The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-22
A VICTORY V E SELF.

Uncle JOe BARKER was q INQUEST IudH.
| He never boosted that he had been a
hero in more than one naval conflict;
but when he visited his sister Mary, she
| said her boy kept the air blue with a
non-smOke. They made him tell stories
until at last he fancied they were think
ing quite too much of glory, and too lit
tie of principle.
One night Ned said:
Tell us one of the worst fights you
ever had-the one that used you up most
completely"
.Well, when 1 was seventeen years
| old
You were not in the navy them"
put in Tom.
:" In that year the battle was fought.
I was at l., and up to that year l
had been the best mathematician in my
class, but ut last | had u rival--HOw-
ard by name. He was = snobbish, con
ceited fellow, clear-headed and cold
hearted. 1 detested him from the first;
for if he ever gained the least advan-
tage over me, he would sneer and take
on great airs.
AT the end of a year we were con
tending for two prizes-One for the best
composition On a given subject. one for
mathematical proficiency. 1 was quite
confident l should get the first, for
Towards essays were unequal. some
times rather original, but lacking al
ways in finish and delicacy. When.
however, l came to hear his read, l
could not doubt the result; it was better
than mine. There were exceedingly
effective points in it. ideas we wondered
at coming from him, and of course he
received the prize with many cOmpli-
mentS.
lit was 4 week before the other prize
was to be given, and our rivalry became
more earnest. This last was to be
awarded after \ new fashion that year.
The mathematical class was to be thor
oughly examined. and honor given TO
whom honor was due. Then those who
sustained certain exceptional tests were
to have four problems given them to
solve in the presence of y committee.
The One who worked correctly and did
the four the quickest was to receive the
prize.
"a few days before the trial l found
on the classroom flOOr a slip of paper
covered with figures, the statement of a
puzzling problem. The Professors
textbook vas often full of such papers.
and l did not once think of its being
one of the Jour tests. / put it in my
pocket, and-such things being always
fascinating to me- studied over it uvtil
| mastered it. must have spent in all
an hour on it. doing it at my east Us
pleasant practice.
about hat tine l was much dis
gusted to hear 4 SchoOlmate hint that
Towards older brother, who was in a
German university, very likely did the
best work on Towards essay for him.
He said the day the subject was given
him he wrote to Germany, and he did
not begin his essay until n day after q
bulky paper came to him from Ger
many. ! feared l had been cheated out
of that prize, but there was no redress;
TO equalize matters, l must gain the
other
1.-THE day came. There were at first
five OF us competing; three soon We're
out. Howard and [ were left. What
was, my surprise. then, to have given us
the very problem / had found and
already studied out / said to myself. l
will be- fair. will 90 about it as de-
~liberately as if l were trying it for the
first time, and must not make y mis-
take. l glanced up. Howard was
working well. confidently. but he had to-
think, 10 choose between methods,
while my brain work had all been done
before. could show the whole prob
lem tini ned in ten minutes and explain
he why tnd the wherefore. When l
stopped nd smiled, Howard knew the
oriZe Y mine.
I'll |~OfessOr requested him to 90
On, Al finished it in twenty minutes
-jusl &c as long as l had apparently
oeen even in that time of silence
and e excitement. conscience kept
viii, loudly: You know YOU
-ea1 K an hour, and he has not
N that time 1 answered that
III no motive for rapidity, or 1
q enough have done it faster.
fty tOsdO it was the proper
was able; 1 had no help.
90 No; the test is of the
Have you stood the
stand the essay test
: - !! :: :; !: ! !: : ! j" ! ]; G. ! : J: !: : ! !: !; !" :: !; ! !:
wered- This. at the
US square,
etO be presented pub
-. but before l left the
-las>-r warmly congratulated,
and disappear full of rage.
'i , vent to my room. and
then c bis battle L tell of. There
was L ID 80 II or streaming blood,
but NO N S.nce Eve cost me the
mental ruy ! that one did.
AT l.,t conscience wOn the day, and
1 said | yo1ild go and tell the Professor
the whole story.
land YOU lost the prize. after all?:"
eyes. Ned