... I'd like to see you vindicate Langworth's and my judgment of
you. For you have many, many professors and people on the Hill who don't
believe in you, and, frankly,--say it was a mistake ever to have let you
in."
Mackworth was one of the regents of the school.
"In fact, once one of the professors rose, at a meeting, ably reinforced
by several others, to complain that you were actually crazy, and a
detriment to the school."
"And what did you say, Mr. Mackworth, didn't you defend me?"
"Yes, God pity me, I did," he jested. "I remembered how I was asked to
quit here, too. In the days when General Fred Furniss was also looked on
as an unruly, rather undesirable member of the student body ... we were
classmates....
"I replied that no doubt you were crazy, you starry young tramp, you!...
but that I wished some of the professors shared a little of your virus
... it might make them more alive and interesting."
Again I was absolutely starvation-ridden. Several tramp-poems that I
sold to _Everybody's_ kept me literally in bread and cheese for a month.
I was still madly in love with Vanna at long distance.
There came an opportunity for me to make a few dollars and to show off
before her, at the same time.
The Copperwell Street Show came to town. They lined the main street with
booths, and outside of town, in a large pasture, circus tents were
pitched, in which the usual one-ringed circus was to be shown .
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