The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1915-08-19
His Salutatory
Grafton
BY EUNICE BLAKE

To the collegian the time of his grad
uation is critical, especially if he ha:
been prominent in college and much /.
expected of him. The question has
been asked. What becomes of all the
valedictorians? This is story of what
became of young man who stood mex
TO head in his class, but who babe fail
to take a more important stand in life
than any other member.
1t was few days before commence
ment. Eliot Ayres, who was expect
ing his mother and sister to hear him
speak at graduation, went to the sta.
ton to meet them. Having missed the
train, they failed TO arrive, but some
one else arrived whose coming made q
considerable difference to Mr.. Ayres.
He was slowly walking away from
the train when he felt a pair of arms
with extremely light covering thrown
around his neck, an uplifted face was
| thrust against his, and he was kissed
by very pretty girl he had never
seen before. Discovering that she had
| made a mistake, she shrank from the
man she had kissed, covering her face
with her hands.
| The first impression made upon Ayres
! by this sudden clasping was that it
was done for the purpose of robbing
him. Involuntary he put his hand on
the inside pocket of his coat. where he
kept his pocketbook, and it was not
there.
Give me my pocketbook," he said
In no very deferential tone.
The girl uncovered her face and look
ed at him, the hot blood mounting to
her cheeks.
what do you mean?" she asked in
dignantly
There was a refinement about her
that seemed to preclude the possibility
of her being a thief. Besides, her in
dignation bore the stamp of being gen
uine. Ayres felt again in his pocket
and on looking down on the sleeve of
his coat remembered that he had
changed it before leaving his room
Then it occurred to him that he had
not changed his pocketbook as well.
81 beg your pardon, he said quite
meekly. Il have made mistake as
well as you. I left my pocketbook at
home"
Now, why in the name of justice was
not this a fair standof between the
two? Each had been mistaken; there
fore there was nothing further to do
but for the girl to say, You are quite
excusable," and for the man to say,
Good morning. and, lifting his hat,
deferentially pass on. But what must
the girl do but shoot fire from her eyes
and say:
Give me your name and address.
My brother will call upon you to
avenge this INSULT"
But have explained l beg a thou
sand pardons"
you may beg million if you likel"
But
Never mind. Since you refuse me
your name and address, | shall have |
to locate you. | can point you out"
And, turning on her heel, she swept |
OUT Oh the SldulOu.
The next day about 10 in the morn |
ing military band gathered on the
college campus. Positions for the va
rious classes and alumni were marked. |
Young men i'll caps and gowns began to
pour out of the dornitories, the CON-
procession was formed and
to the chapel for the gradual
ng exercises. The salutatory grafton
was delivered by Ayres. His place
was second in rank, but the valedic-
.orian was a grind, while Ayres was
considered a genius, of whom great
.hings were expected when he got into
he battle of life.
Ayres, being the first man to speak,
stepped on the rostrum and made his
DOW to the audience, most of whom,
his caliber, awaited expect
lntly the power of his eloquence.
Mr.. Ayres. looking down on the
benches before him, saw sitting in the
ront row the girl whom he had the
lay before accused of robbing him and
whose brother was to settle with him
or the insult. No such revenge was
necessary. The young lady booked up ;
t the salutatorian at the critical mo- !
nent of his life and slew him.
The first sentence of Ayres' Grafton
lad been written to arrest the atten-
ion of the audience 1t was vigorous
entence of two words. AS Ayres ,
poke it it was like bringing down
Gather instead of sIedgehammer.
md this would apply to his whole ora
ion. The girl in the audience sat look
Nc up at him with pair of beautiful
quid eyes filled with contempt The i,
lost telling utterances she received
nth curl of the lip; at those parts
yhich were intended to express great
ceiling she gave him a look of leyity.
The Grafton was a failure. When l
.yres stepped down from the rostrum l
e knew that his audience had been ,
realty disappointed in him. His moth
r and sister Joined him and asked him
that in the world had been the matter
18th him. He put them off. If he had
I'D them the truth he would have said
nat career had been ruined.