“I think it is no one at all, Dr. Churchill. I believe it is an effigy. See how stiff the arms and legs are.”
“I believe you are right,” admitted the venerable doctor.
His belief was confirmed a moment later, for a farmer, who was driving along the river road, left his team, and came up the campus, a broad smile covering his face.
“Good-morning, Dr. Churchill,” he said. “Is this a new course in eddercation you’re givin’ the boys?”
“Ah, good-morning, Mr. Oakes. What do you mean?”
“Why, I see you’ve got a scarecrow up on that liberty pole. I thought maybe you was addin’ a course in agriculture to your studies. Only if I was you I wouldn’t put a scarecrow up so high. There ain’t no need of it. One low down will do jest as well. And another thing, I allers uses old clothes. There ain’t no sense in puttin’ a swallertail coat an’ a low-cut vest on a scarecrow. Them birds will be jest as skeert of an old coat and a pair of pants stuffed with straw as they will of a dress-suit. That’s carryin’ things a leetle too fur!” and the farmer laughed heartily.
“Dress-suit! Scarecrow!” exclaimed Dr. Churchill, and then he got a glimpse of the figure on top of the pole. It was arrayed in a full-dress suit, and Professor Tines, coming out a moment later, beheld his missing garments.
“This is an outrage!” he declared. “I demand the instant dismissal of the student or students responsible for this, Dr. Churchill!”
[Dr. Churchill] tried hard not to smile, but he [had to turn his face away].
