Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-08-15

boys were 30 utterly different. Fred
had been graduated from Yale with
highest honors. and Horace was max.
ing remarkable progress at the Sci.
entihc School; In fact. they were both
exceptionally fine students. which
made the contrast all the more strik.
ing.
For Roger was sadly uhlikc his
brothers. He seemed to labor Under
the impression that he had been sent
to college simply and solely for the
purpose Of learning to play foot ball.
Apparently nothing else had power TO
kindle the slightest enthusiasm, In bis
sluggish breast. and hts father AMI
mother argued and expostulated With
him In vain.
"YOu are fr!ttcrlng away your valu.
able time" they argued again and
again. "and are letting slip golden op.
pOrtunities which. once gone. will ne, or
come back to you; and what havc you
to show for II all but a broken nose
and fractured coilar.bonc?"
rs there any prospective benefit 10
be derived from these hours spent In
scrambllng after a foot ball?" his IA.
Their questioned. severely: ~ While,
Roger merely responded IN his usual
Oif.hand style: "why knows bur I
may be elected captain Of the varsity
team next year?"
rs that the height Of your ambl.
tlonT' his parent returned bitterly. II
am terribly disappointed In you. sir.
Are you to 20 on playing foo;.ball for.
ever and ever. or what do you propose
70 make Of your life? Perhaps YOU
think that your reputation as \ foot
ball player will prove an open sesame
60 oil desirable positions? DO you sup.
pose that anyone wants a fellow who
has willfully wasted his best opportuni-
ties? had hoped to make profession.
al man Of you. not professional ath-
lete. and had even asplred to seeing
you some day in our leading law office
with my old friend. wilkinson Sinai.
ley. but It's no use. Smallsy wants
only young men Of the highest prom.
ise," and Mr.. Bartlett sighed wear.
lily.
1T does no good to talk to Roger"
he conAded to his wife afterwarl, "for
hardly ten minutes had elapsed afteS
! had been demonstrating with him
about the evils Of foot ball before he
inquired II I wouldn't bring you down
to see the game on Saturday. and In.
formed me that he had saved two tick.
cts for U.s."
Mrs. Bartlett regarded her husband
helpiessly. "what did you say to him
ti,enr' she Queried. Y
II told him certainly no..'" Mr..
Bartlett exclaimed warmly. and I ex.
pressed my surprise at his daring TO
suggest such thing. Show me some
lasting benent. or any abiding aoo,i,
that 10 to be derived from this :idicM.
lous game. ! told him. and then come
to me to abet you In such folly. but not
till then"
And 10 Mr.. and Mrs. Bartlett. failed
to witness that memorable gnms In
which their youngest son gained for
himself such enviable laurels. Once
In the field. Roger was like ons trans.
formed. Keen. alert. cool. rising splcn.
didly to every emergency. no ono would
have known him for the same slow,
Indifferent. easy.going specimen OF hu.
manity who grieved the ambitious souls
Of his parents by his small aptitude
for Greek.
Not that Roger was by any means q
Ounce. for his class standing was fair
ly good. but what pained his father
and mother was the recognition Of
what he might have accomplished had
1t not been for the arch.ensmy. foot
ball.
Tho great game over. the victorious
team FASTENED back to their gymna.
Stun with oil possible speed: they had
some little distance to 20. ~ the gym.
nasium was not very near the ball
grounds. 70 that In order to reach Il
they were obliged TO traverse the cen.
ter OF the town and cross the rail.
road tracks.
Roger. who had been detained q mo.
ment or 70 longer than the others,
reached the station q short time after
they had crossed, and found the plat.
forms crowded with people who were
returning from the game. mingled with
those who were alighting FROM inc0n,.
ing trains. As he stepped upon the
platform he became conscious that
something unusual was going on, and
lie Immediately perceived that the eyes
of the multitude were rlvcted upon a
figure halfway across tho tracks, q hy-
ure pauslng there In bewildern,ent.
"There's a train coming each way"
somebody gasped; "why doesn't hc got
on the track!"
The station agent and one or two
other officials We're shouting loudly.
but the man. who was old and very
deaf, appeared thoroughly dazed. As
he was preparing to step upon the
track nearest him he caught sight OF
one train coming down upon him. and
he now staggered back and was about
to plunge In front of the other down.
coming express. when suddenly some.
thing very unexpected happened.
As the crowd Of bystanders shranE
back with hOrrOr-stricken faces. cOn-
WINGED that they were about to witness
the horrible fate which must Instantly
Overtake the old man. a figure In q
much-begrlmed canvas jacket sprang
out from among them, and clearing
the tracks at a bound allghtcd beside
the swaying form Of the other.
A shudder, and wave Of pitiful re-
greet swept over the mOtlonless crowd.
"He can never drag him back In time"