The Plastic Age, Percy Marks [top 10 books of all time TXT] 📗

Chapter 2

 

 

Hugh Wrote Two Letters Before He Went To Bed,  One To His Mother And

Father And The Other To Helen Simpson. His Letter To Helen Was Very

Brief,  Merely A Request For Her Photograph.

 

Then,  His Mind In A Whirl Of Excitement,  He Went To Bed And Lay Awake

Dreaming,  Thinking Of Carl,  The College,  And,  Most Of All,  Of Helen And

His Walk With Her The Day Before.

 

He Had Called On Her To Say Good-By. They Had Been "Going Together" For

A Year,  And She Was Generally Considered His Girl. She Was A Pretty

Child With Really Beautiful Brown Hair,  Which She Had Foolishly Bobbed,

Lively Blue Eyes,  And An Absurdly Tiny Snub Nose. She Was Little,  With

Quick,  Eager Hands--A Shallow Creature Who Was Proud To Be Seen With

Hugh Because He Had Been Captain Of The High-School Track Team. But She

Did Wish That He Wasn't So Slow. Why,  He Had Kissed Her Only Once,  And

That Had Been A Silly Peck On The Cheek. Perhaps He Was Just Shy,  But

Sometimes She Was Almost Sure That He Was "Plain Dumb."

 

They Had Walked Silently Along The Country Road To The Woods That

Skirted The Town. An Early Frost Had Already Touched The Foliage With

Scarlet And Orange. They Sat Down On A Fallen Log,  And Hugh Gazed At A

Radiant Maple-Tree.

 

Helen Let Her Hand Drop Lightly On His. "Thinking Of Me?" She Asked

Softly.

 

Hugh Squeezed Her Hand. "Yes," He Whispered,  And Looked At The Ground

While He Scuffed Some Fallen Leaves With The Toe Of His Shoe.

 

"I Am Going To Miss You,  Hughie--Oh,  Awfully. Are You Going To Miss Me?"

 

He Held Her Hand Tightly And Said Nothing. He Was Aware Only Of Her

Hand. His Throat Seemed To Be Stopped,  Choked With Something.

 

A Bird That Should Have Been On Its Way South Chirped From A Tree Near

By. The Sound Made Hugh Look Up. He Noticed That The Shadows Were

Lengthening. He And Helen Would Have To Start Back Pretty Soon Or He

Would Be Late For Dinner. There Was Still Packing To Do; His Mother Had

Said That His Father Wanted To Have A Talk With Him--And Through All His

Thoughts There Ran Like A Fiery Red Line The Desire To Kiss The Girl

Whose Hand Was Clasped In His.

 

He Turned Slightly Toward Her. "Hughie," She Whispered And Moved Close

To Him. His Heart Stopped As He Loosened Her Hand From His And Put His

Arm Around Her. With A Contented Sigh She Rested Her Head On One

Shoulder And Her Hand On The Other. "Hughie Dear," She Breathed Softly.

 

He Hesitated No Longer. His Heart Was Beating So That He Could Not

Speak,  But He Bent And Kissed Her. And There They Sat For Half An Hour

More,  Close In Each Other's Embrace,  Speaking No Words,  But Losing

Themselves In Kisses That Seemed To Have No End.

 

Finally Hugh Realized That Darkness Had Fallen. He Drew The Yielding

Girl To Her Feet And Started Home,  His Arm Around Her. When They Reached

Her Gate,  He Embraced Her Once More And Kissed Her As If He Could Never

Let Her Go. A Light Flashed In A Window. Frightened,  He Tried To Leave,

But She Clung To Him.

 

"I Must Go," He Whispered Desperately.

 

"I'm Going To Miss You Awfully." He Thought That She Was Weeping--And

Kissed Her Again. Then As Another Window Shot Light Into The Yard,  He

Forced Her Arms From Around His Neck.

 

"Good-By,  Helen. Write To Me." His Voice Was Rough And Husky.

 

"Oh,  I Will. Good-By--Darling."

 

He Walked Home Tingling With Emotion. He Wanted To Shout; He Felt

Suddenly Grown Up. Golly,  But Helen Was A Little Peach. He Felt Her Arms

Around His Neck Again,  Her Lips Pressed Maddeningly To His. For An

Instant He Was Dizzy....

