The Sunday herald., 1886-10-24
LAST CHANCE OF A RACE.


But guitess, oh 70 men, guiltless Of love-"
HELEN MEREDITH.
LAST CHANCE OF A RACE.
The Captain Of the windamere boat sat
ON the table In a comfortable room in his
own house, holding forth to the four and one
or two Of their friends on his favorite theo-
ries Of crew racing.
The Captain Of the Windamere was not
man cut out for society hero. Tall, angu.
lar, homely, truthful, too heavy to
float in froth, the girls said che wouldn't
do" But the trouble did not end here.
The Captain had strange notions for the gay
city in which he lived as to what the men Of
the ideal crew ought to do. Not only must
they be men Of absolutely perfect morals,
but dancing, flirting, star gazing, and every
thing Of the sort was forbidden In training
time. The result Of this rigid discipline had
been that the Windamere men had dropped
away to more easy going circles. Bnt the
loss Of male support would have been OF
small consequence II the ladies had not de-
serted the club; their wit, their satire, their
influence over their friends had at last about
ruined the Windamere.
At the instigation of their fair admirers
the deserters had formed a new association,
now numbering nearly all the popular and
society men in town. And though hereto
fore rigid principle had told and the old
Windamere had held her own, this year il
looked as though nothing could prevent the
new club, the Atlantis, from beating the
Windamere and even winning the great re.
gatta.
The old wealthy supporters Of the Winda-
meres persisted in re.electing Cleland cap.
tain, but when he came TO look around him
for his four he was in despair. For though
he still stuck to 1t that high principles were
necessary to q winning crew, no amount of
high principle would make up for poor
bodies and worse rowing, and there was not
the faintest approximation to a stroke oar
among them.
A blow like a sledge hammer struck the
chamber door. Clelaud started to open it
had barely time to dodge small travelling
bag which whistled past his head, and stood
face to face with the intruder.
"Well, old man"
"Kent, by all the powers that be |" and
the huge undemonstrative Captain flew
around like terrier. Then he suddenly
burst out with. "Old fellow, will do any
thing for you II you will only stay here with
me three months and 'stroke' the Winda-
merel Why noti Where are you going 7
Are you still wanderer ?"
An unmistakable look of pleasure was
cleaning on the face SO we'll trained TO ex
press no emotion, as, introduotions over,
Kent threw himself before the fire and
listened to the tale Of the Captains woes.
Kent would attract no attention from tho
casual observer, the figure. almost slight
and not above the middle height, but the
Captains speech grows eloquent as his eye
travels lovingly over the shapely calf, the
thin TANKS, the deep chest; he knows, too,
that in the sad, almost weary eye Turks
latent fire aud dauntless courage.
"Euough, old man, am under your or
ders."
| Cleland fairly embraced bin.
"You and Cleland have worked together
BEFORE" said one Of the wondering speota
tors of this scene drily.
"Ssven years shoulder to shoulder through
academy and college,"
"Did you ever lose race 7"
"Nevsr when II was Clelsnd's fault"
"Once when IL was Clelaud's fault" said
Cleland solemnly.
Contradiction in the testimony
laughed Burrage; "sxplain."
"Tsll 1t, Kent" said Clslsnd. ~ will
not sully my lips with the story of m,
folly.
Kent, sesing their curiosity would have Il
be satisfied, rolled over from the fire, restet
his head on his hand, aud sparing tn
already blushipg Captain the embarrassment
Of being looked At began:
"You see, Clsland once INDUCED noble
passion than rowing races. A rival pape
had accused him OF being nothing but . biI
brute, and to prove his kinship with tn
skies Clsland fell In love, and, by Jove, gen
tlsmen, she was worth . hundred races
Alice Hartyel; such q pretty name, sucl
. really noble"
Clsland rose savagsly and Kent suddenl
went on with his story.
"The smiles Of the fair one won Clelan
from his duty a. guardian Of the eight, an
the rest of us were not quite mp TO til
scratch when the struggle came"
"And Henry Dent tainted on his oar try
ing TO redeem lost cause" broke In Clelan
with emotion.
Kent rolled over I" the fire once more.
"This Miss Hariyel wasn't Nell Fssssn
denis cousin, was she y" said Sargent.
81 believe she was somebody's cousin frol
out hsrs.'
J Silence reigned moment.
"The enemy Ia In the camp once NOR
then; there is Miss Hartyel just arrived ,
the Fessendens to spend the summer wit
them"
Kent neither moved nor spoke; he wi
Watching the reflection Of Cleland's face
the polished surface Of the fireplace. The
his eyes dropped slowly to the fire, aud I'll
! spirits In the flames saw the n0nohalai
lines in his face stffsn into iron resolution
As for Cleland, he received the inform
tion with an odd mixture Of embarrassment
, and manly good nature. Kent alone saw Il
passing look OF yearning.
When the party had broken up and Ker
had been left alone in his own room he 81
long In thought looking out on the storm Il
which he seemed to have an affinity. "Stranl
, Cleland should want to possess that womal
he is so honestly happy, doing his duty
the world like man, living not unto hin
self, but unto others. Why can't he be CO.
tented to die sof woman will only worr
him. That is what they are for; at lea
very few men can keep them In the quie
cent state. believe, though, II that CO.
q founded race OF 1876 had not put him
u such bad light that Alice Hartyel WI
losing her very soul to the old war hors
And Cleland would make any reasonab
! ambitious woman happy. She would be- II
death the literal queen OF his realm"
pause came In the mon0logue; his eyes gre
misty at the thought Of some bygone d,
and his theories OF womankind were forgo
ten. "If we eau only win this race mi
bring them together, aud II will be bett
work than fighting the Turks or killing u
Indians" And the proud, homssick m,
. flung himself ON his bed and slept instantl
In his mail at breakfast next morniI
Clslsnd found an invitation to a party
tho Fessepdens and proposed to Kent tn
they accept. The two men then parted I
the day-Cleland to his business, promisiI
to be on hand at Ave o'clock with the 9th
two men. and Kent to the boat house, agre
ing to have the boat ready after the Captain
own heart, which he knew SO we'll.
Fearless in execution, dashing into acti
with merry heart, Kent had no great pla
ming power, but a generous admiration I