THE ORATOR OF THE REBELS OBTAINS A HEARING.
The students gathered in the schoolroom as usual on Monday morning.
There was no little excitement, even among those who had no interest in
the prizes, for it had been announced that the awards would be made at
this time. So closely had every student who had any ideas in regard to
the plan or location kept them to himself, that no one could even make a
guess as to who would get the prizes.
"We have found some merit in all the plans," said Mr. Plint, who was the
chairman of the committee. "We agreed that it was a tremendous
undertaking for young gentlemen under twenty to plan a wharf and a
building, and it was hardly to be expected that a single one of their
efforts would be acceptable. But all have had the benefit of the thought
and study the subject has given them, and the unsuccessful ones may reap
a harvest in the future from it of a thousandfold more value than the
prizes.
"We are unanimous in our conclusion, and we come to the award without
any doubt or hesitation. It is no discredit to the students to say that
the plans to which the prizes were awarded were the only ones which were
practicable. In some the building was twice as large as necessary, with
a large portion of the space within it wasted. In others it would cost a
million dollars to carry out the ideas of the competitor.
"In one it would be impossible for the steamer to come up to the wharf
without backing on a stern-line. One did not put a single window in his
building, even for the hall; and another supplied no stairs by which the
second story could be reached. In one instance, the dressing-rooms could
only be reached by going up stairs, and passing through the hall.
"But some of the plans which contain the greatest defects also include
some of the most meritorious features. The successful plan for the
boat-house and the one for the wharf and location are admirably fitted
to each other. The committee visited the locality, and carefully
examined the natural structure of the land and the depth of water. The
fortunate competitor has taken advantage of the formation of the shore
for the wharf and the docks for the row-boats; but it would be
impossible to erect the buildings according to most of the plans."
"Was the plan for the building that fitted this location best selected
for that reason, sir?" asked Ben Ludlow.
"A pertinent question, young gentleman," replied Mr. Plint, with a
smile. "The committee awarded the prize for the building before they
considered or even looked at the plans for the wharf and location. We
decided upon the merits of the plan for the boat-house so that its
fitness for the locality might not influence us. I need not say anything
more, except to repeat that all the plans, in spite of the defects that
may be found in them, contain much that is creditable to amateur
architects and engineers."
As he finished his remarks, he handed two rolls of drawings to the
principal. The students gazed at them eagerly, but there was nothing
about them which enabled any student to determine to whom they belonged.
A kind of buff wrapping-paper was provided for rough drawings, and, as
all the scholars had used this article, the rolls were just alike.
"I am satisfied that the committee have acted with the utmost fairness,
though I have not been present at any of their sessions," said Captain
Gildrock.
"I wish to say for myself and Mr. Jepson, that we have not the remotest
suspicion to whom the prizes have been awarded," interposed Mr.
Brookbine. "The handwriting of the boys is so nearly the same thing that
it gave us no clew to the winner."
"If any student has any objections to make to the fairness of this
transaction, now is the time, and the only time there will be, to make
them," added the principal.
At this remark Lew Shoreham rose from his seat, and the boys wondered if
he intended to deliver the oration he had prepared as a protest against
a uniform.
"I am sorry to feel obliged to object--not, I beg to say, in the most
emphatic manner,--to the fairness of the committee," the last of the
rebels began, pluming himself for a speech which promised, as usual, to
be of considerable length. "Our honored principal was kind enough to say
the 'fairness of this transaction,' from which I infer that the whole
subject of the plans and prizes is included."
"Certainly," added the principal rather brusquely, as though he
understood what was coming. "But you must confine yourself to the
subject now before the school."
"That is my intention," replied Shoreham, with a polite bow to the head
of the school. "The objection I feel compelled to make is, that nearly
one third of the school--eight out of twenty-six, to speak with
mathematical accuracy--have been shut out from the competition."
Mr. Bridges had to stuff half his pocket handkerchief into his mouth to
ward off an outburst of laughter at the high-flown speech of the
speaker, and the other members of the committee were equally amused,
though their risibles were more controllable.
"Eight of the students of this useful institution, some of whom had
ideas in the sublime science of architecture, and in the equally
important subject of civil engineering, were prevented from embodying
those ideas in the form of plans, and presenting them for consideration
in this competition," Shoreham proceeded, evidently believing that he
had produced a sensation in the committee.
"What prevented them from competing for the prizes, Shoreham?" asked the
matter-of-fact principal, who had not a great stock of patience under
the infliction of a high-flown speech.
