Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-12-10

gathered himself for q fresh start and
wrote rapidly.
Farmers getting rattled." whis-
pered the boy on the back seat
Richard made another mental note
and plunged on.
Time" 1t was the voice of the as
| sistant.
Richard dropped his pen and gath.
| cred up his scattered notes. running
his eyes hastily over them. They
were enough to funk him. He could
see that at glance. He handed them
in with sullen face.
''ln half an hour the oral eXamina-
tion will be held in this room," an
nounced the assistant in stereotyped
voice.
The boys plunged into the open.
Richard sought out the boy of the
back seat and salved his wounded
feelings by hand-to-hand measures.
You've got muscle" he said envi-
ously
Two upper-classmen, passing. had
stopped for moment to watch the
contest. He'll have try for the
team" said one.
They strolled on.
Its the shoulders that count"
"Partly-and muscle"
"And grit. Did you see his face!
Looked as if he was chewing iron
Richard and the boy shook hands
and went back to the classroom. The
professor. was on the platform. He
had mild brown hair and large nose.
surmounted by spectacles. He
glarcd through them at the hapless
,, youth. He had a sensitive ear for
Greek accents and the entrance exam.
nations wore on it. The assistant had
been showing him the written work.
1t was very poor. His face was pre-.
pared for the worst. The oral exam
nation would consist OF reading in
the original Greek.
The boys subsidized beneath his glare
and there was ominous silence.
Next" growled the professor. lie
surveyed Richard-his heavy shuul
ders and big hands-and groaned in.
wardly. lie resigned himself to his
fate.
Richard struggled to his feet. His
face was red and his throat dry. The
words came with rasping hoarseness.
Then the swing of the rhythm caught
him. His voice opened and deepened
and he was off on the lines. The ST.
lence of the woods was about him,
and the sound of the cross-cut saw
rose upon 1t. He swayed to its tune.
the words rolling out-rising and fall
ing to n kind of heavy chant. The
professor on the platform started n
little. He pushed his spectacles high
on his forehead and rubbed his great
nose. The wrinkles smoothed from
his brow and the peace OF days settled
upon his face. The boy on the back
seat nudged his neighbor. Farmers
getting there" he whispered.
"H-s.h." growled the professor.
Richard came to n stop. looking up
blinkingly. He had forgotten the class
and the professor He and Tom had
been swaying back and forth to the
sound OF the cross-cut saw, chanting
the deep. monotonous sounds.
The professor beamed on him. A
faint. halfscared cheer went up from
the class. The spectaclcs descended
and glared at them. Time to cheer
when you are out OF the woods" he
said. Next"
The next youth rose and blundered
on. The hour wore away and the class
escaped, but bruised and sore.
The professor detained Richard by
n gesture. Where did you Gt?" he
asked brusquely.
AT home"
"Where?"
''In Ashton"
Massachusetts,"
Yes"
There's no school there"
NO. sir: studied by myself ant
with an old man"
"Umph," The spectacies regarded
him.
And did he read Greek the way
you do?'
The boys face reddened. Not eS.
actly. We did it that way. saving
logs-I got into the swing Of it and
forgot"
The professor leaned forward. tap
ping the Odyssey with his spectacles
You recited Greek in the woods?"
Yes. sir
The professors face grew light. He
chuckled. And we think we can
teach them indoors"
rs 1t all right, sir?"
"All right" growled the professor.
Its the way they did 1t in Greece
5000 years ago. Go home and thank
your lucky stars you had something
besides boards over your head while
you learned it,
CTo BE CoNTrNUEDJ
EsS Es,,zS ~