that he had been preparing for
some time. This meant for Edward q
personal acquaintance with the head of
the college that shaped his whole life
and is shaping it to this day.
1t was almost the end Of June, and
Edwards summer was passing almost
ideally for him. He was saving nearly
So week from his paper route, count.
Ing In what he was earning extra from
a job or two on the hill and the work
the president gave him to do. This lat
ter task was becoming every day more
Of a pleasure to Edward. The presi.
dent at first had given him the cor.
rected manuscript sheets to take to his
room In Rankin hall. Edward had
studied shorthand and the use Of the
typewriter while on the farm. expect
ing one winter to fit himself for q bust
ness course at Randall. He had learn
cd the typewriting slowly. but his
logged perseverance conquered even
his naturally slow movement of fin
gers and hands, and he was rapidly
growing expert in the use of a machine
which the president let him have.
But President Royce soon discovered
that the silent, undemonstrative young
man from the farm. who was working
his way through Hope college, pos
sessed qualities that would perhaps
develop into very great usefulness be-
fore his college course was ended, and
he rapidly took him more and more
into his confidence. This meant that
by the end Of June Edward was doing
all the copying at the presidents office,
which was in one corner Of the library
building, and also beginning to assist
little In the presidents correspond
ence during the vacation absence of
the regular secretary.
IL was this latter fact which led to a
facts connected with the college ad-
ministration which ordinarily the stu
dents would know nothing about.
To understand this we must also en-
ter into the relationship which had
so quickly and yet not at all strange
ly sprung up between the president
and the student. 1t was remarkable
characteristic Of President Royce that
Se was openly frank in matters where
u STeuI uluuy OtueT Icii COuSiueTeu
1t necessary to be uncommunicative
and mysteriously silent. He saw at
once that Edward belonged to not !
too common class of men who can be
trusted to keep what is given them In |
confidence. And seeing that quality In |
him he not only respected it, but trust !
ed 1t and even In time gave the young |
student a proof of his confidence by |
asking his opinion, thing that
smaller mind would never have done. |
But President Royce had learned even |
in the comparatively short time he had !
been at the head Of the college that |
the students had opinions on q great |
many matters and that even the presi-
dent of college might sometimes |
profit for himself and the college by |
trying to find out what their opinions
were.
Coming up to his room in Rankin
hall at this time in his summers ex-
perience, Edward found letter in his |
letter box from Mrs. Preston. 1t was
dated at the southern camp and con-
tanned news that made Edwards |
face grow even more seri- |