The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-01-27

| dared to make trouble. Still, was in
college for the purpose, and besides, it
was bad thing for us leaders to cut
classes and start that sort of business
among the student body. Lit. was a
CHASTITY bore. It was nothing but a
bunch Of obituaries and boost for a
lot of books on the back shelves Of the
! Libraries. Beowulf was about as valu-
able to me as the duke of Bucking-
hams head would have been, and I
didn't care holey sock whether Chau-
Ger lived in the thirteenth century
or in hoe signo vinces. I de-
| clined to bone on the stuff, but it
was easy to stall through 1t, and it
was good class, In which to study
types. There were lot Of queer folks
in it-people who seemed to think that
sort of thing was important-folks
you'd never meet in the ordinary
course of college life.
I was sitting in Lit. class one day
late in November, with my feet
stretched out, thinking rather intently
on a little stunt was working up for
the banjo club, when suddenly heard
a silence-funny how loud silence
can be. looked up quickly. Every
eye was glued on me, and Professor
Timmons was looking at me with a
queer smile.
Then I knew had been called on.
81 beg your pardon" said I to the
professor. "Did you call on met" I
was very polite and considerable.
II did," said Professor Timmons,
still smiling. The class laughed right
out. 1t nettIed me little, but I let it
pass. ''What was it?" I asked.
| The class laughed again. Professor
Timmons laughed too. "Tm sorry to
disturb you, Mr.. Simmons" he said,
''but win you kindly tell us upon what
the fame of Cowper chiefly rests?"
was perfectly frank. "Tll be
hanged If / know" said pleasantly.
If the class had had any sense 1t
would have laughed at my joke as well
as at the professors. But there wasn't
a giggle. Professor Timmons didn't
say anything for about ten minutes
1 or maybe ten seconds. Then he cleared
his throat.
| "You haven't favored us with very
much knowledge this term, Mr.. Sim
MONS" he said in a disquietingly
quiet way. "Are you planning to re-
main with me permanently?
That was all. But it was enough.
1t finished Professor Timmons with
me. didn't open my mouth, and when
| the class was dismissed I stalked out
through that bunch as If they had
been red ants. / never had been SO
mad in my life. had been called
down before the class-me, Petey Sim
mons, it's president-ca1led down by a
cheap professor, who wasn't anything
but cold-storage warehouse for dates.
simply boiled. For a minute
thought of quitting school. dropped
the idea, however. Tt wasn't the col
lege's fault. But when met Ashcroft,
who was leader of the banjo club, I
burned that bunch up good and plenty.
told him just what / thought about
the whole business. eff hadn't been
too much of q gentleman" stormed,
II would have shown up that old fos-
sill right before his class. would
have asked him what he was doing for
the coll, besides trying to funk the
students who are putting up fight for
1t. But didn't, and 1t wasn't because
I was afraid Of the faculty either"
That was Ashcroft's chance to come
In with q. little sympathy. But he
didn't. When / had finished there was
another Of those stillnesses that you
can almost chew mp and swallow.
looked at Ashcroft. He was smil-
ing In sort Of queer way. Finally he
reached over and patted me-me-on
the back just as II I had been a yellow
dog.
"Never mind, Petey," he said. "We
all have our brainstorms. You'll be
better pretty soon."
Nice thing to hand out to fellow,
wasn't 1t? / was furious. Ashcroft
wasn't so much, anyway. If / hadn't
come into his old banjo club that fall
1t would have had hard pulling on the
solo part. / just turned on my heel
as conspicuously as I could and left
him. I figured that about five months
Of cold politeness on my part would
teach him few things about courtesy.
] strofled over to the football field,
where the team was having final prac-
tice before the Thanksgiving game, and
got sorrier for myself at every step.
No matter what a fellow does In the
world, he isn't appreciated. He can
work himself into the grave for his
school, and the yaps who stand around
and do the light yelling win kick him
the frst chance they get. BY the time
had reached the field I had right
good notion to cease all my activities
for few months and Just let the
school sweat along. In fact, ! decided
to do It. It made me feel better. I
began to picture to myself the pleas
ure would take IN explaining my rea-
sons to the delegations from the banjo
club and the rooters' chorus and the
freshmen class and the cotillion club.
would be Just as pleasant as I could
be. but firm. And when they had
Wor1ned the reason out Of me they