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TOMMY BoU13IcE:,‘Jp., IN COILLEGE. . , ,
uw 771 V ‘
“Thutls all right. I don't pretend to swear to it,
out you know it is against the rules, young gentle;
en. ' -
"Certainly. But you have evidently got an attack
of the h)'lllrDpll0Dl‘rl.”
‘- Well a '
“This is a certain cure for it," said Tommy, placing
E live-dollar note in his hand.
. 1- Well. yes. I have heard that it was.”
“ it is called Greenbackuhus llydrophohus.”
‘- Yes, 1 have heard of that cure,” said the janitor,
kindling the note.
" But we do not do this simply in the cause of scl-
ance." said Bill Gunn. , .
" [low 7”
“ Simply to encourage you.”
“Well, l-what do you meant" asked the janitor,
looking from one to the other.
'- ilccause we have no dog here.”
“ Wlnitl i heard him yelp.”
“ ling pardon. it was a cat.”
" A catl” K
" Certainly."
“ of course. If you had anyfellne in you you would
Know it." said Tommy. . ., -
" categorically speaking, he is right,” said Bill Gunn,
soberly. - , .
“ I do not understand you; I certainly heard a dog
' in your room to-day.’
" Perhaps you thought so, but it is a mistake, My
. chum. Mr. ilounce, calls it it cat, but it is luirdiy that.
in fact, the species of the animal which we have here
has never been determined. Sometimes it appears to
be a dog (which it physically resembles more than any
other animal), and the next day it will seem like a cat.
lly tliu by. Tommy, what is it today?” he asked, turn-
ing seriously to his chum. ‘
. ‘- Well, let me see; 1 have not seen it since last
night; then it was a mule,” replledfrommy, equally
s Kfl‘. ,
1:31 saw it this noon, and then it was talking," said
"'Talking!'r’exclalmed the janitor. . l
"Well. we may as well tell you all about thils
l.
' anomaly-ilint is, provided you will never give
away.”
" “‘ell.'I--" .- - v -
“ You see we want to study this thing and determine
what it is before we present t to the Faculty. it is the
strangest animal that has ever been discovered. it
"1 don't understand our
“llnd we best adm t him to our secret?" asked
Tommy. in a whisper to Bill. v '
"Wei l 0 ’ know." '
“ Will you swear to keep it secret?"
" Certainly," said the janitor, who was yet fingering
his greenback. . .
“ Well, Bill, suppose you bring it out and let us see
vrhatitlsto-night." ’ . ,
“Ali ri ht. But of course we depend upon his se-
crecy, for our whole future life depends upon this
ICISDSIO CIEGIUFE. "
“ Oh. I will never mention it," said the janitor.
" l‘ii trust him," said Tommy.
“Very weli,”nud he went to the closet where Sly
was kept, and brought him forth. , , .
-‘ Wh , its 11 dog to-dny. Billy."
"So tsecms. ‘hat a changel" .
e janitor looked at him in amazement. ,
"liallno, fellcrs, how tire yer?" sly seemed to ask.
getting up on his huunclics, and looking from one to
and ier.
" Great llenrensl" exclaimed the janitor.
“ You see how it is,” said Tommy.
“ But it talks."
“ 'l”li.1t's one of its pccuii:irlties." , . - ‘
“ Goodness gmciousl" . '
“ well, sir. what is ‘our namet" asked Bill Gunn.
“ Sly," said the dog. , .. ,
“ Great lleavensl" ' ‘
." liow long since have you been ll dog 1"’
" Four hours." .
" Oh, Lord!” by the astonished janitor.
" Why did you turn a dog t" - .
“ To watch the janitor." .
“ Possible f" ’
" lie beats the students every chance he gets."
" Oh, Lord!" groaried Bugle, and he glance-l toward
the door, as if to make sure that there yet remuinul
place of exit. -
4.‘ is that so, Mr. Bugle?" asked Tommy.
-" '.0 .e o;i--”
" lle's the tvorsl’ liar in New llavcu.” said the dog
or he seemed to say so. . .
" Young genilc-nien. this is too much for me; i will
go." said Bugle. utterly dcmomllzcd. 1
“ lint you will keep our secret 7"
‘ Oh. cert.1inly- always," Null he. diving out of the
door like in wild man. ‘
Th‘.-v closed the door. and then they laughed. 'l'liey
potted Sly on’the head. and then they iziughed some
more. voting the whole thing dc-villsli good.
Thntjnnltor h:1dn‘t fl wtrd to say. The first tiling
he did was to get to his owurooin, and then he sat
down fora think. ‘
linving drnnlt several glasses ofbcerdurlng the day.
he was not prepared to say whether he was in his
right senses or not. in f.ict. he thought he was not.
for ifhis senses were true to him. he had bean! in dog
talk; had heard 3 dog denounce him with a human
voice as being a beat. .
is he knew to be true. but how it dog should know
B.be could not understand. And they had told him
that this mysterious animal had the power of trans-
forming ltselfinto anything at will. , .‘ V
e was “away 017'’ himself or there was xi.
new order of beings of whom he had never known
anything before.
