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THE VAGABOND

As Vag stepped into his room, he noticed that his little mantle-model radio was on the floor. But the surprising fact was that the machine had grown to tremendous proportions with the top above Vag's head and the tuning knob as large as a door handle. Perplexed, Vag warily tugged on the knob. The whole front panel responded to his pull; and Vag slipped through the slit he had opened and looked about him.

The trees were only shoots, there was a fence instead of a wall, and on the site of mammoth Widener Library stood only a ramshackle privy--but this was certainly the Harvard College Yard! Over a hundred people were milling around, arguing in little clusters, or feeding the grey squirre. All seemed to be waiting for something important to happen. One group where a white-haired man with blazing eyes was listening intently to a gesticulating Negro particularly caught Vag's attention. The colored fellow's eyes bulged out like white hen's eggs as his face expressed his awe at what he was describing. Vag asked a bystander who the white-haired gentleman was and received the reply, "Cotton Mather, Harvard's next President--worse luck." That was very puzzling, for Vag was as sure that James B. Conant was still President as he was that men wear pants. Just at this moment Vag realized that all the men were wearing knickers.

He was still staring at the crowd's clothing when the big Negro ran past him. The black face was bisected by a toothy grin. Close behind came Mather, waving his cane and sputtering imprecations. Vag stepped back through the slit to get out of the way, and the change in light blinded him for a moment. When his vision cleared the radio was back on the mantel.

The Harvard Radio Workshop presents "King Cotton Uncrowned" at 9:30 tonight over the Network.

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