The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-10-07
How College Man
Was Reformed
3, EVERETT p. CLARKE

Dear Mater-1 received your last remit
tance Of fifty yesterday. We are within
. week Of examinations, and am study
ING: very hard. note what you say about
mind what have In mind. Lucy 10
lovely Girl and I'm sure will make me an
excellent wife, but you know I'm still
neafly year from graduation and there
Will be more years while I am studying
my profession. This seems very long to
me. since I'll not be able to claim Lucy
until am through with studying. The
cool weather will be coming on soon and
III need new overcoat. trust It won't
Inconvenience you to send mo 400 for
III need some other things besides the
ovsrcoat. Ia ta, mother dear: don't wor-
~ about my getting into bad company
or ns9lecting my studies or otherwise dis
gracing myself. With loads Of love, your
dutiful son, ELIHU STEVENS.
When Mrs. Stevens received a let
ter from her dutiful son, or, rather, an
envelope purporting to come from him,
being an old lady with weak eyes, she
turned it over to her niece. Miss Lucy
Pennington, to read to her. Lucy took
out the letter, and when she saw the
first word in 1t she started. Then, tell
ing her aunt that she would be back in
few minutes, she ran out Of the
room, opened desk In which her
aunt kept her sons letters. took out
one dated several months before, re-
turned with it and read it to the old
lady in place Of the one just received.
The letter she read Is printed above.
This Is the letter that came in the en-
velOpe:
Dearest Brownie-My last remittance is
here. and l am again in funds. shall
be over to see you in my car on Saturday
afternoon. and I hope you will again be
able to fool your duenna and meet me at
the old spot in the woods for ride.
Mother writes me that she has set hor
heart on my marrying-after I get my
profession. of course-my cousin, Lucy
Pennington. Lucy Is good girl-too good
for me-but there isn't the snap about
her there h In you. She would think 1t
very wrong to meet young man as you
meet me, fooling some one In order to
do 1t and having high old time. She is
rather too much on the Sunday school
order for that. Goodby. shall expect to
see you at the hour and place appointed
Your lover ELIHU.
The next letter Mr.. Stevens received
from his mother was forgery Miss
Lucy Pennington had written it, imi-
tating her aunt's handwriting. It
warned Elihu to take especial care of
himself when the weather turned cold,
to always wear his rubbers In wet
weather and not study so hard as to
injure his health. There was one para
graph which arrested Elihu's earnest
attention. 1t was this:
I am sorry to say that I fear my plan
with respect to you and Lucy Is not likely
to be carried out. Lucy has been receiv-
ing attention lately from a man at least
ten years older than herself. and very
steady business man. She doesn't seem to
be Interested in men near her own age
So we shall have to give that matter up.
Mr.. Stevens frowned. He was very
fond Of his cousin. Indeed, when he
had left home for college she had
been his sweetheart, and he had since
intended when he returned that she
CuOUAO SIkAl VIC AIo 0WSCIuC0Ik IL 6utS
would. His mothers plan had met his
hearty concurrence. He was feeling
dumpy about this change in her when
he noticed another letter lying on his
table. Opening 1t, he read:
Mr.. Elihu Stevens.
Dear Suitcase take notice that the
little affair that has been between US is
between US no longer. I regret that I
have so forgotten myself as to neglect
my studies and deceive the profs. to go
meandering about with young man who
has been deceiving me. Yours respect
fully, BROWNIE.
There were two girls who had given
him the cold shoulder at the same
time. How could it have happened?
He thought the matter over, and it &C.
Cured to him that when he had writ
ten to his mother or to Brownie he had
been suddenly called by the college bell
to a lecture and had hurried the two
letters into envelopes. He suspected
that he had slipped each. into the en-
velope intended for the other. Then
he scrutinized the handwriting Of his
mothers letter and caught the forgery
He was in hole. He surmised that
his cousin Lucy had written the letter
purporting to come from his mother,
that the steady man ten years her senior
was myth and that she had written
it in order to appear to turn down Eli
hu rather than submit to be turned
down by him.
He would have eaten humble pie at
once If it would have done any good,
but it wouldn't. He was down on cold
paper as preferring Brownie, and moth
ing he could say to Lucy would undo
what had been done. His only chance
was to live it down and by reforming
his habits and years of decorous treat
ment Of his cousin to win her by the
time he had finished his education.
Fortunately at the coming Of trou-
BILE with Lucy the temptation to go
browsing among inferior girls was re-
moved. Miss Brownie was not reti-
cent young lady and having a great
many confidential friends, complained
to each and every one Of the way Elihu
had deceived her. Each friend had
her own circle Of friends and the mat
ter soon became common property.
The conaanuonce of all this Elihu dis.