The Ramsay Scholarship.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 16, 27 February 1917, Page 2

The Ramsay Scholarship.

It was the end ? the winter session, or term, as dwellers south of the Tweed would call it, and debate ran high amongst the medical students of a certain famous Northern University ; for what was known as the Ramsay Travelling Scholarship was about to be awarded, after the searching examination prescribed by the statutes should have been undergone ; and although a dozen recentlyfledged medicos had entered their names as candidates, the consensus of opinion of the general body of the students, se.ldom at fault in such instances, had decided that the running lay practically between two men, the most distinguished students of their year. "It will bs a close run,” said one, who had entered his own name, “by way of form,” as he expressed it ; "but I think Macintyre will prove the' man, after all.” "A year ago I should have said so too,” replied another ; "but he has not been oo steady this session, and Morrison has a better chance now." "Well, he’s a lucky man whoever gets it. Two hundred and fifty a year for four years, a good time of it at Naples, Vienna, and Berlin, and probably a professorship when he comes back. I wish it were mine. "You shut up, Sime,” broke in another, with more directness of speech than elegance of expression ; "with ten years more of hard work you might think of it ; but here’s Macintyre himself coming." The subject of their remarks passed the little group, each of which proceeded to rally him on his work, on his chance of success, or on his appearance, as impulse prompted. He took it all in genial fashion, though by no means so buoyant at heart as his manner indicated. For of late there had been gnawing as if at his vitals the dread that after all Morrison, his only possible rival, might oust him from the treasured prize al-

ready all but within his grasp. Of the other competitors he made no account. He was pressed, too, in money matters, a pressure due in some degree to his falling of late into habits too convivial to be discreet, considering his j tion and aims, and,.this pressure success in the examination would effectually relieve him from. But failure meant ruin. “I was first in all the professional subjects,” he would say to himself, in estimating his coming chances ; "first, that is to say, till this session, when that fellow Morrison began to creep up upon me with his everlasting “stewing.” "And then, I’ve half-forgotten my Latin. They tell me he’ll floor me in that. T wonder what possesses some of those old fogies on the Continent to lecture still in a dead language. But for that there would be no examination on it, and I should be safe to win, I believe.” And in a moment an idea struck him, which if carried out to full fruition would, he felt certain, insure his success. Only the evening before he had learnt, in the casual course of conversation, where it was and by whom the papers for the forthcoming examination were being printed. At first he recoiled from the thought, only to have the temptation; again assail him, and to find him less prepared to resist it.

“Hang it all, I’ll do it ! - All’s fair in love and war, and this is both. I’ll ask Katie to get for me a copy of the paper.”

The previous winter he had met at a ball the "(laughter of a member of the firm to which was entrusted all the printing done by the University, from ponderous tomes of classical or philosophic lore down to the ephemeral class-list of the first year’s students. A mutual attachment had sprung up between Maclntyre and the young girl, and but for his of late somewhat unsettled habits, her friends would have regarded the intimacy with favouring sympathy. Katie Wilson herself, though not blind to her lover’s failings, had given him all the love of her ardent, generous nature, and refused to see any ground of distrust in a future allied with that of the young doctor. It was when the two had been discussing his prospects on his quitting the University that he mentioned! his hopes of the scholarship.

“My father was talking about scholarship papers only the other day. I overheat'd him, as I was passing the drawing-room door, say something to Mr. Hutton, the registrar, about them.” “Your father ? I didn’t know that he took any part in the business of the firm ; I understood he had retired years ago.”

“Yes, so he did, but there are still some of the papers that he prints himself. What they are I don’t know. I suppose they are too precious for the men to have in their hands. He has done them himself ever since I can remember.”

And then the subject was dismissed for themes more attractive than examination work. But the words thus lightly dropped had left their impress on the young man’s mind, and on their next meeting he returned to the subject. If his suspicions were correct, what papers would Wilson be so likely to retain the printing of as those of the various scholarship examinations ? And, if so, certainly of this most important of all, the blue ribbon of the University.

“Couldn’t you find out,” he asked, “what the papers are your father takes the trouble to print himself ?” “Impossible ; he does them in his library, where he has a small printing press, but all the sheets are kept locked up in his safe.” Tentatively, gradually, ,but none the leas surely, Macintyre worked towards the object ; and if it ever crossed the mind of the innocent girl that she was being made an inter-

meciiary in a very treacherous action it was only a moment ere iV" suspicion was dispelled. It would have ,no actual bearing upon the result of the forthcoming examination, he was careful to explain ; he was already sure of success, and they would get married, and would go abroad together, and be happy .ever afterwards, only—only, he would like to see the Latin paper ; if but for an hour ; that would be sufficient, and his own Katie would replace it in the safe, and it would do no one any harm, nor himself any good, but only to set his mind at rest. And Katie consented, and said she would try to do what her lover had set his heart on. At times the thought of taking her father into her confidence, in the hope that he might be disposed to further, for her sake, her lover’s object, But on reflection she came to regard that as impossible. There were traditions of honour in the "firm,” inseparable from their long connection with the University, and these honourable traditions were crystallized in the breast of the old man, and perhaps unconsciously dominated his daughter.

