Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-01-19


down 'Mr. Grabbenheim" with great
care after asking Allie how he spelled
it and pretty nearly flooring him.
We didn't think any more of it. 1t
was only q minor incident in a class
where whist parties were a regular
diversion in the back row. But two
days later Professor Wogg raralyzed
us by asking Mr.. Grabbenheim to put
the thirteenth problem on the board
for the benefit of the class. 1t was
great joke and Allie was about to eX-
plain that Mr.. Grabbenheim had been
called to Turkey in Asia by the death
Of this family when King Rearick sol
emily got up and put the problem on
| the board.
This was very funny and we hurt
ourselves choking down our amuSe-
ment while Keg. explained the work
and the professor said: VERY good,
indeed, Mr.. Grabbenheim." After class
we had a lot of fun over it, and two
days later, when Grabbenheim's name
was called again, one of the boys who
was up on that part of the lesson re-
cited without a break. Grabbenheim
was making a great record in calculus.
After class we held little meeting
and decided that with such prospects
Grabbenheim ought to live. 1t would
be a shame to cut him down at the
beginning of so brilliant a career. Be
Sides it wouldn't be bad plan to have
scholar in the class. So we decided
that whoever knew the part of the les
son which was assigned to Grabbenheim
was to recite it, and Grabby started
out on his dazzling course.
In a month Grabbenheim was the
sensation of the class. He had never
fallen down on a recitation. This was
only natural, since anyone of us who
knew the problem would get up and re-
| cite for him. 1t was pretty hard on
our two or three good scholars, because
they had to watch out for Grabben-
helm and their own marks, too, and it
kept them on edge all the time. More
over, every time a man recited for
Grabben'eim he had to funk for him
self, for fear Professor Wogg would
suddenly return to earth and wonder
how two men could occupy the same
chair at the same time But we point
ed out to them that the honor of, the
class was at stake. We had a star in
| Grabbenheim and it would never do to
desert him. They were loyal boys and
had big hearts and they saw the point
all but Simpkins. Everything would
have been easy if Simpkins hadn't got
ten jealous.
l never saw such fellow as Simp-
kins, anyway. He was always kicking
and Directing. There was no class
spirit in him at all. He thought exclu-
sively of himself. When the marks
came out at the end of the second
month Grabbenheim led the class by
an enormous plurality, and what did
Simpkins do but up and insurge. He
had always been a good scholar and he
couldn't bear to see anyone beat him.
He declined to recite for Grabbenheim
any longer. More than that, he threat
ened to expose him.
Think of having to worry along in
college with an ingrowing disposition
like that. We were furious. We met
Simpkins casually after literary So
ciety meeting and took him out to
clay quarry half full of the dampest
water you ever saw. There we talked
to him like brothers. We pied with
him not to risk his noble young life
by contracting pneumonia from getting
CsnD -n1 IN Es,f MI HoI
out just how this was certain to occur
! accidentally if he exposed Grabben-
helm. That settled the exposure bust
| ness-bOth kinds of exposures; but
| from that time Simpkins was mortal
enemy of GrabbenheimS. Twice he
| got up to recite for Grabbenheim and
failed mlserably. We had to take him
out to the quarry again and plead with
| him some more.
When the marks were announced
| Grabbenheim stood higher than any
man had ever stood in calculus before,
and Simp was very poor second. This
| pleased us so much that we decided
to enlarge Grabbys sphere of action
and let him see a little real college
life. Sooner or later the faculty would
begin to notice him and it would be all
off, of course. But while Grabby lived
we meant to have him enjoy himself.
We were going to give the poor chap
every chance to rise, and if that chump
Simpkins stabbed him in the back he
would have to answer to us, that was
all. No homeless, parentless stranger
was going to get the worst of it while
we were alive to defend him. The rest
of the class swore as one man to cher
ish Grabbenheim and see him through
the semester.
1t was hard work, because we all
had TO dig in and get some slight,
murky inkling of what calculus was
about in order to protect Grabby's rec
ord Rut didn't nipnh