The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-02-12

/
janitor. As we hadn't any designs on their
boat, and although expecting them to win,
only meant to make them earn their honors,
we didn't object to their janitor. But when
| we went up to the boathouse and saw him
sitting there the picture of gentle pity and
ton but Gaths, we knew what good reason he
| had for his cOmplacency in the proud possess
sion of his giants. and felt it slightly exasper-
ating.
through the hills in gusts, and there was 4
good chop on the river.
"Calm's pond" said he placidly.
We looked at each other and groaned in
wardly-the Gaths had always rowed on the
rowed on smooth inland surface; chop
and swell that would anihilate us would be
water over which they would skim like so
! many Camillas DER the plain. But We went
| OFT quietly, serenading the janitor with "Weel
may the boatie row" as we went. Our new
and all, and We had taken her down to spot
! secure from observation, and given her
| thorough trial. She was beauty, and
from the mo. nent she took water answered to
our will not merely like a steed beneath its
| rider, but as the breath does in ones nostr,ls.
We came in after our breather on an easy jog
| and there sat the janitor as we had left him
II say" said he, with an air of keeping the
| sad secret from our superiors, as came up
the slip-'I say, is that the best you can
do~
"Best?' answered. I can't say that it is.
know. Isuppose that we could do little
better on squirt. But perhaps that is fair
| average"
"I'm sorry for you," said he, with really
compassionate condescension, not that we
were to be simply beaten, but that we were
to be beaten out of sight. But had heard
that in diplomacy it is sometimes what is not
said that counts, and there were certain
things to be read between the lines of my re-
ply;
morning was the water: it was AS smooth as
baby's cheek, and as rosy in the sunrise that
stole over it between the dewey shadows of
the steep and woody shores. Latter in the
forenoon seme of the club went to the rail-
way station, happening to be with them, to
over for the day, among the rest some Won
derfully petty girls, one whom Eknew Har-
den would rather have in Jericho than on the
bOathOuse balcony to see the Gatts come in
best men. Kate and several of her compan-
ions were there too-all our acquaintances
to be general half holiday in the town that
afternoon.
l took Kate's hand moment, drawing her
little apart and she walked on with me
few PAGES. "'Vox populi, vox Dei,'" said.
You see, Kate, even the dogs would cry
whipped if they
"Vox, ct prseterea nihil,' hundred times,
and don't see anything Of the sort, more
over. If you can't whip those great
"GoliaLhs. Goliaths of GatL."
your oars are just as much weavers' beams
as theirs"
"They don't row with The sun in faces, Kate,
| as I do. And the stakes are more to me than
| of all the races ever rowed in Christendom. If
| you mean never to speak to me-
"Oh, is it there? had quite forgotten"-
"What! you are not in earnest@'
'Never more So"
t'Kate?"
"Weng"
"Give me something to row for, my girl"
| and stopped short and looked down at her
with the color rising on her lovely cheek.
| II will give you signal"
"How shall know what it means?''
"You will know"
II believe You would send man into q den
| of lions for your glove"
| 81 never blamed the woman who did," said
! Kate, with a gay laugh all at once, because,
as I saw, her eyes were actually full of tears,
"and never thought well of the man in that
| story"
So we parted. Kate's tears-they augured
! ill. Plying me-bprial before death! A sud-
den flash Of anger swept through me. If she
ould not give me something to row for,
would give her something to cry for, would
| win, or would break a blood-vessel.
Invent to my Office for the mail, on the way
back to quarters, and found it full of smoke
and Cheviots. "Tell us the truth, Geotfreys,'.
they cried. "These Gath people are up hers
with fists full of money, ready to wager thou
sands on their crew. Say, shall We take them
up"
III can't advise you, boys,n said1. "They
are mighty men. They row to win. I never
saw anything so handsome in my life as their
morning exercises. No-don't bet on us
We won't disgrace the Cheviots. It'll be q
close thing, perhaps, but it's out of the ques-
ton to suppose we can win from them"
."Thats as it may be-" cried Brand. but
I've taken the offers of the Philistines to the
last dollar in my pocket" And cheer greet
ed him that fairly slammed the door behind
me as left, and told what the rest meant to
do; and Of course it didn't tighten our hearts
any to know how they were going to tighten
their pockets.
Well,it was big crowd that lined the
shores and the building-tops, that hung along
the banks in boats and skltfs when we went
down to the boat house, and seemed only like
one vast animal with countless eyes and
tongues. The balconies were filed with
ladies, the stake-boat was set, the tugs were
ready to follow us, and such tumult OF ex-
element as there was in the boat-house moth
ing but menagerie just before dinner time
could rival; old Reed was kicking through the
pauels VI DIS ureSslnS-rOOm OOOr because ne
had dropped his key, and young Smythe was
taking his fist and smashing every pane in q
sash because he couldn't open window;
they were yelling here and running there
the blood of all the Cheviots was up. In the
midst of he confusion, there, on a heap OF
sail-cloth under one of the. balconies, the
Gaths lay stretched at their ease like nest OF
young lions, and as looked them over I won.
dered if four as superb gladiators ever fought
in Roman circus. They had deuced pretty
uniform, too, snow-white, With a deep Grim.
son handkerchief knotted on their heads.
"Come up here" cried, leaning OVERCOME
up and survey the course, and Sc the crowd
and be introduced to some"
thank you, Geoffrey" answered Converse
TITS very clever of you, Geofrey, you know
but we're very We'll as we are" And when
time sounded, and they rose and strobe down
to their boat, was not surprised at the shouts
OF admiration that rent the air-in act, we
shouted ourselves.
i l never want to endure another momen1
like that IN which I grasped my oar, waiting
} for the start, after places were taken
glanced back at Harden and the rest and then
across to the Gaths-such white, set faces
My pulse stopped for one second; there was
dead silence; then word, dip, bound, 8
Yell was all myself again, my heart beat al
my oars blade, nv soul went out of me a,
| | ~% @lY~