The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-06-13
The Two
Schools
A Story For the Cradu-
alton Period

tnelT graduating pieces 10 auuulrlHS
audiences-their parents and relatives
furnish the admiration-the boys dress
ed in their Sunday clothes. the girls
In simple white. | canot refrain from
thinking back to those days when ali
this was Of so great moment to me.
Even as schoolgirls we were looking
forward to time when we should be
the mothers sending our children to
school and listening to them crate on
graduating day. And some of us girls
had sweethearts long before we reach
ed the high school. But there Is
long step between a high school and
a grammar school graduation and a
still longer one between a high school
and college commencement.
My beau ideal at school was Fred
Sumner. If | could win a little atten-
ton from him l was happy. If he
frowned upon me was like sweet
Alice" In the song of ben Bolt"-I
trembled. He was the son Of wealthy
parents and one Of the leaders in the
social features Of our school life. Hap
by was the girl who received an invi-
tation to one Of the children's parties
at his fathers home. l was thus hon
ored. though l was not quite up to
Fred Summers set, and appreciated
the honor.
There was another boy in the school
who lived near me and who was of
very different type. Johnny RyersOn.
Johnny'S mother was widow and In
straitened circumstances. She really
couldn't afford to keep Johnny at
school, but she did. though as soon as
he was old enough to work she needed
what he could earn. Johnny studied
very hard. He was obliged to study
hard. because he did not learn readily.
But what Johnny learned he learned
thoroughly. In this he was unlike my
idol, Fred Sumner. who learned so
easily that he seldom paid much at
tention to his studies till just before
examination. when he would do all his
studying at once.
When Fred went away to college I
was considered his best girl. He
would leave me alone once in awhile
to go after some other. but invariably
came back to me. What ii was that
held him to me dOa't know. was
certainly nothing OF belle. and the
social standing of my family was moth
ing like his. Nevertheless there must
have been something in me to attract
him. for he certainly gave me the
preference. and before he was grad
uated he told me his story"
When we all got through the high
school the question came up as to 60
ing to college. Girls were not so used
to getting college education then as
now, and !. not having the means to
carry me through without working my
own way, concluded not to take a uni
versity course. Fred Sumner went to
one Of the large colleges. where he
soon became prominent He was elect
ed a member Of one Of the most select
fraternities and was altogether an all
around desirable fellow.
Johnny Ryersons mother made up
her mind that her son should have a
energies to that end. O. college
was but few miles from where we
lived, and Johnny could go there and
sleep and eat at home. At least
that's what he did, though how no
body could find out. Johnny didn't get
into any Of the fraternltles ana, in
fact. took back seat all through his
college course. How could he be promi-
nent when he never had any money
to subscribe for the different affairs
Of his class or his college that must be-
paid for by subscription? Besides. he
was working at something all the
while During the winter months he
worked at odd jobs though he was
obliged to contine himself To such as
he could do ut certain tunes, for not
being smart he was obliged to study
hard In order to get through college,
And even then he took rather low
stand in his class.
While John was in college was lly-
ing at home. and when he had time he
used to come to see me, for we had
been brought up In the same town and
had always known each other. | knew
very well what his mother was doing
for him. how she pinched and saved
and worked to get money to help her
boy to get an education.
Somehow took it into my head that
I was an object of more than especial
interest to John. 1t did not trouble me
no woman Is troubled ut superiority
of lovers--but felt sorry that | could
not reciprocate. John WAS not my
ideal at all. That ideal was Fred Sum-
ner. No two men could have been
more different. Summers clothes were
cut in the height of fashion. and his
manners were delightful, especially
with women. toward whom he was
charmingly deferential. John Ryerson
not only wore his hat on all occasions.
but It was very shabby. Moreover he
had no fraternity badge to pin on his
waistcoat. Tn other words, he was not
considered of enough importance to be
elected member Of fraternity.
And yet there was something about
John that liked. suppose 1t was his
integrity. The world, especially the So
ii al. -