"I'm sorry, but Mr. Gregory is my friend, and Dr. Ward, our literary
editor, looks on him as a distinguished contributor to the
_Independent_, and a young writer of great and growing promise" ... so
the luncheon was given ... I wonder if the protesting professor was one
of those invited, and if so, if he attended?...
I saw clearly that I could never fit into the formal, academic life of
the college--where professors were ashamed to be seen carrying packages
and bags home from the stores, but must have them delivered ... for fear
of losing their social status!
* * * * *
There was a park on the outskirts of town where I loved to loaf, when
the weather was sunny,--a place where the blue jays fought with the
squirrels and the leaves flickered in the sun ... sometimes I lay on the
grass, reading ... sometimes I lounged on a bench ... I read my Greek
and Latin poets there ... and my English and German poets ... and, when
hungry, I sauntered home to my bread and cheese, or, now that I was in
receipt of Derek's weekly stipend, to a frugal meal at some lunch
counter. I dearly liked rib-ends of beef....
One day, when I was in my park, lying on my belly, reading Josephus, I
was aware of the deputy sheriff, Small, whom I knew, standing over
me....
"Oh, it's _you_, Gregory!"
"Yes, what's the matter, Deputy Small? what do you want?"
"People who drove in from the country complained about your lying here."
"Complained about my lying here? what the hell!... look'e here, Jim
Small, there's no ordinance to prevent me from lying on the grass."
"Well, Johnnie, you either got to git up and sit, proper, on a bench, or
I'll have to pull you in, much as I dislike to do it."
"Jim, you just 'pull' ahead, if you think you're lucky ... it'll be a
fine thing for me ... I'll sue the city for false arrest."
Deputy Small was puzzled. He pushed his hat back and scratched his
head....
"Jim, who put you up to this?"
"The people what saw you lying here, as they drove in, stopped off at
the office of the _Globe_ ... it was 'Senator' Blair telephoned the
courthouse--"
"Blair, eh?... trying to get even for what we boys did with his dirty
paper ... he knows I like to lie out here and read my books of poetry!"