The Marshall republican., 1909-12-17
CHAPTER VIII.

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old Four-Eyes want?" he demanded.
Got a leather medal anywhere?"
"What'd he say, anyhow"
The fact that Richard was their
senior by several years did not seem
to impress them. They gathered
about him, chatting and questioning.
They disregarded his stern look as he
tried to shoulder his way through the
crowd.
"Oh, hold on"
Tell us what he said"
In the end Richard complied, half
resentfully.
Liked it, did he? My eye!"
They danced about him.
For he liked it, don't you know,
don't you know" they chanted, For
he liked 1t, don't you ~know-o-oh!"
"Then Aurora, rosy-fngered daugh.
ter Of the MORN" walled In the Greek
a small, chubby lad with pink cheeks.
It was the seesaw chant of the
woods.
The group took 1t up with a shout
Of Joy. They ser. the burlesaue Jig.
ging across the campus
Heads we're thrust out above. Hey,
o freshies! Haw-haw-haw! Keep
quiet, down there!"
A shout Of defiance went up from
the group. They were drunk with too
much Greek and with release from op.
preston.
A deep voice underran the chant
and snatched it from them and made
tt hao,.ttfuI h,rltn0 a. nrf with fnrne
The group looked at him a moment
d%oubtingly. Then they gave way and
followed his lead. The burlesque had
become a march Of triumph. Breath
less they landed him at his own door.
Say, you fellows, what do o bet
old Four-Eyes don't let us all off easy
on account of the farmer?"
Three cheers for farmer!"
"Hip-hip!"
Three cheers for Four-Eyes!"
Heads were thrust out again above.
"Yah-yah-yah! Dry up, down there
Yah-yah!"
The group broke up and drifted apart
with a Anal yell. Windows descended
with a slam, and quiet reigned.
The Greek professor, crossing the
campus FIVE minutes later, heard only
the twittering Of English sparrows
and the quiet rustic Of the leaves. I'm
derneath the quiet. for the professors
ears. ran noro epic lines. chanted
to q deep measure. The professor held
his head high and stepped to q mighty
tune.
The whole class was entered with
nj condition In Grsek--a thing un'
p~recedented. The faculty gaspsd
when they heard the news. The
students grinned. News Of the Greek
prodigy. got about college. Poor Rich
ard found his path q thorny one. He
could not appear on the campus but
q chant in Greek would spring up Of
itself In the Misunderstanding or dy
ing away to an echo. according to the
number Of students on hand. and end
ing always with the mocking refrain
~For he liked It. don't you know
o-oh!"
The situation gave him enough t.
think about. He forgot to remember
Emily, or even to remember that h
had expected to remember her and b,
miserable. She rested In the back
ground OF memory. q faint blur
brushed out OF existence by q grinnini
yell Of derision.
He learned to set his teeth and grin
back; and in the end he found his an
welcome distinction an advantage. I
might not be comfortable to be recog
nized and pointed out in every new
class he attended as the learned wood
chopper; but at least he was recog
nized. No professor forgot his name
or fumbled up and down the class-lis'
trying to place him. And the fac
that he was older than the majority
of the class, added to- the uncann,
Greek distinction, gave him an as
sured place.
When 1t was known that he wal
working his way through college mum
berless opportunities sprang up. Thu
faculty gave him tutoring and secre
tary work to do, The student bod,
put him on the football team. Emily
image grew SO faint that Cupid mus
have wrung his infant hands In dc
spair.
The four years went by with undie
nifed haste. Richard was consciou
2 OF leaving undone half that he mean
to do. He groaned in spirit over vas
tracts OF literature--of which he kne,
not even the name--that he could ge
no time to explore. Nevertheless, b
found himself, at the end Of tn
course, taking honors in English. II
gasped q little. Then he hunted u
the professor OF English and laid b
fore him his secret desire.
Want to be q Journalistic" said tn
professor with q smile. Il thought !
was Greek"
Richard made hasty gesture
*Nsrsri"