Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-10-15


1 tip-toed up to the sitting room that
we shared together. In darkness: in
stinctively l knew he would be waiting
for me in the bedroom Half relieved.
half mortified. l went In and locked the
door. meaning to spend the night on
the couch there. He meant to win-to
| win Ella and the race-did he? We
| should seei
Perhaps it was about midnight when
heard that hesitating creak in the
| corridor outside. jim, 1 knew ii be-
fore his tap came at the door. 1 moved
so that he should know l was there.
and almost instantly came the whis-
pered: viii. old man. want to come
I'M" For answer l held my breath.
VIII, do you really mean th.s?"
came, low and incredulous, next. 1
heard him even try the handle-a thing
l could never have done in his place.
viii, what have l done? Ee a man.
Whatever it is. at least We can talk
II over sensibly. know
It's about Ella. I'm sorry; she did say
that. but only as Joke. you might be
certain. You know she's not the girl
| to poohl' His voice become steadier.
VIII, you're making a fool of me
here, and spelling both our chances for
the race l can't sleep. l want to
know how it's all going to end Be-
cause Tiff you're going to take it to
heart like that-well, you know I
wouldn't stand in any fellows way.
What is it to be? All right, Will
good night"
He must have reached his room be-
fore l realized what 1 was perversely
| throwing away. because, when l sprang
to the door and opened it, with
hoarse Jim, herel" 1 got no answer.
Go up TO him. l could not. In a real
agony Of indecision, 1 threw myself
down on the couch. 1 would leave the
college the next week without saving
goodbye. If l had to long for the pres
sure of his hand ali my life afterward.
Yes! and he-he should never win, and
so on, till dawn showed sickly outside.
Then fell asleep.
The great day, at lasti And yet it
all seemed unreal. Here, for weeks
past, had dreamed of the crowd. the
expectancy, the nameless thrill at the
start. the superhuman effort I meant
secretly to make, and the crazy cheer
ing as Jim Garside and painted abreast
toward the tape, beating the rival col
lege by two points at least; and had
set my teeth hard every time thought
OF that deadly final sprint home. Now.
now that the time had actually come.
7 81 ~, h.
dition that was simply paralyzing; and
the buzz and chatter around seemed to
come from a long way of.
Ten minutes to IL. In ten minutes
we should be off-twenty- runners
all. and the pick OF the county among
them. Ten miles, could never do
IL with that nameless, cold sinking in
side me and that trembling in my
limbs. But-what did il matter?
should not win-but neither should
Jim. All, there he was, chatting with
Ella and her father, the center OF an
eager group.
l had heard some rumor that morn
ing about his not being a starter. but
evidently that had been false. He
looked pale. but cool and confident as
ever, and a fine manly figure in his
blue and-wh!te racing costume. All.
now he was looking my way. with q
questioning glance. would not see il.
knowing inwardly that he would al
ways pemain my ideal OF a man and a
friend. ! tried hard TO believe that
hated him. If only
Get ready"
The starters voice, and a closing-up
OF the competitors into line. A sudden
hush on all sides, row OF strained
eyes and set lips, Tightening OF mus
cles, the hateful pause that every run
ner knows, and then at last-"Go!"
l heard the crowd give cheer. and
that seemed to break the lethargic spell
upon me- Jim GarAide-he had sprung
out from the rest at once and taken a
clear lead, and the sight sent that wave
of mad jealousy over me afresh.
There goes Marston." went I'D a
shout behind. Yes; crashed through
the pack, and was after him. After
ward I recollected that, as got level.
he turned his head and whispered, fast:
Bravo, Will-tEat's it! I'll take
49, SAA- 49, - oSOerNJ oSCdu1-
AT the moment l paid no heed. I
had simply torn by. 1t was one-mile
pace, and madness on the face of it;
but reason and everything else went
down before that desperate determine
ton to beat Jim on his merits or pre-
vent him winning in another way.
Head down, and arms drawn tightly
up, on dashed. that pursuit of feet
ringing on the hard road behind. To get
big lead, run myself right out-upset-
ting all accepted theories-and shame
him in Elias eyesi Could l do it? I
knew the course by heart; we turned
off at the spinney, two miles down the
road, across Nine Acre Field, over the
big gorse common, round the cIump of
holly bush and then back by way of
the high road. Only to win, to win
somehow, that dayi
Good old Marstoni" A shout from
the timekeeper posted at the spinney.
TOO fast-miles too fasti"
W.