Little by little the town dropped back to its outward observance of not seeing in its civic life what it did not care to see, and which no one could radically remedy till human nature is itself different. * * * * * The school year was drawing to a close, my last year at Laurel. Professor Black, of the English department, had assured me that, if I would tone down a bit, I could easily win a scholarship in his department, and, later, an assistant professorship. But I preferred my rambling, haphazard course of life, which was less comfortable, but better for the freedom of mind and spirit that poets must preserve.... Dr. Hammond, when I had given him that luncheon on the borrowed money, had taken me aside and informed me that one of the professors--an influential man on the Hill (beyond that, he refused to identify him further) had advised him, Hammond, not to accept the luncheon in his honour.... "We don't approve generally of Gregory, on the Hill, you know...." And Hammond had, he told me, replied-- "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....