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The Tragedy of Stvdcnt Potts
A Soulful Summer Story
By D. D. J.
Part I.
Nicholas Potts sat on the tin roof
of his rooming flat and reflected. Be
ing of a philosophical turn of mind,
he often reflected. But a mental cata
clysm of an extremely violent charac
ter had tonight invaded the seat of
his intellect and wrought unspeakable
havoc. The eddying thoughts whirled
and twisted in and out of the convo
lutions of his cerebellum, leaving un
certainty and doubt in their wake.
Now and then they met, clashed, and
swayed to and fro in their efforts to
gain the ascendancy. Finally, the
force of their impact neutralized, they
would sink helplessly down and lie
dormant, until some new explosion
would send them forth again to rage
wildly in fierce combat. Then suc
ceeded a moment of tranquility, and
the tenor of his thoughts flowed along
with the serenity and persistency of
treacle flowing from tne hogshead,
when the grocer'B boy has forgotten
to replace the plug. Slowly but surely
a germ grew and waxed strong in his
cranlological cavity, until it became an
idea a thing with which Nicholas was
seldom afflicted. All tho contending
force were at rest now, having with
drawn from the open into the interior.
But the fact must not be lost sight
of, that Nicholas Potts had an idea
tangible, analytic and realistic.
Yes, he had an idea, and after it had
undergone a vast number of evolu
tional gyrations it shaped itself Into a
conclusion. There it lay compact and
settled In the bottom of his mental
tub. What was the nature of this con
clusion? Is it right to intrude on the
consecrated privilege that mortal man
has to the secrecy of his own cogita
tions? ThlB question must be left for
settlement at some other time. But it
is pertinent to know the exact nature
of this conclusion. .Here good Dame
Fama, with her usual offlciousness, has
penetrated the secret and flies whoop
ing away to divulge it. An appalling
calamity had befallen Nicholas Potts
such a one as has blasted tho hopes of
many well-meaning youths and caused
them to go wrong. To cut it short, he
was in love! With what? With
whom? Wherefore? Not so fast; all
will be told in due season.
Nicholas Potts was originally a till
er of the soil. But later ho left his
plow to rust in the furrow and turned
his attention to the higher things of
life. His intellect developed slowly
and painfully in the great moral and
aesthetic gymnasium known as Dis
trict 41. After a number'of revolving
years had completed their cycle and he
had arrived at man's estate, he him
self became the commander-in-chief
the Grand Monarque of the great in
stitution that had developed his youth
ful capabilities. There he reigned su
preme as a concrete, composite fac
ulty, with none to question his right
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or dispute his sway. The first year of
his reign having come to a close, he
had, accumulated In his possession, a
considerable quantity of the where
withal, having acquired it by falBely
persuading the honey-hearted elders
who constituted the board of trustees
that he was giving value received. Nor
was his conscience troubled by the
baseness of his deceit; there is even
a lurking suspicion that he thought he
was entitled to it.
Laboring under the singular mental
aberration that his intellect was one
that was capable of great possibilities,
ho concluded to migrate to Lincoln
and pursue a course in the summer
school of the state university. He had
an intimate knowledge of the classics,
being able to conjugate the present
tense of 'amo' and having penetrated
the mysteries of algebra to tho depths
of simultaneous equations. He was a
literary man also, being acquainted
with the great lights of literature from
William Shakespeare to Marie Corelli.
And he could spell, too. Creator Om
nipotent, but how he could spell! At
the meetings of the literary society he
had floored all coroerB, showing 'em
how it was done. Equipped with such
a powerful mental armament as has
been described, thlB orthographical
prodigy sought the genial clime of
Lincoln," and having satisfied the av
arice of the registrar, he found himself
an active member of the great 'Uni
versity of Nebraska. The dignity was
a great one and his bust swelled vis
ibly as he meditated on this fact.
In the class room he was strictly In
It, and made the force of his logic felt.
In cosmology he took a ghoulish de
light, and loved to exhibit his su
perior powers of intellect and dazzle
tho chancellor and his Inferiors the
hoi pallol, his classmates with his
brilliancy. While Sophor, the off
spring of hot weather, held the rest
of the clasB fast in his soul-refreshing
embrace, this fiend poured out his logic
and caused frightful dreams to pervade
tne slumbers of those about him.
Throughout the weeks of summer
school this grievous grind rasped and
ranted. And now the last days were
coming to pass. And It happened in
those days that the pink-cheeked girl
with the white shirt waiBt flrst came
into his vision. She was a maiden
who fulfilled the most exacting require
ments for looks. Wavy dark hair,
laughing blue eyes and comeliness of
features they were all there. Sltfe
was beautiful and she was graceful,
and fusing both elements Hhe was
simply a stunner. She had moved up
from the bacK row and occupied a
seat directly across the Aisle from him.
