The daily Alaskan., 1908-06-20
A Man of High Degree.
Lorlglnal.l

and Arthur's prospects for getting more than school education were not encouraging when an aunt died md left him an annuity of 5000 so long as he remained Q student in q uniyer- Bity which she designated.
 Arthur was eighteen and q half when he entered college. He passed a splendid examination and was picked out for head of his class. His friend Edwin Tyler, entered the same year, managed to scrape through the en- trance examination and was picked out for the foot of the class At the high school from which the two young men went to college was Beatrice Ford. young lady of sixteen, to whom both were devoted. The brilliant Leigh ton, however, was far in Che lead. and there wal an understanding between him and Beatrice that when he was graduated they should be engaged.
 During the first year Arthur Leigh ton took most of the prizes offered, while Ned Tyler barely maintained a small fraction over a rating which would throw him out of college. Tyler was somewhat prominent In athletics, but be was especially interested in class politics. Not being sufficiently scholarly to warrant his appropriating any of the appointments" to himself, he distributed them among those sup posed to be fitted for them. Indeed, he was what might be called the class "boss." But in the middle of the second year even this ignoble distinction was denied him, for he was caught one night holsting a calf Into the belfry and expelled.
 Leighton was graduated at the head of his class. He had spent every va cation with Beatrice Ford, had cor. responded with her and on his gradua- tIon they became formally engaged. Arthur was very much puzzled in the choice of a career He was so yer. satlle, he seemed fitted for so many different fields, that he was drawn In as many different directions. When the summer had passed he had not decided. If by the first of october following be did not return 10 college he would find himself without an h. come. He concluded to enter for postgraduate course. during which be would make up hIs mind as to his fu- ture course. Had there been a law school at his alma mater he would have become a lawyer, for he could have studied the profession there, re- celylng the annuity. But there was no law school at the university, and by the terms of the will he must study there, and there only.
 Meanwhile Ned Tyler contlnuel his downward course - so some of his friends expressed it-by hunting up scraps of news and selling them to newspapers. There seemed only one occupation lower than this, and he fell into that too. He became Q political ward manager. He had the while been steadfaSt in his love for Beatrice Ford, though she was preoccupied with bis rival. One day after an election she saw his name In the list of sue cessful candidates for the legislature. "How fortunate" she said, that chose Arthur! I always feared that Ned would go down hlll.'"
 At the end of another year Leighton found himself in a position to lose the benefit of his course of study unless be finished It, which would take an. other year. Besides, the moment he ceased to be a student at the univer- slty bis income would cease. Re con. suited with Beatrice, who declined to advise him. He continued the course, and when the second year was finish ed, being stin in the same position, took a third year.
 Beatrice did not lack decision, and when Arthur entered for the third year his postgraduate course she broke the engagement. This nearly broke his heart as well, but he was getting too old to study a profession, had no taste for business, and his only way of mak- Ing living seemed to be by remaining a student. The consequence was that when the seventh year of bis studies expired he entered for the degree of bachelor of philosophy, which required an additional five years course.
 Meanwhile Edwin Tyler being oblig- ed to get up on hls feet occasionally and talk to bis fellow legislators, grad ually attained the reputation of saying more to the point in fewer words than any of them. He was nominated for lieutenant governor and elected. The governor died, and Tyler became gov ernor. While he occupied the latter of- flee. hearing that his old sweetheart was disengaged, he proposed again.
 Beatrice had seen one of her lovers begin high and remain on the same level, which means to sink. Another be- gan low and climbed steadily upward. She objected to being the wife of a perpetual college boy, but was not ayerse to being the wife of governor. She had waited seven years for the college boy and was now old enough to banlsh some of the sentiment of early maldenhoOd and appreciate real