The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-09

A S the train drew near the city
N Mr.. Devine actually laid aside
/ y his paper unfinished and from
casual observation of some
passing landmark gave his whole at
tention to the moving scene outside
the car window.
There are the falls" ne commented
to himself. HIM. that used to be the
last station but one. and the old cross
ing-but they've filled up the pond.
Must be getting pretty near"
He glanced az his watch and fell
to thinking with characteristic energy
what he should say to his son-which.
equally Enthusiastically. he had
avoided doing until now. He never
wasted more time upon any business
transaction than was necessary for its
successful handling. and Howard and
Towards affairs. including whatever
foolishness he might now have got
into his head. were merely his next
most pressing piece Of business-cer-
tainly the business nearest his heart.
but which he could have done nothing
to advance by fussing over all the way
between Chicago and ".
He had in fact done no fussing at
all since he had read his sons letter,
but he had not been unaware Of
slight, subconscious anxiety, like an
undercurrent. through all his business
hurry since. And he had had to
hurry, beyond the usual quick de-
spatch Of business. to enable him 10
snatch this rare holiday for even such
an important event as his sons
senior class day and commencement.
1t was a day they had looked for
ward to for years-ever since he had
entered the boy "a little reluctant. for
were not Harvard and Yale more
sounding names?) at his own uni
versity, using-he had never told
Howard how much-of his gilded sub
stance to secure the very same old
dormitory which he had occupied in
his student years. on that point Of
the university he had shown a singu-
lar obstinacy.
yale or Harvard after, for any
special course you like" he had said.
and Europe after that; / don't pro-
pose TO stint you in anything, but
I've set my heart on my only son
taking his degree where his father and
his grandfather did before him. It's n
good university-and our native town.
brought up out West" dixie all middle
westerners, he spoke OF Chicago as
"WesD alters nothing. A little pure
New England won't hurt you and
you'll get 1t double distilled in X.
II hasn't changed any"
Here the speaker had smiled a trfle
grimly. for il he loved the place with
an ancestral weakness he also pri-
vately despised it as back number
His son-also privately-thought this
might be other than a recommends
ton, but he yielded with a good grace.
What are a few years to youth, with
its certain hold upon immortality?
ITS a wonder to me you never &c
back for class reunions" he once re-
marked during a vacation as they sal
talking college in the library ovel
their cigars; and his father had an
swered with a shrug:
"Oh, either there's a furry on the
market or big case on hand, ol
your mother is wanting to sail for Eu
rope just then. Wen come to YOU
class day" he had added, and the!
had both laughed.
He was keeping the promise now
though alone, and thought with a mo
ment's grave regret Of his wife-hov
much the day would have meant 4
her. He could not have failed to COM
il only on her account. and he woul'
not willingly have done so on hi
own: but Howard had triple clinche'
the certainty with that last letter o
hs--a very bombshell of letter {
wind up a four years course in whic
the boy had run up no debts, got int