"The eight students alluded to unfortunately differed from the authority
of the school, and from a majority of their fellow-students, in a matter
relating to the discipline of the institution. They were sentenced to
confinement in their several apartments. While they were thus
compulsorily absent from the usual assemblage of the students"--
Mr. Bridges could stand it no longer; the handkerchief failed as a
preventive, and he had to indulge in a fit of audible laughter, in which
the other members of the committee politely joined.
"This was a solemn and important matter to the students alluded to,"
continued Shoreham, with the utmost seriousness, for he could not tell,
for the life of him, what the fat civil engineer was laughing at. "It
involved their rights and privileges. While they were thus excluded, by
authority which they were too loyal to disregard"--
"And Bates was too vigilant to permit them to disregard," the principal,
now as much amused as his guests, interjected.
"Without introducing any unnecessary details, I need only say that the
eight students, whose deportment was usually unobjectionable, and who
habitually discharged with fidelity their obligations to the institution
and its respected founder, were excluded, by authority, from the
particular assemblage of the pupils in which the prizes were offered for
the plan and location. The other students were forbidden to speak with
any persons in regard to the plans, and the eight were unable to obtain
the terms of the offer, and were thus circumstantially shut out from the
competition. For myself and the other students who were thus unjustly
excluded, I wish to protest against the award about to be made, and to
suggest that the offer be repeated, so that the eight may have the
opportunity to stand on the same footing as their fellow-students."
"As I am charged with injustice and unfairness, I should like to have
the committee settle this question," said Captain Gildrock, who appeared
to be in an unusual mood for him, for he was laughing as merrily as the
stout civil engineer. "I will agree to abide by your decision,
gentlemen."
"For myself and my associates whom I represent, I assent to this
magnanimous proposition," replied Shoreham.
From motives of delicacy the committee objected to deciding the matter,
but, at the request of the captain, they finally consented, regarding
the whole business as a farce rather than a matter of serious
importance. The students were rather impatient, for they wanted to know
to whom the prizes had been awarded, and most of the rebels were
satisfied that they had been in the wrong.
Shoreham had already stated the question, and the chairman, declaring
that they understood it perfectly, declined to allow Shoreham to make
another speech.
"You were shut up in your room, and could not find out the terms of the
offer; that's the whole thing in a nutshell, isn't it?" said Mr.
Bridges, turning to the orator of the rebels.
"The question you ask, sir, naturally and logically involves the reason
why we were confined to our apartments," replied Shoreham,--and this
seemed to be the place where the oration could be properly introduced.
"Dry up, Lew!" called Windham, in a whisper loud enough to be heard by
all in the room, calling forth a burst of laughter.
"If we were properly and justly incarcerated"--
Mr. Bridges exploded again.
"Never mind that, Mr. Shoreham," interposed the chairman of the
committee.
"No rogue e'er felt the halter draw
With good opinion of the law,"
chuckled the civil engineer.
"We were acting on principle, sir," said Shoreham warmly.
"Exactly so!" exclaimed the jolly Mr. Bridges. "Let me tell you of a
terrible outrage inflicted on one of my neighbors in a small town in
another State. His name was on the voting-list, but when the day of
election came, he was not allowed to vote. He was robbed of the dearest
right of an American citizen. He was ruthlessly debarred from
constitutionally expressing his choice for a governor of the State.
Wasn't it awful?"
"I should say that it was an outrage, as you called it in the beginning.
But why was he debarred from his right?" asked the orator.
"He was shut up in the house of correction," laughed the fat
committee-man.
"Oh, for some crime!" exclaimed the representative of the rebels.
"That depends upon how you look at it. He did not regard that for which
he was shut up as a crime; in fact, he was acting on principle,"
chuckled the jolly disputant. "He claimed that it was right to sell
liquor, though the law of the State made it a crime. At any rate, his
business was such that he could not leave, even to vote. His case was
just like yours, only a great deal worse, Mr. Shoreham."
The students indulged in a round of hearty applause, and the orator
found it utterly impossible to meet the argument contained in this
parallel case. He subsided. Captain Gildrock was satisfied with the
decision of the committee, and so were all the students, with the
possible exception of Shoreham. The papers that covered the characters
on the two rolls were removed by Mr. Darlingby, and the same one
appeared on both of them.
"Both prizes have been awarded to the same student, I see," said the
principal, while the instructor went for the envelopes.
The character was the Greek letter Beta, and the two envelopes, thus
indorsed, were handed to the principal. There was intense excitement
when he opened them.
"Bolingbroke Millweed," Captain Gildrock read from the enclosures of
both, and a round of applause followed.