The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-08-31
Simple Simon
90
By JANE OSBORN
Mcclure Syndicate-WNU Service.)

knew it, but when you are down. to
your last quarter there is nothing
else to do. Fortunately Kate man.
aged to start her f1ivver, and once
started she felt that she could get
to town where-she had her months
allowance in her purse-she could
get her tank full again. The i'm
portant thing was not to stop on
the way.
And Kate wouldn't have stopped if
she hadn't been distracted by the
sight of dignifed looking young
man sitting on the edge of the high
way with a fishing pole, the end of
which dangled in battered tin pail.
The young man wore foolscap and
on his breast a placard bearing the
words SIMPLE SIMON"
Kate was so amazed that she
slowed down-slowed down and
stopped. Then she looked at the
young man. A lunatic he must be,
still he looked very intelligent, even
dignified. She tried to start again
but without success. Then she got
out of her car.
What are you doing?" she asked
with much gentleness of the appar-
emily harmless idiot.
Fishing for a whale" he said
without a smile.
"But really" she repeated,
what are you sitting there for?"
Fishing for a whale" said the
young man placidly.
Kate, thoroug hly frightened,
jumped into her car.
'Im harmless" he assured her.
Il can help you perhaps. Fool pro-
cedure for man of my age. But
no one is looking. Is your battery
dead?"
Much relieved Kate explained her
difficulty, explained too that she
hadn't intended to stop but had
slowed up to look at him. They
were mile from a gas station and
the young man, laying aside his
foolscap and placard, started out on
foot to get some gas, leaving Kate
guarding his pail and tackle. He
was brought back by a rafting
garage car, bearing the gasoline
can. He had paid for the gasoline
and the car service, of course, and
when Kate protested he assured her
that he had that privilege since it
was his fault that she had stopped
on the highway.
He looked at his watch. Some of
the hazers would be along presently
to get him and carry him back to
college, but he'd take a chance and
go with Kate if she'd take him. He'd
probably get a double dose of it the
next day, for not having waited, but
what of that?
So Kate went a little out of her
way to take him back-fnding room
IN the car for the pail and rod She
wanted to know more about the
young man, who seemed somewhat
too old, too well poised, for the aver
age freshman. But the young man
volunteered no information. He did,
however, ask Kate about herself,
found out her name and where she
lived, and asked permission to call
and thank her in day or so. Then
he said he would tell her all about
himsef-that is, all there was to
tell.
Hates brother was a sophomore
in the same nearby college and that
evening she asked him all about the
hazing.
He told her with some relish of
some of the absurd tasks set the
freshmen. "But there's one fellow
named Simon-Simon Baldwin-he
had to fish for whales in a pail
because his name was Simon" her
brother explained. "That did seem
I rubbing it in bit. l mean con-
sidering that he's an older man
and man of Importance.
Gust who is this Simon Baldwin,"
asked Jane. "Pd like to meet him."
Swell chance" explained the
brother. 'He's much too influential
to bother with college dances. Why
he's one of the big Baldwins-no end
of money-some pluck, I'll say, to
come to college for a fellow like
that"
Kate insisted on knowing all about
it so her brother explained At the
age when other boys were going
to college, Simon Baldwin was study
ing abroad-no regular university
course-just studying languages and
seeing the world. Then he came
home and went into business-the
big Baldwin works. He had done
big things there for man of twenty
six.
eff you have any influence with
your class, get them to stop the
hazing," said Kate. Her brother OBJ
jected that to do that would lead
his classmates to suspect he was
! todying to the Baldwin millions.
"Tell them that he is very good
friend of your sister's," said Kate.
"Mr. Simon Baldwin is coming to
call in day or So"
And somehow Hates brother did
get his classmates to stop hazing
Simon Baldwin-and few evenings
later Simon called on Kate. Before
the mid-term Kate and Simon were
engaged.