“How about you, Gard?”
“Guess you might as well open that drawer, sir!” And Stanley read:
“He seeks no prize, does Goody Ford,
For virtue is its own reward.”
That won much applause, for Ford, whose appellation of “Goody,” derived from his given name of Goodman, was no indication of his behaviour, had scorned to take part in the competition. Two other verses were read and then a second name was chosen. This time it was Cashin, and nearly everyone turned in something. The best of them, if applause was any indication, was Neal’s:
“I sing the praise of our Beau Cashin,
The latest cry in mode and fashion.”
“That rhyme requires a license, too, Neal,” laughed Mr. Matthews. “I might say, fellows, that it isn’t absolutely necessary to ‘knock’!”
“No, sir,” agreed De Vitt, “but it’s easier!”
Which rejoinder brought De Vitt into the limelight, and his name was tried next. Gerald De Vitt was editor-in-chief of the school weekly, The Leader, a likable fellow who took himself a bit seriously, who wrote long, sensible and very dull editorials, and who mistakenly conducted a column of allegedly humorous matter that was the despair of his friends. Consequently when Stanley read his production the howl of laughter that arose held as much applause as amusement.
“Here in our circle frowns the grave De Vitt,
Revered as Mentor and deplored as Wit!”
Later someone suggested trying “Matthews” and there were many dismal failures and just one quasi-success. The latter was Dick’s.