Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-08-06
A FOOTBALL HERO.

deaf, appeared thoroughly dazed. As
he was preparing 10 step upon the
track nearest him he caught sight Of
one train coming down upon him. and
he now staggered back and was about
10 plunge in from, Of the other down
coming express, when suddenly some,
thing very unexpected happened.
As the crowd Of byStauders shranE
back with horror-Srricken faces. CON
vinced that they We're about TO witness
the horrible fate which must instantly
overJake the old man. a figure in
much-begrimed canvas jacket sprang
out from among them. and clearing
The tracks ., - bound 4u-uted beside
the swaying form Of the other.
A shudder. and a wave Of pitiful re-
gret swept over the moti0nless crowd.
He can never drag him back in time"
they breathed; they will both be kill
ed-Oh. the pity Of IT,"
But our football man had no thought
Of dragging the unsteady figure in front
Of either approaching engine. In an
instant he had tackled the man and
thrown him fiat upon the ground be-
tween the tracks. for all the world
quite as If he had been an opponent on
the football field; then he dropped light
ly on top Of him and lay there notion
less, while the two trains thundered
past on each side Of them, and the
crowd stood waiting spell-bound.
In much less time than ii takes 10 de-
scribe the episode it was over. and
what might have been a tragedy had
proved to be only bit of melodrama
after all; yet as Roger jumped up and
pulled the old man on TO his feet. an.
plause and cheers louder than anv
that had greeted him on the football
field rang in his ears.
Abashed and quite overwhelmed by
such an ovation Roger made haste 10
elbow his way through the crowd. and
in so doing nearly overthrew his own
brother Fred, who happened to be
standing directly in his path.
For heavens sake was that YOU.
Roger:' he cried confronting him in
astonishment.
DO let me get out of this" his
brother responded impatiently, "they
needn't make such a fuss because |
knocked the old duffer over" and he
bolted in the direction of the gymna-
stun.
Saturday night generally brought the
scattered members of the Bartlett fam
lily together, as the collegians always
made point of coming home to spend
Sunday under the parental roof tree.
On this particular Sunday evening
all were assembled before Roger came
in. Fred was all agog to describe the
scene that he had witnessed, but he un-
selliShly held his tongue. "Tu not
spoil his story for him, but will give
him chance to do justice to it," he
mentally calculated, as he watched his
brother swallowing his soup with un-
rutlled compOSure.
But Roger said nothing about the
vital subject, and Fred looking at him
with increasing surprise as he iudi-
cially set forth the respective merits
of the opposing football teams, and
called attention to their most vulner-
able points.
I'll turn in early tonight, think"
he yawned, as he withdrew from the
dining room. II put pretty solid work
into the last half of that game" and
he leiSurely wended his way upstairs.
Il wish that Roger would put little
solid work into something else" his
father volunteered, as he disappeared
from the room.
At this Fred who had in times past
repeatedly scoffed At his brothers ath.
letic proclivtieS, instantly fired up.
Father" he burst forth. you're
making big mistake about Roger.
He's got more genuine stuff in him
than all the rest of us put together. and
If it's football that's done it, the soon.
er we all 20 in for the game the bet.
ter" and then he proceeded to give
Il graphic account of the afternoons
experience, which caused his father
to blow his nose loudly and repeatedly.
while his eyes glistened with happy
pride, and sent his mother weeping in
search Of the sleepy athlete who
couldn't understand what he had done
that was worth making such fuss
about.
\ few days later Mr.. Bartlett re.
ceived a note from his old friend vii.
| kinSon Smalley. which ran somewhat
| as follows:
Dear BARTLETT hear that your
Roger is going in for the law. and If so.
want him. When he gets through
with the law school you can hand him
over to me, for he's just the material
that I'm on the lookout for. and Won
may we'll be proud of him.