At all hazards she would be loyal to her promise, the more so as she felt convinced that her father would •be loyal to his trust. One thing she managed to make sure of. A little innocent questioning innocent in form as she could make it, and yet not sufficiently so to avoid exciting the old man’s suspicions—satisfied her that the papers in the safe comprehended the one she sought, and that on the morrow they would be called for by the registrar, who would take them away in a sealed parcel. Today the task she had undertaken must be performed, or it would be too late.

It was an easy matter to possess i herself of the keys she required. I They were together on one ring, . library and safe, the only keys of ' which she never had any control. But then they were lying on the table, while, with his red silk handkerchief thrown over his head, her father indulged in his after-dinner nap, on this occasion, as luck would j have it, a longer nap than usual, j All was now plain sailing, if only he ; would continue to sleep a sufficiently long time. If, not, why, she would confess all, and implore his forgiveness. Had she but known that two wakeful eyes were, under cover of the ! red silk, intently watching her every movement !

She found the papers, some eight or nine little bundles, tuch in its special envelope, with its appropriate title printed on the back. Yes, there was the one she sought,’ marked "Latin Composition," but with a large red seal intervening between her and its contents. The seal was her father’s, and after being-broken it was an easy matter to duplicate it : one impression is so like another when you can secure the same original for the second as has done duty for the first. One copy was all that her trembling fingers abstracted and in another minute the envelope lay beside its fellows, bearing no outward evidence of having been tampered with. It was dark ere she ventured out to meet her lover, with the precious guarantee of his - success and of her devotion.'

“You are sure it can do no one any harm ?” “Quite sura.” “And that no one will ever find it out ?”

“Utterly impossible. I will make one or two small mistakes on purpose so as to avert- suspicion : but I tell yoii there is not the slightest chance of anything of the kind.” | When she returned home she found |her father had gone out, _ An hour i later he returned, and, dismissing his j daughter for the night, proceeded to lock himself in the library. Morning was. breaking ere he made his way upstairs to his room, while Kate, whom his wearied footsteps awakened, wondered what had detained him so long. Still with the unconscious and unreasoning selfishness of young love, a selfishness founded, however, on altruism, she felt supremely happy, for was not her lover delighted with her, and, what was even better, had he not told her so again and again only a few short hours before ? The first three days of the competition were big with fate to most of the competitors, the fate of being weighed in the balance and found wanting. Candidates are prone at such times to compare notes after each day’s performance, and each one gets to know pretty well how the others are doing. “Macintyre and Morrison in the first flight, and the rest nowhere,” was the general verdict. It was also felt that the Latin paper would be decisive, and those of Maclntyre’s friends who\knew that the other was strong in this subject felt anxious as to the result. Not so with the object of their thoughts; he was surer of that than of anything else, as indeed he had good reason to be. Already he had the coveted prize in his grasp. He would not do the paper sine errore, he magnanimously, or perhaps it was prudently, said to himself, but as near to that as might be. Forewarned in such contests is, indeed, forearmed.

The men were already in their places, and the papers being given out, when entered the examina-tion-room on the final morning. His paper was handed to him, the last comer of all that eager throng. He scarcely designed to look at it, for were not its contents already known to him, and had he t not its equivalent in Latin off by heart, to make assurance doubly sure ? At last he looked at it, as one would cast his eye over alandscape every feature of which is familiar.

His eyes seemed to become glazed,’ and scarce could they see the words before them. And then a sickening feeling at heart told him how fatal

was his error. The paper was entirely different from the one he had so sedulously prepared. The shock unnerved him, and though he at length essayed the task before him, he knew too well it was but labour in vain. And yet—and yet, without all this fruitless scheming, he felt that he might kavc succeeded after all. The scholarship was awarded to Morrison. And thus Macintyre lost the prize, and Katie a lover whom, perhaps, she was better without. Her father had found out what she had done, and after a conference with the examiners had, on the pretext that the paper had been mislaid, Secured the substitution of another piece, which he stayed up all night to print, with the results already re-corded—"Tit-Bits.”