The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-12-11

gathered himself for fresh start and
wrote rapidly.
] Farmers getting ratified" wEls-
/ pered the bog on the back seat.
I Richard made another mental note
and plunged on.
/ Time Il was the voice OF the as
sistant
/ Richard dropped his pen and gath
/ cred up his scattered notes. running
his eyes hastily over them. Tnev
were enough to flank him. He co-.d
/ see that al glance He handed them
< in with sgllen face.
( In hall an hour the oral exam IA
tion vii! be held in this room" N.
nounced the assistant in a stereoty d
( voice
The boys plunged into the opeu
/ Richard sought out the boy of The
/ back seat and salyed his wouuGed
t feelings By hand-to-hand meas -s
You've got muscle, he said emil
/ ously.
/ Two upper-classmcn. passing, lad
/ stopped for q moment to watch The
contest He'll have try for he
+ team" said one
They strolled on.
ITS the shoulders that count"
/ "Partly-and muscle
/ And grit Did you see his face,
/ Looked as II he WAS chewing iron
Richard and the boy shook haads
and went back to the classroom. ne
professor was on the platform. lie
had mild brown hair and large nose,
surmounted by spectacles He
glared through them at the hap.ass
i youth. He had a sensitive ear for
Greek accents and the entrance exam
nations wore on it The assistant lad
! been showing him the written work.
II was very poor His face was pre-
pared for the worst The oral exam
ination would consist OF reading IN
the original Greek
The boys subst5e5 beneath his glare
and there was ominous silence
Next. growled the professor He
surveyed Richard-his heavy sh18I-
ders and big hauds-and groaned in
wardly He 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 of on the lines The ST.
lence of the woods was about him,
and the sound OF the cross-cut saw
rose upon It He swayed to its tune.
the words rolling out-rising and iall-
ing to kind Of heavy chant The
professor on the platform startet a
little. He pushed his spectacles Ltgh
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-sh'" growled the professor
Richard came to a 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, half-scared cheer went up from
the class The spectacles descended
and glared at them. Time 10 cheer
when you are out of the woods" he
said. Next"
The next youth rose and hlundered
on, The hour wore away and the class
escaped but bruised and sore
The professor detained Richard by
a gesture Where did YOU 6t?" Re
asked brusquely.
AT home"
Where"
In Ashton"
Massachusetts, ,"
Yes"
There's no school there"
No. sir; l studied by mysef and
with an old man
"Umph'" The spectacles rsgarded
him.
And did he read Greek ,he way
you do2'
The boys face Redeemed Not ex-
actly. We did it that way. saving
loss-l got into the swing Of it and
forgot"
The professor leaned forward, tap.
ping the Odyssey with his spectacles
You recited Greek in the woodsa"
Yes. sir
The professors face grew light. He
chuckled. And we think We can
teach them indoors"
rs it all right. sir?"
All right'" growled the Professor
It's the way they did it in Greece
1000 years ago. Go home and thank
your lucky stars you had something
besides boards over your head while
you learned it"
TO BE CONTINUED
.Rz
.S