The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-05-01
BY J4OWHRD FIELDING.
CHAPTER XII
HIS CHOICE.
Copyright. 1894.

CHAPTER XII
LAWRENCE MAKES HIS CHOICE.
There was one person who was not
deceived by Larry Bangs appearance
in Paddy's place on the occasion of the
Harvard game. Harry Bangs knew
what was up before the first inning was
over. From that moment he was the
most interested spectator, as one may
easily believe. He did not betray to
either of the guilty persons the fact
that he had detected their treason to
the university until about week after
the event.
Then, late one evening, he entered
Lawrence's room, wearing upon his
countenance an expression appropriate
to a person who has a painful duty to
perform, and intends to divide the mis-
cry literally with the other party to
the interview. The student had not
been seen to smile since his return
from Cambridge. On the evening in
question, he had pushed away his
books, and was sitting with his head
in his hands. His attitude suggested
the last few moments of an ill-spent
life.
Harry regarded him for a minute in,
silence. Then, with an evident strug-
gle to be calm, he said
Larry, -Shy didn't you tell me that
you wanted to play ball?"
So the murder was out. Lawrence,
looked up at his brother with an ex-
preston which may have been quite
common in the dungeons of the inquisi-
ton.
Don't" he groaned. "Why should
you make me more miserable than I,
am? When did you find this out?"
within five minutes after the game
began"
"Why have you waited so long? Why
didn't you descend upon me in your,
wrath as soon as 1 got back to New
Haven?"
"Wait one minute for your answer.
have question which should go be-
fore it. What are you going to do,
about it?"
Nothing. It's all over. I have,
failed"
That's your final word on the sub;
ject?"
ut isl
"Then you have failed. Look here,
Larry, when l discovered you in the
box at Cambridge was delighted. OF
course it was mistake for you to start
in with such an important game. But
forgave you. Only born athlete can
know enough to begin at the bottom
and work up. A bookworm and a
dreamer like you would naturally want
to succeed by special dispensation Of
Providence and not by his own endeav-;
ors. But the athlete understands work.
He knows that in order to be what he
wishes to be he must make himself
that thing. Look at the men who have
succeeded. There's Lanky Pierce, the.
short distance runner. give you my
word that when he first got the idea
that there was sprinter concealed in.
side of him somewhere, he couldn't run
fast enough to keep even with his own,
shadow. He didn't win heat until his
junior year, but he kept at it. Now
he's in the law school, and he's ten.
second man at a hundred yards and q,
sure counter for Yale in the intercol-'
legiate games.
There are men who try for the
teams every year there in college and
never make them. Yet they're help.
to the college and they know it. Their
examples spur on better men than
themselves, and their pluck and perse-i
verance play and win many game,
though their mortal parts are
sitting on the benches, obscure.
and unnoticed. That's what it is to-
be an athlete. That's why ath-
letics benefit college. The spectacle
of one of these men who is forever
trying and falling short, and cheering
the fellow who gets the place he him
self was after, is worth coming to col
lege for. And any man who comes
may see not one but hundreds in the
four years of his life when good eX-
ample is most beneficial to him.
"And so, Larry, l wasn't so much
grieved when the Harvard boys took
your scalp. waited to see what you
would do. I've suffered more than you
have in the last week. When l saw
you give up without an effort, put on
sack cloth and ashes and rended my
garments. This is the last call, Larry.
What are you going to do about it?"
Nothing" replied Lawrence, mood
lily. 81 begin to perceive that sport is
not satisfying. shall confine myself
in future to intellectual struggles"
"In short, you will play for yourself
and not for the university. You desire
a personal triumph, and you don't care
what becomes of your college. And
your name is Bangs. Well, well! The
laws of heredity work some of the
time, but when they take day off
there's no telling what may happen"
And that was the end of it. The
parts were never changed again, in such
q way as to be detrimental to the best
interests of the college.
To trace the subsequent career of
Larry Bangs" on the athletic field
would be merely to repeat what every
well-informed person should know.
That the name of Lawrence Bangs
stood always at the head of the rank list
of class is matter Of no Importance