The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-17
! THE GENUS
COLLEGE BOY.
Copyright 1903, by American Press Asso-

| lCOpyTlBul, ltV5 Dy american IfeSB AA8O-
ciotion.l
"a bad business
whats the matter, Alec"
my uncle writes me that my Cous-
In Lillian is coming to town for week
to do some shopping. He asks me to
meet her at the station and show her
some attention. I'm under great obli-
| cations to my uncle. Indeed, he is
helping me through college. But what
| the dickens am | TO do? / have three
examinations coming ON at the end OF
the week and know nothing about any
one of the subjects. The only possible
way for me to get through is to bone
day and night. How can | do that
and dance attendance upon girl"
"Is your cousin prettyT
II haven't seen her since she was
kid"
How will you know herr"
"She will curry bunch Of violets In
her left hand"
"Well, ! win do the bonors I'm your
place If you like"
"Dick Rathvon, shake! You are
Joy forever"
When Miss Lillian Ayres alighted
from the train the next afternoon she
was met by TALL imposing looking
young man, who, seeing the signal vio-
let's, approached her and without the
slightest hesitation saluted Der with a
cousinly kiss.
"Why, how you have grownp she
exclaimed. You're the only big one of
the family"
"And how you have improvedw re-
piled the young man.. 81 never would
have supposed you would bloom into
such rare flower"
Several days passed, during which
the young man gave me undivided at
tention to the girl, cutting lectures,
chapel and any other college duty that
stood In the way of his doing so. But
one morning when his friend had been
| up all night cramming under the stim-
ulant of strong coffee Rathvon ap.
peared at HIS room and said:
"Alec, we're In hole"
"For heavens sake, what IL it?"
"Her fathers coming to take her
home"
"Great Scott! What are we going to
doT'
"Leave It to me-"
The next day Mr.. Rathvon upon
leaving Miss Ayres said:
II have a confession to make"
"What is itT"
"Since you have been here should
have been preparing for several i'm.
portant examinations. One OF them
! comes off tomorrow morning. Fortu-
nately your father will arrive then,
and you Will be provided for"
why, Alec, you should have told me
this before"
II couldn't"
Couldn't? Why notp'
'I've so enjoyed going about with
you"
"But your examination"
'If am plucked II viii be In n good
cause, lovely cause"
Heaven grant that you may not be-"
"Goodby. Before have got through
with the struggle you viii be gone."'
There was a cousinly kiss, the twen-
tieth In four days. and he was gone,
About 5 o'clock the next afternoon
Alec Ayres entered his room after
having passed the last of his term ex-
! aminations He found Dick Rathvon
filling pipe from skull tobacco
| holder. Alec threw himself into a
chair.
"Do you think they're goneT he
asked.
'The only through train welst at g."
"There's a day OF reckoning coming
for this"
'In the dim future. Don't borrow
trouble. Take pipe"
There was knock on the door.
Alec drew back the latch with lazy
string, and In walked his uncle and
his cousin.
"PoOr Alecw exclaimed Lillian"
going over to Dick and laying her
hand affectionately on his shoulder.
''Don't scold him, papa; he's been 50
nice to me-"
"Hello, Alec, my boy| said the un-
Gle. gTasping Alec's hand.
"Why, papa" interposed Lillian,
what are you doing? Don't you know
your own nephew2 This is Alec"
No hole opened to let the two boys
down into the cellar, where they
would fain have hidden themselves
So each drew down under his coat
collar and waited for the bolt to strike
him. Mr. Ayres was not stupid
man. Indeed, he saw in a moment
that some prank had been played
IF that gentleman is Alec" he said,
81 have been grossly imposed upon"
Lillian flushed red and white by
! turns
"Its all up, Dick" said Alec. "We
may as well confess. Uncle, Lillian, /
have been having terrible struggle
with my examinations. THIS is my
| chum. Dlck RathVon. He a0raad 10