* * * * *

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....

“Jim, who put you up to this?”

“The people what saw you lying here, as they drove in, stopped off at the office of the Globe ... it was ‘Senator’ Blair telephoned the courthouse—­”

“Blair, eh?... trying to get even for what we boys did with his dirty paper ... he knows I like to lie out here and read my books of poetry!”

I was thoroughly aroused.  I jumped to my feet.

“Jim, do me a favour, and arrest me ... and I’ll sue you, the city of Laurel, and ‘Senator’ Blair ... all three of you!”

“—­guess I won’t do it ... but do sit on the bench ...  I ask it as a personal favour, Johnnie.”

“As a personal favour, Jim, till you are out of sight.  Then I’ll go back to the grass.”

That night Blair, cocksure, had the story of my arrest in the paper.  But, as it happened, he was too previous....

Jerome Miller and Jack Travers joined me in going to the office of the Globe, the next morning....

After we had finished telling him what we thought of him, the “Senator” begged my pardon profusely, and the next day a retraction was printed....

* * * * *

And now school was over at Laurel.

And I determined to bum my way to New York, and, from there, ship on a cattleboat to Europe.  Where I would finish writing my play, Judas.

Farewell to Laurel!—­

I went up to the athletic field and ran my last two miles on its track, at top speed, as good-bye to its cinders forever!