Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-12-15
HE PROVED TO BE
= A REAL HERO.
'nO YOU think that Charlie will
win the football game Of. the

'nO YOU think that Charlie viii
| win the football game Of. the
| 'Gentilhommes' crew next Monday?
1--WE not the slightest fear that he
| will fail" was the reassuring answer.
which charmed a warm light into the
| face of the girl who had just spoken.
Charlie Vandegriff was her sweetheart.
and she had set her heart on his win
ming the game.
Mildred West had been in love with
| him since she could remember. They
were playmates in childhood. Mil
| dred's brother Frank, who was so eel
| tain that Charlie could not lose the
game for the crew, had been his class
mate at school and in college. They
| always spent their vacations together,
and it was during the Christmas holi-
days under the mistletoe's red ber-
ries that Mildred and young NanGe-
| griff had plighted their troth
The young college man was not ag-
gressive He was quiet. easy-goirg
| fellow, of whom II was said that he
had never displayed any courage. He
refused to fight duel once. the chal-
lenCe for which had been rendered by
a boorish chap from the west. whose
father was millionaire Some ;rifling
| dissension between the two men led
| to words. to which the California mil
| lionaire's son took exception.
To his friend, Frank West, and the
latter's sister, Vandegriff confessed
| that he could not run the risk of be-
| ing killed or wounded because of his
mother. The Vandegriffs had been
rich in their generation, but specula-
| tion had ruined Charities father. He
blew out his brains when the inevitable
came and left his widow and child to
battle with the world alone. Mrs.
vandegriff sacrificed her jewels and
her pride by offering her services as
seamstress in the homes where she
had once been a welcome visitor. This
enabled her to keep intact the little
life insurance as capital to be devoted
| to her sons education. The Vests
were well-to-do gentlefoK and treat
ed with the same cordial friendship
their impoverished neighbors.
At first young Vandegriff's action
In declining 10 fight the duel gave rise
to an undercurrent of indignation. but
better counsel prevailed, and Frank
West had much to do with turning the
tide against the boyish and overbear-
ing Californian who had offended more
than one college mate by his disagree
able manners.
For his skill in football. young Vande-
griff had been chosen the captain CT
the "Gentilhomme" crew, which was
to vanquish the "Benares," whose
captain was one of Nandegr;ff's warm
est friends.
The football game was to be gala
affair at the college. Society had
taken hold of it, and for miles about
the beaux and bellies had talked of
nothing but the game. In dozens Of
wardrobes hung exquisite, filmy sum-
mer gowns to be worn on the occa-
sion. The prize. a superb golden cup,
Vandegriff hoped to lay at the feet
of his betrothed.
On the evening before the game Mat
Dunstrow, brother Of the Dunstrow
who was the captain of the Benares,
called upon young Vandegriff at his
lodgings and asked for a private in
terview. Nothing was thought of II
by the students, who sat about In the
little park in front of the hall. dis
cussing the eventful tomorrow.
The young men were closeted to-
gether for some time, and when final
ly Vandegriff dismissed his friend at
the door, one or two overheard his re-
mark:
"Ill do it, Mat; depend upon It'll"
II was taken as a renewed assurance
that the speaker had no doubt of win
ming the game.