The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-20

the bridge and the brambles. with
me all smothered up in Peggy Adams
coat, you ask me. But you know l
care. Ask me again tomorrow night.
I've really got to get to that banquet
now. Tom, if you really love me show
it now. You give me your coat and
hat and I'll fool them. It's getting
dark. They'll never know. You're
an angel. You must wait here a lit
tie while so they won't think it is
funny that there are two of US if they
are still watching. You know it would
mortify me to death if those snippy
freshmen really got me"
In a second Tom, shorn of his coat
and hat, was watching from his re-
treat the departing figure of Sally,
who was taking long strides and strut
ting off in apparent imitation of his
gait.
He waited patiently for five minutes.
The darkness was settling and a cold
wind was springing up. He looked
down at the bundled coat and hat that
belonged to Sally's Amazonian room
mate.
ut may be a queer fit" he said
but 1 m not going to catch pneumonia
for any one" And with that he pulled
on Peggy Adams spacious coat and
pulled her sport hat down over his
head, and then, forgetful of his
strange disguise, he strolled through
the woods in the direction that Sally
had gone.
Suddenly he heard footsteps behind
him and then torrent of high pitched
voices. Then the youngest professor
suddenly felt himself borne down upon
by unseen hands from the rear and in
another minute he was struggling
against what seemed to be a bag that
was drawn over his head and was be-
ing tied securely about his waist and
bound in, gag-wise, at his mouth.
Then the youngest professor felt him
self being pushed by some dozen firm
young hands and arms into apparent
ly was bag of enormous proportions.
Now lift her into the wheelbarrow,
gentle, cause we don't want to hurt
her" That was as much as Tom could
stand. 1t did not take much of an eff
fort to wriggle his way out of the gag
tied about his mouth, and with a few
more struggles his hands were free.
The outer bag seemed to be more Sc
curely tied. He could at least use his
voice and his fists. He pitched his
voice as low as possible and assumed
an air of deep Importance.
Young ladies, this is going too far"
There was chorus of mingled
screams pitched in as many keys as
there were freshmen and in moment
more the youngest professor stood
forth in the semidarknesS, facing his
embarrassed captors- He DOTTED his
borrowed cap and bowed low.
Il suppose l am a surprise to you.
You know. 1 suppose, that hazing such
as you were attempting is strictly pen
allied by the faculty.
But We didn't know it was you.
We thought it was Sally. How did
you get into Peggy's coat and hat?" a
dozen voices asked.
IF I We're TO tell you young ladies"
with a brave attempt at dignity, that
this was all part 81 a faculty plot to
! discover and bring to justice the ring
leaders in this hazing conspiracy, I
suppose you would have to admit that
we had been a little shrewder than
you" He watched with pleasure the
| look of dismay and CONSERVATION that
came over the faces of the freshmen.
Then he smiled with all the candor of
the boy that he was and none of the
/ self-importanc of she professor that
he had been trying 10 be- as he said;
But that is not the case. 1 was
not scouting for the faculty when l
was caught, though I'm sure they'd
like to get a report of the encounter
Now here's a fair bargain. ! won't
report you if you won't report me.
Perhaps some day you will know why
I was strolling around in a sopho-
more's coat and hat. For the time
being the joke is on all OF u.s.
And the youngest professor con-
tinued his way TO his boarding house
! coatless and hatless in spite of the
chill winds of F'ebruary.=( Copyright.
1916, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndi-
cate.)