The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-22
THE LONE ORATOR
A Hunt for a Contest
That Want and a
Dread Experience.

for little boys to be out on the streets
during Fair week. The fact that the
reporter had out-grown being a little
boy and had a mustasche which was
long enough to think of the barber
had nothing to do with the case. He
thought anonymously of the little
boy; he might meet a bugaboo, or a
pllceman and be tooken away! That
WAS deep thought which was deepen
cd as he sank with precipitancy into
n new made mud hole and dared not
cXclaim in the dark. Besides. he
knew not where the next hole might
be.
just then-horrors! footsteps;
cautious. creepy footsteps. The re-
porter knew that he had done moth
ing wrong in coming here in the dark,
but, suddenly, he lielt guilty. 1t is
terrible thing to feel guilty, but it
is worse to be alone.
The timid reporter took his courage
in both hands aud raised his voice.
which raised higher than he wanted
it to so SO that he feared it squeaked
Hello! THERE"
He tried to make it deep and yet
joNial. so as TO scare footpad or pla-
cate Il p'liceman
The footsteps stopped and then
there came voice from behind the
Hello" II was "a deep voice and
menacinS. The reporter trembled
and drew his foot cautiously out of
the mud prepared for flight.
I Can you tell me-" he asfed hest
tatingly, where Pullen Hall isl
CThis sounded absurd and he knew it.
Doubtless it would anger the p'lice-
man. He FASTENED on with what he
know was an intonation which CON
fessed his guilt. II ami am-Oh,
IN nothing but a newspaper reporter
ana I'm looking for the. ah, the col
lego debate. or, er oratorical contest
anI thought, you know"
The effect of these words was sur
prisinS. gratifying. Where had been
expected anger, arrest or even death
and murder and robbery (not that. at
lcast reflected the reporter clutchfng
ms street car pass) but wrath, GER
tainly.
Instead the answer was more than
eonciliatory 1t was joyful, It
7 breathed brothery spirit! 1t
cilucklcd with a relief which the
reporter recognized
why so We're wei" exclaimed two
voices in unison,
The bushes moved and two Young
men came through. We lit matches
and examined each other warily. Both
parties were innocuous. We became
chattX. "Why there was to be Il
10 re in Pullen Hail Not having
run. away. | resume tho first person.
1T has been publ. l.. the news
paper for four days. said one of my
new friends. Il am on the other
paper" But isn't that Pullen Hall?'.
A dark shadow raised it's bulk in the
air. 1t was but there was no light.
Have you. seen any of the boys?''
Only one they replied and he had
been shipped and wasn't interest
ed in oratory. Well go to the build
ings. 1t seemed that my friends had
gone and found no one. Neverthc-
less we went We effected an en-
trance. There was no sound. The
wide nails murmured as we walked
along. Surely there was an officer of
the day We called timid little calls
that sounded like bellows in the
empty vault above. We turned to che
another after these little efforts and
said: That's strange, that's very
strange. very strange indeed" FL
nally we became very familiar with
the inside Of the college We looked
ut the bulletin boards, and the signs
on the walls. We found that all the
students were invited to join the
B;tracca Glass. for one thing. and that
they would be appreciated at the
churches. From the appearance of
things, however these invitations
were superfluous. Had it not been
that | had seen the six hundred Ca
diets in line the day before l would
have thought that the churches mad
been advertising in a deserted castle.
Finally genius found a way. We
commenced to use the telephone. We
called up and chased down college
authorities over the wire Yes;
there was to be a contest. 1t would
be at Pullen Hall. 1t had been or
dcred opened and lighted up Pull
l., IIon n rlx INC n
shadow on the blackness
Then genius found way to get
hold Of some of the students. We got
the centrals to ring the college. We
heard steps, but they did not bother
about the naturalization of the
bells. We yelled and ran after them.
There were several students. They
looked at us in puzzled way There
had been some talk of a conteSt-but
they had forgotten.
We decided finally to go. | asked
my friends how it happened that of
the thousands i'm town they were also
hunting this supposed Eden of decla-
nation. They replied Satisfactorily.
one was Trinity Senior, Mr.. G. r.
Pugh. and-he confessed with some
feellng-he had been sent down to
see or rather to hear the contest He
was to listen to the ringing words and
tumble to the spasms of the gestures
I'm the realm of Demosthenes and
Kkero he was what the tight-visaged
chap with the shoulder muscles
punching under his unfamiliar coat is
TO the football game of a rival coll
lege. We was a "spotter' on elo-
quence. He explained that somebody
or other was going-or was supposed
to be Going-to have an inter-colle-
giate oratorical contest open to the
State for gold cup. He was giving
his eagle a milk diet before returning
with the fresh meat of song and pas
sion that he expected to find, Trinity
had not thought herself given suffi-
cient notice. but she had sent Mr..
Pugh to spy out the land. And he had
found this. He had wandered in the
rare night air with his oratory in fan
neIs for this! Mr.. Pugh had on
disgust!
The contest really ought to have
come off 1t was duly advertised.
Why il did not Search me-and be
disappointed. This story has no de-
noument.
The reporter returned to the boss.
Get a good story - said he.