The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-03-06

| ~, kRDEgg|z|
THEY OFTEN CHATTED FREELY
WITH HIM.
and as though she regarded this as
proof positive that she had estab-
lished her point, Miss Merton
branched off upon another theme.
When Saturday night came Ros-
sitter proposed to Joe Becraft that
they should walk into Hintonville to-
gether. Before starting he APP
preached Parmelee, into whose good
graces he had rapidly advanced by
the admirable way in which he had
performed his work, and requested
that he be paid the amount due him
for his labor.
"It's not accordin' to our CUSTOM ~
said the jovial manager, ''but as long
as Pm pretty reasonably sure it isn't
whisky you're wantin' to spend it
for, 1 don't mind SEEM that you're
accommodated"
with such pair of shoes, the only
ones L possess" said Rossiter, point
ing to his dilapidated footgear, sit
isn't very likely the money'll go for
drink"
/ Both men derived much pleasure
from their walk. They found the
streets of the little town bright
with purchasers and strollers come
in from the country, and in the shops
Rossiter saw a number of faces that
he recalled from his old college
days. After having liquidated the
small debt he owed Becraft, he in
vested in a pair of stout shoes at q
sale that CHANGED to be in progress,
and also in cheap razor and few
toilet articles. He then had exactly
a dime remaining.
Gust enough for two beers!" he
exclaimed, pitching the little silver
disk into the air and catching it
as it descended.
Joe protested against his spending
his last cent, but Rossiter insisted
that it was ''his treat" so the two
went into the bar room of the Hin
tonville House, where the desired
beverage was speedily Forthcoming.
AS Rossiter placed his empty glass
upon the bar bacchanalian college
ditty which he used occasionally to
roar through the streets with few
choice and congenial spirits "a dirty
which embalmed the name of for
mer proprietor of the Hintonville
House,, unrecalled for years, went
lifting through his brain
Down to Powers we will go,
Let the lager freely flow,
Then go reeling to and fro
| Back to Alma Mater!"
1t had very rakish sound, but it had
never meant much more than the
natural outburst of the exuberance
of youth.
/ With the recollection of the college
song came the thought of the col
lege, and he decided that on the
morrow he would make pilgrimage
to the scenes of his student days.
Accordingly, Sunday morning, soon
after he had breakfasted, he slipped
away and set out. The autumn term
had not yet opened, and he knew he
should have the campus practically
to himself. Reaching Hintonville, he
left the village square behind, and
turned westward along the extensive
maple-shaded street that led to the
base of the hill on the crest of which
the college buildings were situated.
Upon the old stone bridge spanning
the swiftly flowing Oskenonto he
paused, as he had so often done be-
fore, to watch the dancing water,
the swaying willows, and the chang
ing lights and shadows. Then he
went on up the long, steep slope.
Now he saw changes on every hand.
Buildings belonging to the various
college fraternities were detted along
the hillside where, in his day, there
had been open fields. He looked for
a grape-vineyard that an injudicious
husbandman had persisted in cult
waiting to the vast delight of the stu
dents, but it had disappeared. The
little wooden arbor half way up the
hill had been replaced by more i'm
posing structure built in part of
hewn stone. He saw the venerable
form of his favorite professor, APP
parently untouched by the lapse of
the years, sitting beneath his tree
uncovered porch, and the desire YVES
strong in Rossiter's heart to go in
and take him once again by the hand,
but glance at his own attire, thread
bare and weather-stained, though he
had succeeded in freshening it some
what. restrained him.
1t was with thrill of pleasure thai
he came, just before reaching the hill
crest, to the row of ancient Lon-
hardy poplars, stately trees that had
defied the winter winds for well-nigh
a century. They had a greeting for
him. Here we are" they seemed to
say, ''just as we were when you
tramped up and down beneath us, and
we're glad to see you back" They,
at least, did not notice the altered APP
pearance of the erewhile spruce
young man.
/ A food of recollections swept upon
him as he turned into the campus.
Here there were new buildings and a
more prosperous air than of old, but
the general effect was the same, and
struck Rossiter more than ever be-
fore as beautiful and impressive. The