The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-23
BEATEN IN THE LAST LAP
CHRISTMAS PRIZE WAS IN FAIR
MAIDS HEART AND
HAND
STORY OF CoNCE1T AND LOVE
How Clever Young Man Lost His
Last Contest With Rival He
Had Always Managed
to Beat Out.

From boyhood they had been fast
1rlends and closely matched rivals for
annette and academic honors. At col
lege Jack Hamilton and Walter Gun
nlhgham alternately led their wear. and
though Jack finally graduated
as Bridgeman medalist and
Valedictorian, his friends char
grin was lessened somewhat. when
at the farewell banquet he was given
a magnificent golden trophy for having
eaTner IN the season broken the inter-
coI!eglate record for the four forty
sprint. The football rooters also added
eclat to the presentation by giving thcir
ldohzed halfback a jeweIed miniature
plSskln, which was handed to him ornfdcf
deafening college yelIs.
AT the law school Walter managed Tn
beat out his old antagonist until fine
maj year, and in the opinion of his fe1-
40" students should have done so then
but his passion fer football led m lIis
uhoolng. He left the examination on
me afternoon Of the last day. after de-
Young only three quarters of an hour
20 sweeping The paper, as he Thought
II was on the train, en- route II see a
DIG game, that he recollected a slip that
cost MIN the first scholarship and en-
abled John to head the list.
WeH' I'd rather be licked by hin,
"'AAs OAAS C4SSy WIS his brief H.
ment, when informed that he had beer
beaten by but ten marks on q tota1 ~
twenty papers. They commenced .nrac-
ice In the same city and lived in bach
elor quarters, with Long, a chum of
old school days, who had gone ON thc
stock exchange.
1hey were a cOngenial trio, and their
rooms We're htted up in true bohemian
style Things went smoothly with them
q Ia of
poth the young lawyers had attained
an enViable prominece in their profess
Slon and We're regarded as being dis
unctIy what is rather vaguely termed
rising attorneys.
The advent of a vivacsous vouno hello
who came to the city on a visit from q
New Jersey town, was what satllv dis
tufped the equilibrium of the happy
bachelor paradise, and was destined tn
break it up forever.
The cool-headed stock broker had
scented trouble from the first, and had
demonstrated earnestly with Jack and
Walter, on their frequent visits to the
magnet from afar. When he accident
ally made the discovery that both his
pals were in love with the girl ne was
in despair.
One evening as they were all eaiov-
ing their customary smoke before sonar.
ating for different engagements. he in
troduced the subject in what they re
garded as an unnecessarily brusoue
manner
Look here said he, this thing can't
go on forever. You two idiots not be-
ing content with falling in love, have
mace the insane mistake of getting
mashed on the same divinity. Are
you ever going to let up on setting out
for the same prize?"
John smiled his usual superior smile
and remarked, Walter always had good
taste" you know
The latter said nothing, but over his
face there stole a faraway pensive look
which had always made him an enigma,
he would sometimes gaze into space in
the same way, when seated at the piano.
and for an hour at a time would pour
out weird, uncanny strains, utterly oh
livious of time or his surroundings. Yet
he was the man who could always be
relied upon to make a gain when called
on in tight game on the gridiron.
Presently the Little Dock" as he was
affectionately termed by his close friends
rose, and, pleading an engagement, left