He awoke the next morning with the memory fresh
in his mind, but knowing that he had drank several
bottles of beer belonging to the students, it was a.
question in his mind whether .he had seen and heard
what his memory called for, or whether he had
dreamed it after stealing the beer.
At all events it cured him of prowling around in the
students‘ rooms, and from that time forth he ga‘
Tommy's room :1 very wide berth, and med as hard as
he could to be honest. -
Suchlittie rackets Bill Gunn and Tommy Bounce
were continually getting up on somebody nr other,
until it became to be known all through the college
that there was more fun to be had in Tommy's room
than in any other. , ,
But the secret of the day. as well as,th:1t of Ilill‘s
ventriloquium, was faithfully kept by the gang. and
many an evening did Sly and he-entertain an illegal
roomful of jovial spirits; and so time s d on thus
merrily, although both Tommy and illli, remembering
the warning they hild received, were exceeilingly
careful not to do anything: in which they would be in
danger of getting found out. .
in fact. they made considerable progress in their
studies, allowing Jethro lilullen and the others tiolio
the some thing if they desired. not there was con-
tinually some prank or other being cut up for which
nobody could account. and although they were nut-
urnlly enough suspected. they were not yet convicted.
xot many weeks elapsed. however, before l'l'0l'cSS0l'
Blobhs got into :1. wrangle with his class. the class
which included our friends. and it was not long before
avcry bitter fueling sprung up. in which the college
faculty took sides with the professor, which of course
only illiltle matters worse.
The trouble finally broke out in an open and deter-
mined rupture. and the president of the college went
v
0
, to the class-rooiu forihc purpose of threatening the
wlmie Class with expulsion, :1 thing that frightened
‘Jethro more than it did the others.
“Give it to them. old man !" synke a voice. which
not only sounded like that of Mr. lzlobbs. but the tone
of it was so nicely vzirlcd that the president turned
around to where he was standing and regarded mm
with a frown. ‘ i ,
Otcourso the reader knows who the artful ventrilo-
qulst was. r , . .
"ldld not think to hear such language from you,
sir," said the president, gravely. -
“I did not spunk. sir." replied lllobla.-1, looking as in-
nocent as a lager-beer he
" i heard you, sir, speak very disrcspoctfnlly."
"l beg pardon. sir," said he, deprecallngiy.
" l appeal to your class." s
" I heard him.” , ' ‘
-' And i."
-- And I." '
" We all heard him,” said they. ‘ -
“Professor lllobbs, you see i was not mistaken.
Such language, sir, can never command respect, espe-
cially in the hearing of your Class." “
“ ilut l assure you. sir. upon tnv hnnnr. l--"
“Not another word, sir. or I slmll I’l‘D0f'[ rnur lan-
guage to the faculty. Resume yourduties," lie ndiied.
going from the room, leaving‘ poor lslobhs ' decidedly
crestrcillen. '
“There is something very strange about all this,
and. be assured, [shall find it out." he said. sullenly,
taking up his book to resume the lesson of the day. -
Even lifter that the old duifcr refused to get upon
friendly terms with iis class. and ilnuily :1 job was
agreed upon that would humiliate him so he would be
glad to. ‘ , ’ ' .
Only certain ones were to be knowing to this racket
(the extent ofwhich they did not at first comprehend),
for Jethro Mullen, if no other, was weak enough to
give it all away. ‘
The idea was this: lllli Gunn was to make up once
more like Professor lllobbs and to appear drunk. while
Tommy ltnunce was to make himself up like :1 negro
wench. lifter which they were to promenade around
the grounds arm-in-in-m for public inspection. ‘
itwas a unit] and daring unrlt-rtnking. but thrwetwo
young gentlemen litui ztiitlncity enough to nnderlzike
anything. as the reader well knows by this time.
it took nearly ll week for Tommy toga: the proper
tnggery for his chrimctcr. but all was in rezltilness by
the next Saturday afternoon, or evening, the time .
Clinirn for the circus.
After scveml rehenrsalsthey finally made their ap.
pea rancc on the campus about tlvc o'clock. follower
by scvc-ml laughing Sl’l11'(‘lllS. “
The scene was .1 comical one in-iced. Tommy was
gnm-n up regardless. and almost anybody not in the
secret would have sworn that he wns n f:I=('ln.'iilntt
colored belle, dresseul out in all the tnggc-ry which
vauitv could suggest. ' 4
As for lnll (iunn. he looked exactly like Professor
llluhhs, only he made him appear drunk and some-
what rccl-‘loss, as lie must have been to have taken the
nrm ofn cnlorcd girl and swagger right into the col-
legc grounds ‘
The students‘ gritticred and chocrml them. and for
fear they might get “'ll(‘l'P it was too warm for them,
they walked toward Clinpel aim,-i, ..
ltnt. this onlv made math-rs worse.
