The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-05-13
The Firm Of GirdleStOne
"A. CONAN DOYLE
" BY


been concentrated upon the myster-
les N botany, chemistry and zoology.
Dudng the pgeoious hours that should
have been devoted to the mastering
the subdivisions of the celenterata
or the natural orders of endogenOus
plants, he was expending his ener-
gies In endeavoring to recall the
words of the song which his cousin
had sung the evening before, or to
recollect the exact intonation with
which she remarked to him that 1t
had been a fine day, or some other
equally momentous observation. 1t
follows that as the day of the exam
ination came round the student, in
his lucid intervals, began to feel anx-
ious for the result. He had known
his work fairly well, however, at one
time and with luck he might pull
through. He made an energetic at
tempt to compress a months reading
into week, and when the day for the
written examination came round he
had recovered some of his lost ground.
The papers suited him fairly we'll,
| and he felt as he left the hall that he
had better fortune that he deserved.
The viva voce ordeal was the one,
however, which he knew would be
most dangerous to him, and he dread
\ ed 1t accordingly
] 1t was a raw spring morning when
his turn came to go up. His father
and Kate drove round with him to
the University gates.
Keep up your pluck, Tom," the
old gentleman said. BE cool. and
have your wits about you. Don't
lose your head, whatever you do"
Il seem TO have forgotten the lit
tie ever knew" Tom said dolefully,
as he trudged up the steps. AS he
looked back he saw Kate wave her
hand to him cheerily, and 1t gave
him fresh heart.
1--WE shall hope to see you at lunch
time" his father shouted after him.
Mind you bring us good news" AS
he spoke the carriage rattled away
down the Bridges and Tom joined
the knot of expectant students who
|
hall
A melancholy group they we're, sal
low-faced, long visaged and dolorous,
partly from the effects of a long
course of study and partly from their
present trepidation.
II was painful to observe their
attempts to appear confident and un-
concerned as they glanced round the
heavens as If to observe the state OF
the weather, or examined with we'll
feigned archaeological fervor the in.
scriptions upon the old University
when some one, plucking up courage
would venture upon tiny joke, q
which the whole company would glib
ber in an ostentatious way, a.
though to show that even In this dire
pass the appreciation of humor still
remained with them. At times, wheI
any of their number alluded to thu
examination or detailed the question:
which had been propounded to Brown
or Smith the day before, the mask o
unconcern would be dropped, and tn,
whole assembly would glare eagerl!
and silently at the speaker. Generall.
on such occasions matters are mad
infinitely worse by some Jobs com
forter, who creeps about suggesting
abstruse questions, and limiting tha
they represent some examiners par
, ticular hobby. Such one came +
Dimsdale's elbow, and quenched tn
last ray of hope which fingered il
> the young mans bosom.
, What do you know about eacodyl?
was his impressive question.
"Cacodyl?" Tom cried aghast. 1T
, s;tme Bort of antediluvian reptile
isn't it?"
a The questioner broke into a siokl
; smile. "No," he said. tits an organ
ic explosive chemical compound
, You're sure to be asked about cacody
| Testers dead on 1t. He asks ever
: one how it is prepared"
Tom, much perplexed at these tic
p ings, was feverishly endeayoring
extract some little information frol
hlo SOLupdhiOh SOlSCi Aih6 biO W.
q pound, when bell rang abruptly Ii
side the door and janitor with
red face and blue slip OF paper al
II peared at the door.
. "Dillon, Dimsdale. Douglas" tn
funotionary shouted In very pomI
; GUS voice. and three unhappy youn
% men filed through the half opene
door into the solemn hall beyond.
/ The scene inside was not calcula
= ed TO put them at their ease. Thr'
! tables, half dozen yards from eae
u other. were Uttered with various spec
mems and scientific instruments, al
behind each sat two elderly gentl
70 men, sternfaoed and critical. At oil
side were stuffed specimens Of var
GUS small beasts numerous sHe
- stons and skulls, jars co
tanning fish and reptiles pr
a. served In spirits of wine jay
ls bones with great teeth which GRIM,
g savagely at the unfortunate canc
q dates, and numerous other geologic
~ relics. The second table was heap
over with blazs of gorgeous orchi
u and tropical plants. which look
% strangely out of place In the gre
10 bleak room. The third was the mo
- dangerous of the many traps set