Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-02-22
BY Osborn Jones

Sss33-3-3-3-s ss3tssssf3t3"ts-t
lCs0VylSAt. Mcclure Nswspapsr Syndicate
There were Tom Yates. and Larry
Jones, Brewster Hodges, Carter Webb
Jones Pread and Bill Dawson-all as
sembled in Bill Dawsons room one
evening; the entire class Of Doctor
Martinson's mathematics 139-all ex-
cept "the girl"-she made the seventh.
'Well. II no one else will, why ]
suppose I must" said Bill, the spokes-
man, with an emphasis on the sup,
pose" that indicated how great his sac
rifice.
You fellows hadn't any Intention
any one Of you-of taking a hand.
You cooked it up that was to be the
goat"
Jaw, can that" was Larry Jones
comment. "We'd do 1t If we could but
she wouldn't look at US. Fact Is
tried to kid her little toward the
Arst-just for the fun Of it-but my
freckles and my pug nose stood In the
way. You're the lady killer, you know
you are. You can do it."
The fact was that 1t had been de-
cided that one Of the six men in the
class should cultivate the acquain-
tance Of the one girl in the class-with
object, II not matrimony. at least some
sort Of courtship. 1t was a drastic
measure but drastic measures were
needed. For a decade Martinson's
mathematics 13o had been the test for
the winning of certain very desirable
cash prize in a large city college. Stu
dents In the engineering course were
eligible for the prize and the fact that
the prize was awarded to the student
having the best grades in one of the
advanced courses in mathematics, in
stead Of engineering, was not to the
liking Of the students who wished to
compete for 1t. Martinson, being one
Of the younger, more serious profess
sofs, made his course extremely diff
,cult-the thousand dollars left by the
benevolent one as a reward for high
est credit in that course, 1t was felt,
was we'll earned-so difficult had Mar
tinson contrived to make the course.
But this had Inconvenience so with
IN the past four or five years there
had been q prearrangement on the
part Of the students who wished to
compete for the prize-and no one
toek the course except with that idea
In mind that the prize would be d.
Vided among them. It was also
lS9sed that as 1t didn't really matter,
with this arrangement which man
stood highest. no very intense study.
ing should be done. So the course
became ono Of the more comfortable
courses where the men enjoyed con-
siderable peace Of mind with GER
tainty Of q share Of the booty at the
snd. But this year after everything
vas arranged and 1t had been agreed
hat Larry should do Just enough more
work than his companions to be sure
q taking Of the prize that was later
70 b divided among them, the girl ar
Hved Professor Martinson had been
heard to address her as Miss Baxter
that was all that was known Of her.
cave that she was not at all bad look
ing and-what was at flrst much more
inpoftant-she was 4 shark mathema-
deian with q mania for mental appli-
c1ttoo.
Il was quito clear that she would
carry OF the prize and generally turn
the srstwhile peaceful sessions Of the
class into mental combats II some
thing was not done to quell her en-.
thusiasm. No girl had ever been known
to take engineering before-in fact a
special permit had to be gained from
the dean to admit her, 1t was later un-
d>rstood
Not only was there an indisposition
on the part Of the men to lose their
booty-for they would never have TAX
en- 20 unpopular a course save as q
means of gaining this reward-but II
went against the grain of each one to
zee a girl walk OF SO easily with hon.
ors that anyone Of them might, II
he bestirred his intellect, have secured
foe himself.
"rn tell you what" It was Bill
Dawson's suggestion day or so be
fore the conference in his ROOM III
that girl could be sidetracked she
wouldn't be dangerous. If some one
could persuade her that there was
some other career ahead Of her be
sides that Of studying engineering she
wouldn't use such mental gymnastics
trying TO show up our stupidity
Something's got to Be DONE"
you mean that one Of US might ge
acquainted and then propose to her OF
something of that sort1" asked LAIR!
cautiously.
.Well, that's about II. I've heard II
regular co-educational colleges tina
as soon as the girls begin to get en-
gagged to the men-and all the goot
lockers usually do. you know, In thei
senior year-why they begin to thinl
less about their marks and grades"
So II was agreed and later Bill wa
appointed to the task and. still rebel
lious, no insisted on having lot
drawn. Larry snub-nosed, freckl
faced Larry-drew the card that ap
pointed him as the victim. At leas
he had declared his admiration for he
and had gone 50 far as to open tn
door for her on several occasions.
And Larry went to his task with
out delay and with no further rebel
lion, although he felt singularly hand
capped by his freckles and pug nose.
was soon observed that he met Mis-
Baxter sometimes after class and 20
corted her away from the college
buildings in the direction Of the cal
nne-presumably he saw her home
After . month Q meeting was caliet
n Bill's rooms. Evidently whatevel
else Larry had convinced her he hat
not convinced her to give up her rapid
IRE mental activity In the classroom.
Lnys report was not entirely sat
lA9AetOsy - W. Il dsveld Of reason
. 4