Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-12-06
Old Man Burdett's
Daughter
~
By LUCY FOX
g. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
WNU Service

1T WAS an unwritten law in tile
a Burdett family that male college
students were not to be considered
as possible husbands-at least I'm
Luke college where Doctor Burdett
had held office as president for
twenty years. The four oldest
daughters of the Burdett family
had observed this rule and had Sc
cured their husbands outside the
Luke college limits. Only Jane
Burdett remained at nome unmar
ried. AT twenty she led q rather
%uneventful existence in the big
white house on the hill with only
her father and a housekeeper.
Jane had for some time ignored
all the college students. She fig
ured that If they weren't eligible
for her to marry. there was no good
reason why she should waste time
getting to know them. OF course
she couldn't avoid seeing them at
college functions. And she was
forced to meet and talk with some
of them at the informal receptions
which took place regularly as q
matter of form at the presidents
nome once or twice each month.
Jane In spite of her rather Sc
cluded life on the Luke campus
liked TO be with men.
II was when she was having a
day dream of that variety one fall
evening that she heard a lot of
Eoise and commotion outside the
house. There were male voices
students voices she knew. In the
window she could see the reflection
of red torches of some sort. Then
she could make out what the gang
was yelling. II was:
Down with Old Man Burdett,
down with Prexy Burdett. We're
here to kick him out I"
Jane didn't know what to do.
What made the situation so COM
pick for her was that her father
was out of town giving a lecture In
Boston.
Suddenly she went downstairs.
turned the porch lights on and
then went outside to see what could
be done TO quiet the bowling mob.
Facing her were about fifty or six
ty young men. When they saw what
a good-looklng girl was before
them, they ceased their clamor to
see what the Old Mans daughter
had TO say for herself.
my father Is out of town." she
told them. Il don't know what you
want or what all the excitement
means, but I'm glad my father Isn't
mere to feel-the humiliation that
you have made me feels
There was d continued silence
from the crowd. Then Benny Hav.
Hand, q g%0od-IookIng, red-headed
fellow, captain of the football team.
jumped up on the top step OF the
veranda.
"Fellows, | think we've gone a
little too far" he said. He was
supported by cheers from the
throng. Il think It's up to us TO
apologize to Miss Burdett and then
clear out. We can put our case
before Prexy when he gets back
and In a more orderly fashion. Am
I right?"
The loud chorus OF male voices
seemed unanimous In sanctIoning
his suggestions. Almost immediate
y the crowd began to dispense and
inside OF ten minutes Jane and Ben
ny we're left on the porch looking
1t each other. Benny was explain.
ny the situation the best he could.
lie found II easy. yet quite difi.
'ult, to keep his thoughts on the
;ubjecf when he looked AT Jane.
Fhe trouble was President Burdetf
ind expelled four of the best ath.
etes In the college on some lame
'xcuse. In a mass meeting the stu
tents had appealed to the president
to reInstate the four expelled men.
Doctor Burdett had Ignored their
appeal except that he barred some of
The outstanding men who had signed
| petition from participating In any
form of outside activities whatever
or the duration of the first scenes
err. This had created q furore.
Jane had known none OF the de.
nlls but she realized now that per
maps they were the cause for her
'ather's sudden departure for Bos-
ron where most of the members of
The board OF trustees of Luke re-
,Ided.
Jane thanked Benny for his apol.
ngy and said that she would exert
any influence possible to try and
get things Strengthened out. SO
when her father returned the next
day. before requesting him TO rein
state the expelled men. she waited
until she heard what he had been
doing In Boston.
Eventually be talked outright to
his daughter and told her what had
happened and why he had deemed
II wise to 20 to Boston so suddenly
He had seen the chairman Of the
trustees and q couple Of members
of the board. They had advised
him to ~relnstate the fellows and to