 

       

 

As He Lay In Bed In 19 Surrey Thinking Of Helen,  He Tried To Summon That

Glorious Intoxication Again. But He Failed. Carl,  The College,

Registration--A Thousand Thoughts Intruded Themselves. Already Helen

Seemed Far Away,  A Little Nebulous. He Wondered Why....

 

Chapter 3

 

For The Next Few Days Carl And Hugh Did Little But Wait In Line. They

Lined Up To Register; They Lined Up To Pay Tuition; They Lined Up To

Shake Hands With President Culver; They Lined Up To Talk For Two Quite

Useless Minutes With The Freshman Dean; They Lined Up To Be Assigned

Seats In The Commons. Carl Suggested That He And Hugh Line Up In The

Study Before Going To Bed So That They Would Keep In Practice. Then They

Had To Attend Lectures Given By Various Members Of The Faculty About

College Customs,  College Manners,  College Honor,  College Everything.

After The Sixth Of Them,  Hugh,  Thoroughly Weary And Utterly Confused,

Asked Carl If He Now Had Any Idea Of What College Was.

 

"Yes," Replied Carl; "It's A Young Ladies' School For Very Nice Boys."

 

"Well," Hugh Said Desperately,  "If I Have To Listen To About Two More

Awfully Noble Lectures,  I'm Going To Get Drunk. I Have A Hunch That

College Isn't Anything Like What These Old Birds Say It Is. I Hope Not,

Anyway."

 

"Course It Isn't. Say,  Why Wait For Two More Of The Damn Things To Kill

You Off?" He Pulled A Flask Out Of His Desk Drawer And Held It Out

Invitingly.

 

Hugh Laughed. "You Told Me Yourself That That Stuff Was Catgut And That

You Wouldn't Drink It On A Bet. Besides,  You Know That I Don't Drink. If

I'm Going To Make My Letter,  I've Got To Keep In Trim."

 

"Right You Are. Wish I Knew What To Do With This Poison. If I Leave It

Around Here,  The Biddy'll Get Hold Of It,  And Then God Help Us. I'll

Tell You What: After It Gets Dark To-Night We'll Take It Down And Poison

The Waters Of Dear Old Indian Lake."

 

"All Right. Say,  I've Got To Pike Along; I've Got A Date With My Faculty

Adviser. Hope I Don't Have To Stand In Line."

 

He Didn't Have To Stand In Line--He Was Permitted To Sit--But He Did

Have To Wait An Hour And A Half. Finally A Student Came Out Of The Inner

Office,  And A Gruff Voice From Within Called,  "Next!"

 

"Just Like A Barber Shop," Flashed Across Hugh's Mind As He Entered The

Tiny Office.

 

An Old-Young Man Was Sitting Behind A Desk Shuffling Papers. He Glanced

Up As Hugh Came In And Motioned Him To A Chair Beside Him. Hugh Sat Down

And Stared At His Feet.

 

"Um,  Let's See. Your Name's--What?"

 

"Carver,  Sir. Hugh Carver."

 

The Adviser,  Professor Kane,  Glanced At Some Notes. "Oh,  Yes,  From

Merrytown High School,  Fully Accredited. Are You Taking An A.B. Or A

B.S.?"

 

"I--I Don't Know."

 

"You Have To Have One Year Of College Latin For A B.S. And At Least Two

Years Of Greek Besides For An A.B."

 

"Oh!" Hugh Was Frightened And Confused. He Knew That His Father Was An

A.B.,  But He Had Heard The High-School Principal Say That Greek Was

Useless Nowadays. Suddenly He Remembered: The Principal Had Advised Him

To Take A B.S.; He Had Said That It Was More Practical.

 

"I Guess I'd Better Take A B.S.," He Said Softly. "Very Well." Professor

Kane,  Who Hadn't Yet Looked At Hugh,  Picked Up A Schedule Card. "Any

Middle Name?" He Asked Abruptly.

 

"Yes,  Sir--Meredith."

 

Kane Scribbled H.M. Carver At The Top Of The Card And Then Proceeded To

Fill It In Rapidly. He Hastily Explained The Symbols That He Was Using,

But He Did Not Say Anything About The Courses. When He Had Completed The

Schedule,  He Copied It On Another Card,  Handed One To Hugh,  And Stuck

The Other Into A Filing-Box.

 

"Anything Else?" He Asked,  Turning His Blond,  Blank Face Toward Hugh For

The First Time.

