8 THE ACORN The apparition arose and, with a wild look, glanced around him and then slowly putting his hands to his head, broke into sobs. Miriane interpreted the conditions immediately and with a glance at the whimpering Count turned to the ghost and said, "Come, Jack, we will go now." Perhaps contrary to knowledge of the scheming Count any one of the stars would open the door. But the door remained closed long enough to have its effect on our friend Langdon. O. Q. MILLAR, '10. A Flight of Imagination With Apologies to the Eagle. Weber Academy, Thanksgiving, '09. Dear-- Your letter asking for a loan of $5.00 received. I am sorry to say that I cannot let you have it, as I haven't got the money. Since writing you this letter, however, I have borrowed $5 from a friend of mine and will now let you have it, but you will have to wait until my next letter, as I have already mailed this one and cannot get it out of the postoffice. No, I am not an only child. I have three brothers, all boys. Their names are all Tom but Dick, and his name is Harry. I left them, though-drifted from bad to worse and from worse to the Academy. Here I was placed on my honor and played hookey. Crossing Lester Park, I suddenly came to a 10-acre pasture. On going through I saw a cow's husband. This papa cow saw me about that time and I knew it was up to me to do something clever, so I looked down at my feet and said, "Feet, I have taken good care of you through thick and thin. Now it's up to you to show your appreciation." Well, my feet began moving so fast I could hardly keep up with them and I ran until I came to a fence. Now this gentleman cow must have seen I needed some assistance, so he rose to the occasion and so did I. You say you are surprised to know I'm alive, as you heard that I was dead. Well, there was a report in the paper that I was dead, but it was the other fellow. I knew it was not me the moment I read it. But speaking of Providence, your old friend, Ben Harker, was murdered the THE ACORN 9 other night for his money, but luckily for Ben he put his money in the bank the day before, so lost nothing but his life. I have reason to believe that he was not killed and will not believe it until I hear it from his own lips. I thank you for the elegant pair of boots you sent me, but they are entirely too small, so I do not think I can get them on until I have worn them a few days. In return for the boots I have sent you by tomorrow's express a frieze overcoat and, as the express company charges by weight, I have cut the buttons off to save express. You will find them in the top pocket of the coat. If you have no hatchet to open the box with, I have packed one inside the box. Perigorically yours, THOISDAY. P. S. Since writing this letter, I have raised a family of about three children and a beard. One of them is twins. Scientists estimate that there is enough energy in less than fifty acres of sunshine to run all the machinery in the world if it could be concentrated. But the sun might blaze out upon the earth forever without setting anything on fire; although these rays, focused by a burning glass, would melt solid granite, or even change a diamond into vapor. There are plenty of men who have ability enough; the rays of their faculties, taken separately, are all right, but they are powerless to collect them to bring them all to bear upon a single spot. Versatile men, universal geniuses, are usually weak, because they have no power to concentrate their talents upon one point, and this makes all the difference between failure and success. O. S. MARDEN.