The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-04-27
CHAPTER /

ANA pOrtance in the scholastic
year of a southern college. It
marks definitely the end of long
grind 1t comes quietly and unobtru-
sively, and students whom April
thirtieth-have looked upon the Sc
mester as never-ending are sudden
ly awakened to realization that In a
very short time there will be an ex-
odus and the great buildings will
become mere hollow shells.
And this May day was perfect. A
brilliant sun smiled down from an
unlocked sky; spring flowers peeped
fiirtatiously from the hillsides;
groups of students lolled under the
trees chatting fdly-or not talking
at all. It was day for dreaming;
for idly wandering thoughts.
Twelve hundred students of both
sexes succumbed to the spell. Wor-
ries were dissipated. Spring had
come late to this jewel-like campus
of Marland university in mid-Ala-
bama; but had atoned, in the glory
of its coming, for all it's hardness
Over on the hill scant quarter
mile beyond the Bowl stood the
women's dormitory. and immediate
| ~ before 1t was lilac bush in radi-
ant blossom. A girl stepped from
the hallway into the sunlight and
paused by the lilac bush. Then, with
the assured elaboration of senior,
she proceeded to violate college
rule.
| Antoinette Peyton picked q spray
of lilac, plucked the flower boldly,
Indifferent to any eyes which might
behold her. Then she gazed across
a tiny. verdant valley toward the
knoll upon which were situated the
academic buildings Of the univer-
sity.
Tony Peyten was a pretty girl.
She was more than a pretty girl.
There was strength of character In
her vivid face with it's tiny, scarlet
mouth and great, lustrous black
eyes. She gave an impression of
gorgeous vitality. She touched the
sprig of lilac to her mouth-and
smiled. She smiled into the sprig,
and the campus smiled back at her.
She stared off across the tops Of
the pine trees toward the knoll
on which the academic buildings
reared their imposing forms. All Of
q pattern; red brick and white
stone; nine OF them standing like
indomitable sentinels about the
natural stadium which had been
converted into the Bowl. Marland
wasn't a big college-its total en-
rollment was less than twelve hun
dred-but it was proud. its campus
was mellow with rich southern ira
dition; its archives yielded records
of undergraduates who had gone
off in the first bitter days of 81 to
join the Confederate forces; In the
hall of Old Main was its World war
roll of honor. There were records.
too. of graduates who had risen to
positions of Importance in the
fields of science and art.
And perhaps the students at
tached just wee bit too much i'm
portance to the eminence recently
achieved by the Marland football
and track teams. Just little bit
too much Importance but this
morning Tony Peyton could under
stand that. because as she looked
down into the almost empty Bow,
she saw In her minds eye picture
which had impressed itself indel-
IDLY upon her eighteen months be-
fore when Marland's greatest grid
/ iron team, under the leadership OF
Larry WEIGH. had smashed and bat
/ tered its way to a legitimate claim
to the mythical national champion
ship That had been day; twenty
thousand fanatics gone wild in the
Bowl; riot of color and welter
of sound.
Tony glanced at her wrist watch
l anu SiSncu. t Will q SSiisosN'uS Ci-
fort she rid herself of the spell.
With a quick. eager stride she
started down the hill into the val
ley which must be crossed before
one could mount the other hill
the hill upon which the college
buildings stood.
She moved through the tiny val.
ley. head thrown back sprig of lilac
held in her right hand lips moving
slightly as she hnmmed a popular
melody. The magic of the day
was upon her and she approached
the Hill with feeling of relnc
lance that the spell must he broken
And then-quite snddenly-ste
fstopped. Just before her was a
huge oak tree. Tony knew that
particular tree: II stood sentinel
before a forest nook affectionateIy
known by all students at Marland
as the Bower; tiny. secluded spot
sheltered by giant trees. carpeted
with vfolets and embowered in
honeysuckle. H.
Voices came to her from that
nook: vnices of man and girl