 

Hugh Stood Up. There Were A Dozen Questions That He Wanted To Ask. "No,

Sir," He Replied. "Very Well,  Then. I Am Your Regular Adviser. You Will

Come To Me When You Need Assistance. Good Day."

 

"Good Day,  Sir," And As Hugh Passed Out Of The Door,  The Gruff Voice

Bawled,  "Next!" The Boy Nearest The Door Rose And Entered The Sanctum.

 

Hugh Sought The Open Air And Gazed At The Hieroglyphics On The Card.

"Guess They Mean Something," He Mused,  "But How Am I Going To Find Out?"

A Sudden Fear Made Him Blanch. "I Bet I Get Into The Wrong Places. Oh,

Golly!"

 

      

 

Then Came The Upper-Classmen,  Nearly Seven Hundred Of Them. The Quiet

Campus Became A Bedlam Of Excitement And Greetings. "Hi,  Jack. Didya

Have A Good Summer?"... "Well,  Tom,  Ol' Kid,  I Sure Am Glad To See You

Back."... "Put Her There,  Ol' Scout; It's Sure Good To See You."

Everywhere The Same Greetings: "Didya Have A Good Summer? Glad To See

You Back." Every One Called Every One Else By His First Name; Every One

Shook Hands With Astonishing Vigor,  Usually Clutching The Other Fellow

By The Forearm At The Same Time. How Cockily These Lads Went Around The

Campus! No Confusion Or Fear For Them; They Knew What To Do.

 

For The First Time Hugh Felt A Pang Of Homesickness; For The First Time

He Realized That He Wasn't Yet Part Of The College. He Clung Close To

Carl And One Or Two Other Lads In Surrey With Whom He Picked Up An

Acquaintance,  And Carl Clung Close To Hugh,  Careful To Hide The Fact

That He Felt Very Small And Meek. For The First Time _He_ Realized That

He Was Just A Freshman--And He Didn't Like It.

 

Then Suddenly The Tension,  Which Had Been Gathering For A Day Or So,

Broke. Orders Went Out From The Upper-Classmen That All Freshmen Put On

Their Baby Bonnets,  Silly Little Blue Caps With A Bright Orange Button.

From That Moment Every Freshman Was Doomed. Work Was Their Lot,  And

Plenty Of It. "Hi,  Freshman,  Carry Up My Trunk. Yeah,  You,  Freshman--You

With The Skinny Legs. You And Your Fat Friend Carry My Trunk Up To The

Fourth Floor--And If You Drop It,  I'll Break Your Fool Necks."...

"Freshman! Go Down To The Station And Get My Suit-Cases. Here Are The

Checks. Hurry Back If You Know What's Good For You."... "Freshman! Go

Up To Hill Twenty-Eight And Put The Beds Together."... "Freshman! Come

Up To My Room. I Want You To Hang Pictures."

 

Fortunately The Labor Did Not Last Long,  But While It Lasted Hugh Was

Hustled Around As He Never Had Been Before. And He Loved It. He Loved

His Blue Cap And Its Orange Button; He Loved The Upper-Classmen Who

Called Him Freshman And Ordered Him Around; He Loved The Very Trunks

That He Lugged So Painfully Up-Stairs. He Was Being Recognized,  Merely

As A Janitor,  It Is True,  But Recognized; At Last He Was A Part Of

Sanford College. Further,  One Of The Men Who Had Ordered Him Around The

Most Fiercely Wore A Nu Delta Pin,  The Emblem Of His Father's

Fraternity. He Ran That Man's Errands With Such Speed And Willingness

That The Hero Decided That The Freshman Was "Very,  Very Dumb."

 

That Night Hugh And Carl Sat In 19 Surrey And Rested Their Aching Bones,

One On A Couch,  The Other In A Leather Morris Chair.

 

"Hot Stuff,  Wasn't It?" Said Hugh,  Stretching Out Comfortably.

 

"Hot Stuff,  Hell! How Do They Get That Way?"

 

"Never Mind; We'll Do The Ordering Next Year."

 

"Right You Are," Said Carl Decisively,  Lighting A Cigarette,  "And Won't

I Make The Little Frosh Walk." He Gazed Around The Room,  His Face

Beaming With Satisfaction. "Say,  We're Pretty Snappy Here,  Aren't We?"

 

Hugh,  Too,  Looked Around Admiringly. The Walls Were Almost Hidden By

Banners,  A Huge Sanford Blanket--Hugh's