Once she dropped her fountain pen
and he clumsily picked It up. And
she thanked him bo sweetly that he
blushed. And all that morning his
foolish heart pounded about against
his ribs and disturbed the whole order
of things that composed 1i1b inner be
ing. Afterwards she even seemed de
sirous of carrying on a conversation
with him. Once she told him that he
must be awfully bright to know such
deep things. He made a note of this
in his memorandum book.
But what was tne cause of thlB sud
den Interest? Ah, ho had it. She ad
mired his learning and manly bear
ing. That was it. Why hadn't he
thought of that before? And as the
end of the session drew nigh their In
timacy waxed stronger. And then he
began to think. He even Jorgot to
talk, and the class enjoyed "a blissful
peace that It had never known before.
Finally, In direct contradiction to all
his tastes and Instincts, he overcame
his natural scruples as to parting with
his money, and made an investment.
He bought a green necktie with white
spots In It, and a box of blacking.
He also bought a Becond hand book
on "Manners and Etiquette," and
Btudled it diligently. These wore his
Initial preparations for the campaign.
It was a new experience to him and
he determined to take a try at, it. O
how fortunate it would have been for
him had some kind power gled him
the glftie. He was a fright a gen
uine, unmitigated fright! This fact,
It was hoped, could be kept concealed,
but Truth, though at first the under
dog, will rise again; and necessity
compels that a description of him he
given, If limited human powers can
cope with such an undertaking.
His linear demensions were remark
ably noticeable and he could hardly be
accused of rotundity. If long, spind
ling shanks, a narrow chest, and a
limited girth of waist constitute n
perfect figure, then he approached per
fection. If long-pointed ears, sparse,
sandy hair, green goggle eyes, thin,
freckled features, a convergent nose
and a cut-away chin constitute manly
beauty, then he waB the paragon.
Such a form, such a visage! How
well fitted was he to win the affections
of guileless maidens! Well, this was
the object that crawled up through
the trap door and out onto the roof of
hlB rooming flat that memorable night
in July, to reflect.
Part II.
This part of Nicholas Potts' history
Is sad and it is best to make it brief.
It was the day of the final exams, and
Nicholas started out for his class
room In order to be there in good time.
As chance would have It ho met her
the girl with tho pink cheeks and the
white Bhirt waist. They were both
headed for the Bamo corner, and Bhe
arrived there first. Glancing around
she beheld ..im and stopped and wait
ed for him. For a moment he stood
palsied, uncertain whether to advance
or execute a movement to the rear
and fly for his life. But she smiled bo
sweetly that he was reassured, and ad
vanced clumBlly, an ox on the way to
the slaughter. She made a few sense
less remarks which he eagerly af
firmed and In response to which he
obediently Bchreeched his apreciatlon.
In return ho ventured a few remarks
relative to the condition of the weath
er and to the coming exam. As It was
still early when they reached the
campiiB, they seated themselves In a
Bhady place and exchanged comments.
. By this time Potts had found his
tongue, and wns boring the atmos
phere atrociously. But his compan
ion had become Btrangely quiet. He
tried to draw her out, but failed. She
eat with her cheek resting on her
shoulder and her eyes fixed on the
ground. No glow of animation now
suffused her cheeks, but instead her
features "were drawn and her manner
strangely depressed. JiiBt what had
come over the spirit of hor being Potts
was unable to see. But anyhow he
thought that she looked deuced pretty.
Ho tried in vain to rally her, but his
awkward efforts were lorne in si
lence and absolutely unheeded. Fin
ally she burst into tears and covered
her face with her hands. Potts was
touched to tho depths of his Innermost
being, and grasping her wrist he tried
to wrench her hand away from her
face, at the same time exclaiming In
a quavering, tender tone:
"What's the matter now? Have I
offended you?"
At first she was obdurate, but yield
ing to his entreaties she told him her
talo of woe.
"You aee," she said, between pa
thetic sobs, "I don't understand that
horrid cosmology a bit; and I'm so
afraid that I will be flunked. And 1
thought," Bho said wistfully, "that
perhapB you would help me."
She said this so Bhyly and appeal
Ingly that Potts' noblest Instincts
were aroused, and swelling with a
consciousness of his own knlghtllness,
he tendered to her the promise of IiIb
humble assistance in her hour of need.
Greatly cheered, she walked with
him to the class-room and they took
their accustomed seats. The examina
tion was of course a stiff one, and
many an unfortunate found occasion
to regret past negligence. But Potts,
In his freakish fashion, had his sub
ject at his finger-tips. Of each answer
he made a duplicate copy and passed
It to her via the sub-transit. And
the smile of gratitude she gave him
made It an even trade, and Pottd felt
foolish and happy. After the exam
was over he walked hqme rejoiced In
spirit andf proud of his knightly
achievement.
In the evening he went to the chan-1
cellor's reception to the students of
the summer school. He had other rea
sons for going than tho mere fact that
he had been Invited. He might meet
her again. All that afternoon he em
ployed In coining soft expressions
and pointing sayings, which he In
tended to spring on her If he Bhould
meet her In the evening. No doubt
(Continued' on page C.)
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