The Washington herald., 1914-08-23

spirits here, sir (Mr. Smalls always did,
you'H find It nice place.
"Or else 'ere's this ere window seat.
You see. sir, it opens with spring, andy
for that purpose"
FuII-aedEed Freshman.
When verdant ana his father had left
the rooms Mr.. Filcher danced a wild
exulting pas d'extase-a new victim had
been delivered into his hands, one OF
such guilelessness that. had the enter
prising scout been born late enough &c
be conversant with that rich new Ian
guage, modern slang, he would have
made remarks In his hilarity about an
easy mark and taking candy from a
kid"
Verdant had been well founded in. the
classics by tutors and by the efforts OF
Rev. Mr.. Larkyns, and so he passed his
i entrance examination all right and was
duly matriculated.
The squire went back to Green Manor
to tell OF the wonders he had seen and
Of the strange things he had experienced.
His idea of the city Of oxford itself was
confused tumble
"A mass Of many images crowded like
waves upon Mr.. Green0 yet clear and
distinct, through ii all, there ran "the
stream-like wanderings Of that glorious
street" the high street Of Oxford, which
| has been. declared to be without its
equal in the whole world
| A Friendly Call.
And verdant was left with all his trou-
bles before him.
One of the first things he did was to
call upon Mr. Charles LArlryns. Mr..
] Larkyns was taking his ease in a dress
ing gown and slippers
His room had a decidedly sporty"
look: Star on the Derby" copies OF
some OF Landseer's pictures, a fox's
| mask and two brushes" 7Stherwise
/ the head of a fox and two fox tails
were a part of the adornments.
The mirror was stuck full Of trades
mems cards and unpaid tradesmen's
bills. There was a collection Of sticks,
whips, spurs. fishing rods, cricket bats,
boxing gloves. foils, etc. And on the
table boxes of cigars.
Lounging in an easy chair opposite Mr.
| LarSyns was a gentleman clad in a
! tartan plaid costume whose face could
be dimly discerned through the glass bot
tom of a pewter mug from which he
was extracting the last drop of ale Two
Skye terriers barked as Verdant, after
! gently knocking, opened the door.
! Who goes there?" demanded Mr.. Lar
kyns. 1T is no use coming here, young
man. I don't owe you anything. and IL
1 did it's not convenient to pay. And
| now, my friend, you had better make
yourself scarce. You know where the
door lies"
Is Victim of MonomauIa.
Why. Charles Larkyns!" gasped Yer
dant, don't you remember me?'
At the sound of his voice Charles sprang
up and, grasping Verdant by both hands.
greeted him warmly, asking a thousand
pardons for his mistake.
Il am," said Charles, "a victim of
peculiar monomania. There are, in this
! place wretched beings who call them
selves tradesmen and who labor under
the impression that I owe them what they
call little bills; ard. though l have fire.
quently told their messengers, when they
were kind enough TO call and ask for
Mr. Larkyns, that that unfortunate
gentleman had been obliged to hide him
self in a convent abroad, yet the wretches
still hammer at my door and disturb my
peace of mind.
But bring yourself to an anchor. This
man is Smalls; capital fellow Smalls,
this is Mr. Verdant Green-a-hem-
freshman, and the proprietor. I believe,
of your old rooms"
His First Quiet Party.
verdant was invited to attend that
rooms. The rooms were filled with noise
and smoke and the refreshments were
liquid.
Somehow Verdant found himself with
real cigar in his mouth and, later IN
the evening. when asked to sing, began
in a bow, plaintive voice, IT dreamt 1
dwelt in ma-arble balls, with''-here he
stuck and Bouncer cried Spit it out.
Giglamps, is it Maudlin Hall you're sing
ing about?'
Try back again, verdant," shouted
Charles Larkyns. And Verdant tried but
stuck again.
Il beg your pardon, gentlemen, but
I forget-'And I also dreamed which
pleased me most'-no that's not it"
Then the whole room came out with
shout-''That you loved me still the
same''-over and over again. Verdant
took more punch and then they made
He made one which began something
like this: "Genelum, I'm freshmal and
namesgrelr'-and went on in a like edify-
ing and intelligible manner.
The Morning After.
Two men took him across the quad"
and put him to bed in his own room o
the remorse, the shame. the mental and
physical tortures which came crowding
upon Verdant when he awoke the morn
ing after his first debauch.
Perhaps some of the readers Of this
veracious narrative can look back and
remember a morning when they were in
the same situation as Mr.. Verdant Green.
They, and they alone, can understand
his feelings upon the morning after Mr..
smalls' quiet little party, The others
can never know.
It would take a volume-and, indeed, a
volume has been written thereon-to tell
Of all the strange, weird things that
happened TO Verdant while he was un-
dergoing the process of being transformed
into a college man."
They even got him mixed up in a
Town and Gown" row once-one Of those
fights between the citizens and the stu
dents, which used to be such an enter
tanning and lively Feature of school
astic life at the great English institu-
ton Of learning.
Saved by the Pet.
Verdant was pretty well pummeled and
! would have suffered more had II not
-been for the protection of Charles Lar
kyns, and especially of the Putney Pet,
an ex-prize fighter and professional in
structor In the noble art of self-defense.
who had been brought down from Lon
don by Larkyns, Bouncer and others to
fight on the side of scholarship and cru
dition and furnished with mortar-board
cap and college gown before the aca-
demic party sailed forth.
Verdant was not the only person who
profited by the presence OF the Pet that