The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-05
ONLY FOR FOOTBALL.

his father asked bitterly 'sDo you sup
pose that any one wants a fellow who has
4ilIfullY wasted his best opportunities
had even aspired to seeing you some day
in our leading law Office with my old
friend-Wilkinson Smalley, but it's no
use. Smalley wants only young men of
the highest promise. And Mr.. BARTLETT
sighed YEARLY
1T does no good to talk to Roger, % ha
oonaded to his wife afterward, for hardly
ten minutes bad elapsed after had been
demonstrating with him about the evils Of
football before he inquired if I wouldn't
bring you down to see the game on Satur-
day, and informed me that he had saved
two tickets for us.
s'What did you say to him then?" she
queried.
Il told him certainly not, - Mr.. Bart
lett exclaimed warmly. and I expressed
my surprise at his daring to suggest such
a thing. Show me some lasting benefit or
any abiding good that is to be derived
FROM this ridiculous game told him. and
then come to me to abet you ia 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 laurels
Once in the field Roger was like one
transformed. Keen, alert, cool, rising
splendidly to every emergency, no one
would have known him for the same slow,
indifferent, easy going specimen of HUI
manity who grieved the ambitious souls
Of his parents by his small aptitude for
Greek.
Not that Roger was by any means O
dunce-for his class standing was fairly
good-but what panied his father and
mother was the recognition of what he
might have accomplished had it not been
for that arch enemy, football
The great game over, the victorious
team fastened back to their gymnasium
with all possible speed They had somo
little distance to go, as the gymnasium
was not very near the ball grounds. SO
THAI in order to reach it they were obliged
to traverse the center of the town and
cross the railroad tracks.
AS Roger stepped upon the platform be
became conscious that something unusual
was going on, and he Immediately per-
csiVed that the eyes of the multitude were
riveted upon "a figure half way across the
tracks, a figure pausing there ia bewilder-
ment.
There's a train coming each way =
somebody gasped. 'sWhy doesn't he get
of the traolSs"
The station agent and one or two other
officials we've shouting loudly, but the
man, who was old and very deaf, appeared
thoroughly dazed.
As the crowd Of bystanders shrank back
with horror stricken faces a figure in a
much begrimed canvas jacket sprang out
from among thems and clearing the tracks
at a bound alighted beside the swaying
form of the other.
A shuddeT and wave Of pitiful regret
swept over the lnotionless crowd. He
can never drag him back in timo, - they
breathed. They viii both be killed"
But the football man had no thought Of
dragging the unsteady figure in front Of
either approaching engine. In 8n instant
he had tackled the man and thrown him
fat upon the ground between the tracks
Then he dropped lightly on top of him,
and lay there mOtionless while the two
trains Numbered past on each side of them,
and the crowd stood waiting spellbOund.
Abasbed and quite overwhelmed by the
cheers Roger made haste to elbow his way
through the crowd, and in so doing nearly
overthrow his own brother Fred, who hap
pened to be standing directly In his path-
For heavens sake was that you5 Rog-
err he cried confronting him in astonish-
ment.
Do lot me get cut Of this. % his brother
responded impatiently. ''They needn't
make such a fuss because I knocked the
old dufer over. And he bolted in the di-
rec6ion Of the gymnasium.
On this particular Sunday evening all
were assembled before Roger came in.
Fred was all agog to describe the scene
that he he'd witnessed, but he unseldshly
held his tongue. ssI'lI not spoil his story
for him, but viii give him chance to do
justice Co it, - he mentally calculated as be
watched his brother swallowing his soup
with unruf7ied composure.
But Roger said nothing upon the vital
subject, and Fred looked at him with in
creasing surprise as he judioially set forth
the respective merits of the opposing foot
ball teams and called attention to their
most vulnerable points.
tfI'Il turn in early tonight 7 think - he
yawnsd as he withdrew from the dining
room. Il put pretty solid work into the
last half of that game. And he leisuroly
wendell bis way up stairs.
- wish that Roger would put a little
solid work into something else, 80 his father
volunteered.
At this Fred who had in times past re-
peabedly scofied at his brothers. athletic
proclivities instantly fired up.
Father, he burst forth, you're MAX
ing big mistake about Roger He's got
more genuine stuff IN him than all the
rest OF us put together " And then be pro
ceeded to give a graphic account of the
afternoon s experience, which caused his
father to blow his nose loudly and repeat
eddy, while his eyes glistened with happy
pride, and sent his mother weeping in
search of the sleepy athlete, who couldn o
understand what he had done that was
worth making such fuss about
A few days later Mr. Bar6ett received q
note from his old friend, Wilkinson
Smalley, which ran somewhat as follows;
DEAR BARTLETT hear that your Roger is
going in for the law, and If So I want him.
When he gets through with the law school, you
hand him over to me, for he just the ma
terial that I'm the lookout for and you
may well be proud of him.
He scared out of q years growth the
other afternoon at the station, but in spite OF
that I wish you would tell him to come round
and take dinner with me some night. for
want to talk to him.
With kind regards to Mrs. Bartlett, believe
me ever your FRIEND WIEKEHsoN sNALLEY.
When Roger came home the following