The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-08-23


Ruth had belonged-the class which
had paid the renowned honor 70 Pro
fessor Raymond.
First Il was noticed that the Pro
lessor LETT of purple necEties, and
chose in their place those % brown
and dark blue and gray He must
have consulted a new Occulist for be.
fore long be never bothered with hav.
Ing the shades in HIS classroom drawn.
Then students began 10 notice that
when ne passed them on the campus
instead Of shufil!ng by them with the
look OF Diogenes IN search OF an hon.
est man, he always met them with a
cordial smile. and sometimes found
preteXt 10 stop them and pass the time
OF day with them. At his home we're
really the most successful at homes
on the campus.
To be sure. Ruth's delicious sand.
wiches and chocolate topped with
whipped cream may have been the 40.
traction, but IL was not only the stu
dents who attended parties IN general
only for the eats" who made a point
Of attending the Raymonds"at homes"
Professor Raymond always somehow
seemed 10 Get a laugh out OF the mos,
sClf-consciOIs and awkward OF his s,u.
dent guests, and he seemed 10 lea'izo
that once you have made a student
laugh Win YOU. you have convinced
him that you and he arc on a friendly
footing, and not separated by the
cha IN that lies between faculty and
student body
Another summer passed, and when
the class 10 which Ruth had belonged
returned N their senior year there was
another balloting The results plainly
showed that students change in some
ways from -ophomOre 10 senior year
The honors OF pulchriUde had passed
from the sophomore belle 10 another
girl who had not even been noticed
two years before; tho favorite color
was now crimson instead OF violet
and there were more students whose
ambition now was 10 become million.
aire than in the year when the vote
Of the class went in favor OF Writing
masterpiece Of literature" But again
the vote OF popularity went 10 Pro.
| lessor Raymond On this occasion,
however, there was no peals OF laugh.
| ter when the unanimous ballot was
cast. On the contrary there was a
solemn. almost contrite expression on
! the faces Of the students as they voted
and a formal letter telling the Pro
fessor OF his election was sent to him.
together with the announcement that
he had been elected honorary member
Of the class.
When the Professor opened the let.
I ter Ruth was sitting beside him in his
/ study and there were tears Of happi-
ness in her eyes as she read the an.
nouncemcnt it contained Il knew
/ they would re-elect you" she said,
with an effort az unconcernedness
Reginald Raymond put out two strong
| hands and pressed both OF Ruth's
hands in them.
Don't you know" be asked, that
I understand that you have won this
for me? Could have been so blind as
not to see? knew they despised me"
he said, with n relic Of the old bitter.
ness, and no man ever lOnged so for
student friendship as | did. And you
came TO show me how to win H."
"But-but you actod-we thought
that you believed it-that you didn't
see the abominable joke"
THAT was my little joke on the class
Ruth, dear. And 1.tcr those frs;
weeks Of modification about it, de-
cided that my ambition was first to
win your love. and then to win that
which has come to me today"