As they walks-l along nrcvt hm--z and curious spac-
tutors gatlir-rednroun-1. dogs barked at them, and the
scene became exciting.
l>Iverylmvl,v recognize-l what titer snppnuod to be
Pr:-fcssor illnbltu. and I-'5‘t‘lllL' him evl-lently nndnr the
influence of liquor and in such cuinpziny, some rolircd
Evith laughter and others held up their hands in pious
oi-ro
“Did you ever?" , - ‘
“No, neverl" were general exclamation;
“ Isn't it dreadful ll’
lulust a n ,4 , , -
" lie ought to be ashamed," and then several (I
them hissed.
But the students cheered them on, Ind the verdia
was that it was hull old fun.
After going 9. wh le they started to return to tho
grounds for the purpose of keeping the fun among the
students, but just as they did so. who should they meet
face to face but the president and one of the other pro-
With exclamation: of astonishment they stopped-'
and gazed at the humiliating spectacle. while Tommy
and Bill pressed on with :1 mslv.-r wall: for the sake of
getting away from tiiein. having fully accomplished
their object, that of humiliating lliobbs.
m the president stood s chlcss and
unable to move, while the other looked nllcrtlie re-
ceding crowd with 3. terrible expression of horror and
.gust.
“ lirgadful l" he breathed, at last. . .
“liorriblel but i have long suspected that he
drank." said the president. s "lllll. he shall disgrace
this college no longer; 1 will and an oillcer and have
the ivretch arrested. '
“lie richly deserves it; who under llcaven ever be-
hold such 11 (lit-‘fI‘f'ilC(’llli spectacle?‘ .
“So one. Come. let's find an officer,” and off they '
started lu search 0 r . ,
ow getting dark, (ind by separating when
they got near the college. Toinm and Bill Gunn n1an<
7-"
:3
1:
r:
U:
i:
aged to leave the crowd lschini and to reach Iheir' '
room without much trouble. although rthe pctticoats
worn by Tommy bothered him somewlinr. -
The students also disappeared, laughing and com-
meuiing upon the affair and the actors who hail con-
ducted the thing so artistically, and whom they had
sworn not to betray. ' . .
The lively manner in which both Tommy and Bill ,
got out of their toggery and washed their faces was
a caution. for in five minutes after they had locked
tiiennaelves in. they had hidden flu-lr disguises and
appeared as honest as two sucking pigs. .
ilut what would the ry.-suit bet
it was some lime before the indignant president
could find an officer, and by the (line he got back with
him to.tne collcgc, it was quite dark and everything
I] ‘ v
but everything was far from being quiet in the pres-
ident's mind, and he conducted the olliccr directly to
llloblrs’ study. '
lie happened at that moment to be in the act of
washing his face and bathing his head in cold water
to cure :1 rush of blood.
the room without any ceremony, which made illobbs
look astonished and queer.
few of the students were near cnough at hand to
see what was going on.. . .
"Tlicrc is the shameless wrctch. Arm:-t hitnl"do:
mtinded the preslllvnt."polnting to lllollbs.
- “Eh-wlintl” stiid the astonished 1llohbs,l00kin2
wild enough to pass for a drunken man.
“Arrest him, I sayi '
“All right. sir." said the officer, approaching tho
now thoroughly astonished lllobbs. - -
“ You will have to go with me, boss," said the oil!-
ccr. tirmly. v 2
“Elle-eh! What fort" V '
" This gentleman will inform you.”
“Don't attempt to appear ignorant. We saw you,
sir; both saw you," szlid the president. s ' :
"Oh. Professor illobbs, how could youl" said the
]’IX'Csi4lel:il.'a companion.”
" “'li:it the--"
" l)on’t swear in my presence. sir.”
“llnt what is me me‘ mug of ihis,sli-1" demanded
lliobbs, now thoroughly; aroused. ‘
" ‘V F4" " I
“Alas. yesl", '
"smv me-saw xnel now, when, or where, gentla
men 7" l s . , -
I " We saw you but a few moments ago, drunk, str- ,
1 ru '1" A
n
“ Drunk!" exclaimed Diobbs.
“ Drunk!" - ' -
-' Alas, yes. f'rnh>s.=or lllobbs: how ever could you
do ll?" mourned the other professor. -
“ Drunk i" ’
‘- Yes. sir: and that is not the most disgmccfnl part
of the nllair. sir." .
“Great licnvcns!" ‘
“ You actutilly had fl nc-gm wench on your arm. and
n crowd nfcliizcns and students following you around.
Awtrv with iiiml” -.
"Sir, you astound met" '
“As you confound me. slr."'
“ Wh:-re did you say this was?"
“Don't attempt to crawl out of it. sir: you know
you are guilty, and when we came suddenly upon you
we found you bathing your head and trying to sot-ol -
up. 1 ' V ‘
"You nrc mistaken. sir." ’
"Yes. in you. We are all mistaken." .
" .tl:isl yes. Mr. hlohbkl can no longer call you ‘
prnft-ss-pr." sat-l the other. mournfully.
"l have not been out of my room this afternoon,
and I never drink." .
" ilcsvcnsl what assurance l"
."Al:is drczitiilil 1" . '
" We saw you promcnading with a feixfalc colored C
person on your arm." .
" Never. sir. neverl There ll some horrible mistake
here. i can prove by :1 dozen that l lave not been
The president walked int: y
-- -...,. c
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