Page 7 - The Adventures of a Freshman

CHAPTER II

THE "BIG, GREEN FRESHMAN FROM SQUEEDUNK"

There were very important reasons why this particular Freshman had made up his mind to do well at college.
He had done very well at the High School out at home, and it was one of the best in all Illinois. But that was
not the reason, nor had he graduated first in his class, indeed; one of the girls did, as usual, though, to be sure,
Young had done outside studying with the minister and that was a handicap. He had a different sort of reason
for wanting to do well, now he was here at last.

He could recall, as vividly as though it were yesterday, how his father looked the time he said: "And I tell you
now, once and forever, I ain't going to spend my hard-earned money making a dude of any son of mine; and
that's all I have to say about it. On the first of next month you're going to get to work in the bank; and you
ought to be glad of it. Few farmers' sons have such chances."

Young remembered how sarcastic seemed his father's answer to the question, "Won't you just lend me the
money, father? I'll pay it back with interest, in time?"

"Lend you money!--where's your collateral, hey?" and Mr. Young laughed.

"Then that is your final decision, father?"

"Final as I can make. If you go to college you pay your own way. Good-night. I guess that settles it."

Until this offer of the place in the bank came, just after Will's graduation from the High School, his father had
only said, "What's the sense of going to college? You can't make any more money by it." And Will had
quietly gone on with his Greek lessons, not doubting that his father would give his consent in the end. But
now it was: "This is too good a chance to miss, Will--why, you'll soon make a rich man of yourself. Of
course, you must take it. What's the use of having your father a director of the Farmers' National Bank, any
way? You'll soon get over your fool notions. Charlie hasn't any fool notions about 'higher education.' He's my
right-hand man on the farm." And the farm was one of the most prosperous in the county.

Will knew his father and said nothing more, and on July 1st took the place in the bank and began to work at
$5 a week. But he did not get over his fool notions.

You see, ever since Young could remember, he had dreamed and planned about going to college, and what is
more he had put in a great many hours of good, solid study with the minister during the past years preparing
himself for it, and in consequence it was often 'way after the dark by the time he had driven out home and had
finished his "chores." And he did not propose to let all that work count for nothing. He had made up his mind
to get a university education.

It was out of the question now to study all summer and enter the next fall, but the minister told him he was
still young; he could enter the following year.

"Your boy Will's catching on quicker than Henry Johnson or any of the young men that ever worked under me
yet." That's what the cashier said to Mr. Young.

"That means he's getting over his fool notions," thought Mr. Young. Really it meant that he still had them.
Will never mentioned the word college to his father again; and to those of his old friends who said, "Oh, so
you aren't going East after all: why's that?" he merely replied in effect that that was his business, and bent