The Vice-President was in his room, and promptly registered the happy Clarence. Then, Will Benton, very nervous, conducted Clarence over to the small boy’s division.
At his coming, there was great excitement. The boys came flocking towards the two, and, in a moment, had them surrounded.
“Look at his arm”—“Isn’t that a chest for you”—“His Southpaw dished the gypsy for thirty-six hours”—“He did it just like that”—“That’s Strong-Arm for you.” These and a thousand exclamations evinced clearly that Will Benton was still the hero of the hour.
Will blushed. He was frightened.
“Speech, Strong-Arm, speech,” cried a shrill-voiced youth.
“Speech, speech,” volleyed the others.
And then Will Benton, Strong-Arm, Senior, and Prefect of the Sodality, made his maiden speech, and cracked his first and only joke. Like most people who are immensely popular, Will Benton was not given to joking. He was always smiling, always jolly, always quick to laugh at other’s witticisms. But as for himself, he was literal, matter of fact, and serenely serious.
And the joke he got off on this occasion was really such a little joke. It wasn’t even original. But the boys who heard it doubled with laughter, and howled with delight. They thought it was the finest joke they had ever heard. Most of them continue to think so. They repeated it to each other, and wrote home about it. They made it a classic in Campion College, in such wise that it promises to go down to posterity along with the wrench and the blow which made Will Benton famous and immortal. On this one joke, Will Benton’s reputation as a humorist will live.
Here are the speech and joke:
“Boys,” he said, holding up his hands.