Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-18
CHAPTER XIV.
As Told of the Major.

president was saving as some ten days
later. he was in argument with certain of
the faculty in his library. Professors
Sharpe, Lorimer and others, a committee
of hve had expressed a desire to be
heard" as the condition of affairs In
higher collegiate circles was that usually
described as strained relations" In
point of fact there had been serious spit
in the circle-Professor Beerbohm and one
or two of similar pith having declared
their intention of resigning FORTHWITH.
Then as no vehement opposition to the
step was heard, the next announcements
was to the effect that they would not re-
sign under fre-this in face of the TACT
that there seemed far less of fire than Ice
In faculty circles since the collapse OF the
case against Fame. One feminine member
of the corps of instructors had added her
announcement to that of Beerbohm, and,
despite her years of service, possibly pc
cause of her years she, too. had encoun-
tered no violent opposition-Miss Hinton.
One feminine member of that corps, with
out announcement other than that record
ed in previous page. had summarily ten
dered her resignation; had declined to re-
consider had declined to receive the pres
ident when he came, as he said, to set
matters straight and had with cold but
scrupulous courtesy listened unbending to
tie pleadings of the presidents wife. Miss
Hoyt, yet at least, saw no room for
reconciliation. Moreover, Miss Hoyt and
her father had gone east just as soon as
now known to be Hoyt, pronounced
out of danger of death. It to plead
for his relief from other danger they had
fastened to Washington-that of arrest for
deSertion.
Capt. Fame had not yet resumed his du
ties at the college, and a rumor was in
circulation that he had received an offer
of a much better billet, which rumor had
caused a stir in the battalion and an APP
peal to the powers. Sharpe and Lorimer,
at least knew that General Sheridan had
directed that as soon as Fame felt able ne
should come to him at division headquar-
ters. The little general had not forgotten
the older division commander with whom
he had served at Chattanooga. Sharpe
and Lorimer had been devoted to Fame in
his hours of bitter trial, and the strained
relations in the faculty had grown from
the fact that the president, having been
largely instrumental in bringing Fame to
gref-of course lin the best interests of
the college"-cOuld not now expect to be
taken into friendship fellowship. New
ertheess he did so expect, and was ag-
grieved and offended that beyond the cold
respect accorded him as head of the insti-
tuition, Fame, as he put it, had shown an
unchristian spirit and declined to be molli-
fed The good doctor could not under
stand such contumacy. No man on earth
could aSsail or impugn the rectitude of his
intentions, and, because his intentions were
unimpeachable, the results, whatever they
were should be accepted by all loyal COL
legians whatever their degree. Sharpe had
amazed him by asking whether he had
made amende apology of any kind, and
finally Sharpe and his colleagues had for
mally asked to be heard
Now. people asking to be heard by the
president had noted these facts. If he felt
no interest in the matter they could talk
uninterrupted, until the call of time. IT,
however, he felt much interest they could
hardly talk at all. The president would
take up the running, and they who had
asked for hearing found as a result that
"Prex' was the only one heard. Il don't
know anything about that" he was again
saying, while they sat discounted and he
strobe the floor. What maintain is that
this college is not the proper place for mid
night prowlngs and mysterious movements
of any kind. | dfsapprove the idea of pro-
fessors promenading at all hours under the
windows of our women teachers or their
pupils, either-especially in the dead Of
night"
That was not Captain Fame at all, as we
all know, and as we think you know. Mr.
President, interrupted Sharpe unhappily
"and-'
Let me finish, Professor Sharpe" said
the doctor with uplifted hand. "Mr-er-
Captain Fame was the only man actually
there at night, and my action was based on
what l then knew and believed, not by what
we have heard since, and with this, l appre-
bend, Mr. Fame should be satisfied"
With this, Mr.. President, In all defer
ence," replied Professor Sharpe, Il appre-
bend Captain Fame will not be satisfied. l
certainly should not. l doubt If the trus-
tees or the public will be- There has been
an entire revulson of sentiment since the
unmasking of Stetson, and now that that
precious pair are shown in their true light
Captain Fame looms up rather as a martyr"
Il don't know anything about" began
the president hastily, but he baked at the
last word. He did know something about
II. He had seen many an Indication point
ing to just the conclusion heralded by
Sharpe, and, even to himself the president
couldn't lie. 1t had been ia n
that the trustees, the college, the public.
would actually expect of him something
more than rectitude of intention. 1t was
beginning to come home to him. and not
entirely because of Sharpe's vehement ex-
pressions, that something more than as
surance of qualification was due from him
to Fame, and when once the president saw
duty the president was the man to go and
do it. But the president had been bewil-
dered, small wonder, by the remarkable
gray OF Facts that one after another, came
10 light after the arrest of Stetson
or him, the latest victim of a combina-
ton OF circumstances, 1t may be said at
once there was little likelihood of his living
to expiate his crime or atone for his mis-
doing. Stetson was doomed man, and
ne knew 1t, and mortal hands were doing
all that skill could devise to stay, not to
speed, his dissolution. Bowed and crushed
by grief that for the time seemed to out
weigh all sense of his criminal Deeds Stet-
son was facing the final settlement of his
earthly affairs, half paralyzed, heartbroken.
Whatever his sins. he had had one great
love and tenderness-his only son. Years
OF his life he had planned and plotted, bull
He'd fawned and lied for that boy, and the
graceless cub had quit him in his misery
and betrayed him in his crime. Followed,
Swallowed" and finally seized, young Stet-
son, in terror when told he was suspected
OF completely In the death Of Piggott, threw
himself on the mercy of his captors and
needlessly told the whole miserable story
Detail for detail 1t proved to be, so far as
the fathers part was concerned, substan-
tally true. There was conscence-smit--
ten woman. too to corroborate. There was
Hayden" Hoyt In his turn, to whisper
feeble assent. There was the compare
lively strange young man who worked and
dwelt on the Hawkins place east of town
he who had been long away in the army or
navy-to add his testimony. There were
Schwartzkopf and his burly wife. There
were Sculln and other hands at the college
farm There was old Duggan. There was
even, finally, Ethel Hoyt
Long years had Stetson lived at Grove.
ton, building up from small beginnings
big II disreputable. business, and acquir-
ing the. powers of ward boss and ma
chine politician. OF his past he had chosen
To say little that was reliable. The boy
who came with him was the one creature
for whom he showed affection. So long as