The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-30

WORLD said Dobleys when we get
them completely at our mercy, we intend
to turn round and give them the game.
It will please them and it wont hurt us.
Seer"
syvelI, that's a splendid idea,v said
Mrs. Dobley. Il should hate to think of
you hurting any oxe, John, who was
weaker than you. What part are You to
p1ay?1
"Center rush, / believe, is the position
that has been assigned to me. Not, you
understand, that | am any more skiliful
than the others, but simply that / have
taken to training more readily than any
Of the other men. You see, six of our
men are over 140 pounds. Mrs. Dobley.
We lave a beefy line, and no mistake"
ooh, those poor boys!v said Mrs. Dob
ley. II can't help feeling sorry for
them"
sOh, Wen take care Of them all right"
said Dobley. Wen treat them as though
they were babies in arms"
1t was a week of expectation In the
Dobley household, the master Of which
was away on his athletic practice for
the following Saturday. When that day
arrived, Mrs. Dobley and Mrs. Van Rip
per took a train for the grounds of the
preparatory school which was to witness
the debut Of the hardware eleven.
The ladies obtained chairs OF a little
hill of ground in good sight OF the game
and near the small clubhouse. They
were excited over the event, and Mrs.
Dobley had brought opera glasses.
While they sat there two young men
in sweaters and bicycle trousers .stroiled
by without noticing the ladies. They
were laughing about something.
wen play horse with those old duff
ersl'' said one Of them. 'sThey must be
crazy to come up against a regular
team"
sLet's tear their hearts out in the first
part of the game said the other, so
they won't try it again."
ssThat center rush is a freak. Did You
see him? We won't do a thing to himr"
sWhat peculiar language" said Mrs.
Dobley, growing pale. Who are those
men, anyhow r. she asked a small boy
who came out of the clubhouse.
That's the captain of the football
team and the quarter back" said the boy
ssThey are going to play those gentle
men from the city. They wont know
they're on earth after the FIRST rush"
@Who wont|
Line DIG jays
ssThank you," said Mrs. Dobley. She
was getting more nervous every mo-
ment.
Il wonder il they are all as big as
those two?' said Mrs Van Ripper. 4
thought you said they were boys"
why Mr.. Dobley spoke Of them as
mere lads" said Mrs. Dobley.
Just then the hardware eleven, led by
H. ~s.w - 414 Gai7-
They had obtained a sight of their op
ponents evidently They stood around
in a detected manner, holding consulta-
tons.
Suddenly, with a wild. joyous whoop,
the school Players came running on the
field. They looked like wild Indians. and
when they reached the center they began
to roll over on the ground like colts.
They were all six footers and wore
blazing red sweaters hat lit up the
scene with color. The hardware eleven
fiinched yisiDly at the sight OF thejr enc
mics.
Then they lined up opposite their foes.
Other students gathered around the held
and began to cheer on their comrades
by wild yells and calls They jeered at
the hardware eleven in the most impolite
manne
Then the game began. Through her
opera glass Mrs. Dobley could see only
a wild mass of yelling boys, for the hard
ware team were completely hidden under
a scarlet cloud. Around the edge Of the
field the other boys jumped and howled
IN Joyous derision. Their laughter rent
the air.
81 never knew it was such a funny
1.1 - 1tg o-l-o5 1f~c nohiou of
Mrs. Van Ripper.
Kicked" said Mrs. Van. Hbut this looks
more as if they were fighting
"But what are the Others laughing so
about?"
Suddenly from the writing mass Of
red sweaters the ladies saw various arti-
cles of apparel belonging to the hardware
eleven being thrown in the air by the scar
let WASTED boys. Boots, stockings and
the numerous pads and guards that MT.
Dobley and his companions had provided
themselves with were hurled against the
blue sky in such numbers that it seemed
as though the doughty hardware knights
would rave nothing on when the battle
was ended.
Dear me. Isn't this perfectly dread
Tul SalQ MIS- ODDity, dtAdoSt tSN
81 wish could see Mr.. Dobley. You
were perfectly right not to let Mr.. Van
Ripper join the team"
With a final ~warwhoop the boys IN the
red sweaters broke from the mass IN
which they were piled. On the ground
lay several of their vanquished oppo-
nents, tattered and torn. Some Of the
Others assisted them to rise, and they
began to limp off the field.
But the school players and their COM
panions seemed to think it all great fun
They Rugged each other in joy and per-
formed extempore dances. Then, as
though moved by one impulse, they start
ed to sing in unison to some sort OF a
queer tune:
"Now then-brace up-brace up-brace
up-brace-np-brace up-brace up. n
they marched after the retiring eleven as
they hobbled to their quarters.
That afternoon Mrs Dobley took Mr..
Dobley to his home in a closed cab. I'm
! der his oyercoat he wore a tattered Han
mel shirt and the remains Of his football
| trousers, pinned together in many places.
On one Of his feet were a shoe and stock
ing, and on the other only an oyershoe,
borrowed from one of the victorious
players. His eye was blackened, and ms
| shoulder felt as though it were dislocat-
| ed. Both his hands were b~andaged;
SA14 nId