The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-01-03

1 w
considerable bitterness. that Edward
came to know far different life in an
other direction, the final results of
which led to changes in his personal
character that were farreaching in
their seriousness and meaning.
Willis had kept up running fire of
sarcastic comment on the football cpl
sode until Edward had begun seriously
to think OF making q change In his
room. He had felt disappointed In VIII.
lis. The revelation OF his deeper life ut
the time of the paper route affair had
pleased Edward greatly. 1t seemed to
him, however. that since the defeat of
the team by the university Willis had
grown unnecessarily critical, and his
tendency to fast habits had never been
more marked or more distasteful.
One evening early in December. just
before the holiday vacation. Edward
was somewhat gloomily attempting to
study and brooding over his expert
ences. He did not expect to go home
| for the holidays on account of the ey-
| pense, although he had saved up lit
| tie out Of his work, to which he had
added by extra jobs about the build
ings in one way and another.
Willis had been very quiet for Ion
| ger time than usual. At last he broke
the silence by rising and going over to
Edwards table.
Say. old man" He spoke in kindly
tone that Edward could not help no.
| ticing We've had this gloom turned
on about long enough, don't you think :?
Pshaw! You're no mind reader.
| think a good deal more Of you for not
playing. What difference does it make
what l say? Come. What you need
| is a little fun once in awhile. You
study the very insides out Of the old
books, and what good does it do? If
you come out at last as valetudina-
| rian or something like that. what good
| iloes 1t do? All the men that graduate
ut the head of their classes either die
soon after they get out Of college or
they are never heard of anywhere
nfterward. All the famous men are al
ways dull and uninterestng in col
lege. | tell you | don't want to go
into obscurity the way most of the
brilliant scholars go. I'm taking all
the precautions | can to avoid their
fate. Tell you what. Blake, you shut
up the old books tonight and go down
and take in The Pace That Kills
it's jolly farce, and you need a good
laugh. Come on!'
what kind of show is it?" asked
Edward reluctantly. He had never
been to the theater, and Willis. who
went constantly. had never before ask
ed him to go, because he had reason
to believe that Edward would not go
anyway. Besides, with more thought
fulness than Edward hrs given. him
credit for, nc knew that Edward would
not go to entertainments at another
PERSONS expense and could not afford
to go often at his own.
ooh, it's q farce. There's no sense
in it, but it makes no difference.
There's lot of pretty girls and some
pretty fair tumbling and trapeze work,
but the fun Is in the old tramps and
characters that get caught robbins
henroosts and all that sort of thing.
I've got a couple of seats I'm the par.
quet, and Barnes was going with me.
but he's sick and can't go. Come on
Have some fun just once"
Willis reached over the table good
naturally and shat Edwards book up
Edward hesitated a minute, but he was
really curious to see the entertainment,
and he had not been out anywhere ex-
cept to a literary society since he en-
tered college. Besides, he was so re-
lieved to have the good will Of his
roommate again that he felt ashamed
to refuse his invitation in spite Of lit
tie uneasiness about the character Of q
show with such name.
So he got up, put on his overcoat and
went down into the city with Willis,
who was in high spirits and sang and
whistled constantly up to the very door
Of the opera house. That was always
one Of the surprising things to Edward,
that Willis had such perpetual fund
Of animal life in spite Of his dissipated
habits that turned night into day and
broke all the rules of diet and digestion
that are known to medical science.
"The Pace That Kills" was advertis-
ed on the faring billboards as roar
ing farce in four acts, interspersed with
the wonderful trapeze performance of
the De Lacy brothers," etc.
There were things In 1t that made
Edward blush and tremble. They were
not perhaps absolutely indecent, but
they were things that he knew well
enough he would not care to have Free
da see or hear. There were several
really funny scenes at which he found
himself laughing, and 1t was an unu-
sual habit with him. Willis roared
boisterously and seemed to know the
slang names for all the actors and gave
Edward brief bits Of personal gossip
about some of them. Between the acts
Willis went out twice and got a glass
of beer each time at the theater res
taurant Edward of course knew that
his roommate drank, and they had one
sharp debate over the fact, but the sub
ject was not referred to after that. Ed
ward had never known of Willis be-
coming intoxicated, although he had
heard the other Greek letter society
men speak of Willis as II he was drink
ing more than was good for him.
When the play was over and they