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

boys were so utterly different fred
had been graduated from Yale with
highest honors, and Horace was max
Ing remarkable progress at the Sci
entifc School; in fact, they were both
exceptionally fine students, which
made the contrast all the more strik
ing.
For Roger was sadly unlike his
brothers. He seemed to labor under
the impression that he had been sent
to college simply and solely for the
purpose of learning 10 play foot ball.
Apparently nothing else had power TO
klndle the slightest enthusiasm in bis
sluggish breast, and his father and
mother argued and eXpOstulated with
him in vain.
"You are frittering away your yalu-
able time" they argued again and
again, "and are letting slip golden op-
pOrtunities which, once gone, will never
come back to you; and what nave YOU
to show for it all but a broken nose
and a fractured colar-bOne?"
as there any prospective benefit 10
be derived from these hours spent in
scrambling after a foot ball?" his IA
ther questioned severely; to whici
Roger merely responded in his usual
Off-hand style: "Why knows but l
may be elected captain of the varsity
team next year,"
as that the height of your ambi-
tlonF his parent returned bitterly. Il
am terribly disappointed in you. sir
Are you to 90 on playing football for
ever and ever, or what do you propose
to make Of your life? Perhaps YOU
think that your reputation as foot
ball player will prove an open sesame
to all desirable positions? Do you sup
pose that anyone wants a fellow who
has willfully wasted his best OppOrtuni-
ties? had hoped to make a profession-
al man Of you, not professional ath-
lete, and had even aspired to seeing
you some day in our leading law office
with my old friend. Wilkinson Small
ley, but it's no use. Smallay wants
only young men of the highest prom.
ise," and Mr.. Bartlett sighed wear
lily.
ut does no good to talk to Roger"
he confided to his wife afterward, "for
hardly ten minutes had elapsed after
] had been demonstrating with him
about the evils of foot ball before he
inquired If ! wouldn't bring you down
TO see the game on Saturday. and in
formed me that he had saved two tick
cts for us"
Mrs. Bartlett regarded her husband
helplessly. What did you say TO him
them she Queried.
81 told him certainly NOS" Mr..
Bartlett exclaimed warmly. "and en-
pressed my surprise at his daring to
suggest such Il thing. Show me some
lasting benefit, or any abiding sood
that is to be derived from this :illcu-
louS game, | told him, ana then come
to me to abet you in such folly, but not
till then"
And so Mr.. and Mrs Bartlett, failed
To witness that memorable game in
which their youngest son gained for
himself such enviable laurrlS. Once
In the field, Roger was like one t"ans.
formed. Keen. alert. cool. rising Splrn-
didly to every emergency. no one would
have known him for the sam" 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
Ounce, for his class standing was fair
ly good, but what panied his father
and mother was the recognition of
what he might have accomplished had
1t not been for the arch-enemy, foot
ball.
The great game over, the victorious
team FASTENED back to their gymna-
stun with all possible speed; they had
some little distance to go, as the gym.
naSlum was not very near the ball
grounds, so that In order to reach IL
they were obliged 10 traverse the cen
ter of the town and cross the rail.
road tracks.
Roger, who had been detained mo.
ment or so longer than the others.
reached the station 4 short time after
they had crossed. and found the plat.
forms crowded with people who were
returning from the game mingled with
those who We're alighting from incom.
Ing trains. As he stepped upon the
platform he became conscious that
something unusual was going on, and
he Immediately perceived that the eyes
or the multitude were riveted upon d
figure halfway across the tracks, a hS
urc pauslng there in hewildcrment.
There's u train coming each way
somebody gasped; "why doesn't he 60
OFF the track
The station agent and one or tw
other officials We're shouting loud!