College stories, American; Princeton (N.J.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Princeton University -- Fiction
Whenever he read out an award in his strong voice, it was met with a
tremendous cheer from the Hall whose member won the prize. It mattered
not whether the honor was one for which a literary society's training
could count; they cheered anyway, whether it was a fellowship in
modern languages or a prize in the School of Science draughtsmanship.
Nor did it matter whether the man had never since the first week after
his initiation worked the combination lock of the Hall door. They
cheered him anyway. And when the two societies were in doubt as to
which he belonged to, they both cheered. It made magnificent noise.
There are a great many of these prizes. One has no idea until
Commencement comes that there are so many advertised in the catalogue;
and the clerk read each one out in a loud voice, and then waited for
the cheering to cease.
Dougal Davis had heard his name announced three times, and each time
the cheer rang out from the enthusiastic throng in the rear he felt
the little echoing thrill inside of him.
Once as he stepped down from the platform he caught a glimpse of a man
leading the cheer for him. The man's back was turned, but he saw him
standing there 'way up on the railing of the pew in his excitement,
and he saw his arms vigorously jerking out the cheer.
Davis was used to this sort of thing and he held his features very
well, though as he marched up for the third time he felt rather
foolish, for the audience were smiling audibly at the sight of Dougal
Davis, of Persia, running off with so many prizes. Timberly asked him
when he came down, "Why don't you stay up there, Dougal? I'd sit on
the edge platform and swing my legs."
It was only at the announcement of the Lynde prize debate that he felt
at all tremulous. His friends kept telling him that he was sure of it,
but he felt that he would not get it. This is, as everyone knows, the
greatest inter-Hall prize offered, and many people consider it the
greatest honor of a college lifetime. It was quite enough for a fellow
to feel weak at the stomach over. Dougal kept repeating under his
breath, "What's the difference, what's the difference?" and he
reminded himself that there were a second and a third prize as well as
the first, and that any way, even if he won none of them, it was a
pretty fine thing to have secured the appointment from his Hall.
Besides, he was doing so many things that he could afford to drop an
honor or two.
"The Lynde Prize Debate," came in the resonant tones of the tall,
gaunt clerk. Everything was very still.
The cheerers were silent. The two leaders were standing on tip-toe,
each with his elbows doubled up and mouth half open, ready to begin
the cheer. One of them, however, would have to keep still. Dougal shut
his lips.
"First prize awarded to Dougal Davis, of Pers----"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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