Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-04
THE CINDER PATH.

A party Of four sat at one of the small
tables in the Hoffman house cafe. The
youngest looked as If he was about 80
years Of age, the oldest about 40. The
latter, as he slipped a glass of claret, said:
GLOW came you TO fall in love with your
legs, Tom? l remember you as a swift
runner when we were at school, but you
didn't 60 in particularly for athletic sports
for years after you got rid Of the school
master, and about the time you reached
your majority you were bit Of a rounder. :"
Tom blushed at the recollection of some
of the fOolishness Of his callow days.
''COme, tell us how you struck your gait, "
urged the other. You have won thirty
odd races, | understand" The others
said: go ahead, old boy" Tom said
the telling would occupy too much time,
and wasn't worth it, anyhow. His COM
paniOns promised to call time if the story
wasn't up to the mark.
at was the fault OF a very pretty girl"
said Tom, whcreat one Of his companions
interrupted the story with an order for an
other bottle of wine, in honor Of the very
pretty girl, he said. Having toasted the
very pretty girl, who was infinitely de-
scribed by request. Tom once more got on
word When it was given he dashed away
at a ten second gait.
''If you fellows were younger" was bis
first heartless remark, Il could give you
some points that would save you lot of
trouble and put money in your pockets
However here goes. When l cut loose
from the old homestead | drifted, after
Il while, into = region that devoted great
n of ST.. 70
These generally took the shape Of foot
races, either walking or running, but gen
orally the latter. ] wasn't in the sporting
line myself, but as everybody turned out
10 see a race, if it promised to be fast and
close, turned out too. \ fete champctre
was held in a big park on the outskirts OF
the town one summer day in 1877,
and it was attended by the soci-
ETY. of the place in body. Among
other amusements there was q mile
race. Among those who watched the con-
teStants as they struggled to reach the
woTSted was the very pretty girl whom
we toasted few minutes ago. The fell
low who won the race was an ungainly
looking mortal, who got there by main
strength, but as he crossed the limo q
winner, the very pretty girl said: 'Oh,
',
and | knew it. She was girl of intclli-
gencc and education, and l thought she
might be joking. l looked at her, and
glance satisfied me that she was in ear
nest, In one sense she didn't think he
was lovely, and when he was pointed out
to her after he had donned a suit of i'll
fitting clothes she failed to recognize him,
and seemed TO have lost all interest in
or, q lyrnG 20, Inv ba
simple fact that he had proved to be the
best man in the race; had come in first.
"Now. If she hadn't been such an IN
commonly nice. girl, a belle, in fact,
would probably have thought nothing
moro about the matter, but she had a lot
Of admirers, among whom your humble
servant was the latest, and the latest had
n desire to get inside all the others. Some
of them were amateur athletes, and these
looked down upon ordinary mortals. They
had arranged for an athletic meeting SIX
weeks from the date of the fetc Champetre.
Why not enter Cor some OF the events at
TIE last moment? The idea was grasped
and squeezed. Ny business occupied me
from noon 10 r:idnight and after. l rose
with { sun, rrligiously, every morning
after the resolution to compete at the
meeting was fol ned. | sought lonely
country road and l tore along it for four
o. five miles Then | went home and
took cold bath. For three or four days
uftorward ] walked down stairs
sideways. Stiff doesn't half describe
my condition. But the stiffness Wore
of and ! kept at my work.
sometimes accompanied the afore-
mentioned amateur athletes to the track
on which their training was done and
sometimes, after much urging put on u
pair of running shoes and entered the lists
against them. Ny only confidant at the
time was an old professional runner, who
saw me practicing one morning and was
good enough To say that | might make a
runner in time. i had the pleasure about
year afterward, in a private trial, of
showing him my back so plainly and per
siStentlv that lie concluded then and there
10 retire from the cinder path. Among
other bits of good advice he gave was the
injunction never TO let the other fellow
know what / could do, and TO find out, if
possible, just what my opponent could do.
Bearing this in mind, il always happened
that during our trial races l never came
in first, and was, therefore, considered by
the other competitors a SURE loser. | had
managed To feel them. however, and when
the day arrived l was excited. but conf
dent.
1.-The first race was dash Of 100 yards.
and there were seven contestants. Tho
very pretty girl sat in carriage where
she could see everything that was TO be
seen. All the boys were rugged out in
great style. My suit cost me $50: it was
of fine black worsted, with claret color
border ] thought II was the prize rig
end so think today. Three Of us ran in
the first heat. There were two trial heats
and n final. and | afterwarl discovered
that could run first heat in fully a half
second faster time than q second. When
/ toed the scratch, | felt as if / were
strung on wires and must have acted like
o cat filled with electricity. To save my
neck couldn't keep still, though l man.
aged not to go over the line ! felt sure
of my men, yet / wanted to get the start.
Something in front seemed 10 be tugginC
at me The moment the starter shouted Get
readyr Both ears were wide open wait
ing for the pistol shot. There was click
and was Off ike a bullet
alt was n snap shot and l was called
hack. but must have covered fifty yards
before | heard a word. Well, we got on
the scratch again and waited for the
nisuol. One second. TWO seconds passed,
and no report. 1t seemei TO me that an
hour had expired since | got on that