Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-03-28

eOTt Oh tnlnS ON Such Il trivial occasion
rs the class regatta. and the upper
classnlen came out OF their rooms and
discouraged us.
wait for Il college victory they
said, before you burn year money
I'm tell you what We'll do sug-
gested Davie Peterson. Let's go down
to the shore and celebrate. The atmos-
phere in this neighborhood is zoo I'M
sympathetic
This seemed like Il good idea. The
shore was the local Coney Island about
two miles out of town. We piled our
fireworks into ramshackle hack and
started. OF course we didn't ride in
side ourselves. We punched up beside
the driver and all over the top and
burned red fire and yelled. 1t was
fine sight.
AT the corner of Maple street some
one spotted old Carl standing under
street lamp and gazing at us wistfully.
We whooped and pulled up.
Gone on. Gas House, called Peter
son. Get in the game
Carl shook his head resolutely. Can't
Oleuh llillIliSs uC Sul0. S0u spun
my chances for the team
Everybody shouted at him.
"Why not?' said l. 1T won't hurt
your chances any
Now, that was Il mean thing to
say, because 1t was true. Carl. OH nc-
count Of his weight, was out Of the
running for the eleven, and every one
knew 1t except himself. So we laughed
and told him to get inside.
"'No ones ever going to see you
there said Peterson. We won't give
you away
"Well, the outcome of this was that
Carl opened the door and got in among
the fireworks. suppose from that
minute he began to despair of being
football player. 1t was almost pathetic
that he had hung on SO long in the face
of so much ridicule.
ION we drove, singing, smoking,
drinking bottled beer and making
noise to our hearts content. The big
gest laugh went up when Gas House
asked for bottle of beer and q ciga-
rettc. 1t meant the end of his athletic
aspirations.
Suddenly there was gentle sizzling
sound inside the hack.
"'Hey, there shouted Maffit, some
of this darned truck is afire! Ouch,
now, Peterson. whoa up!'
"And then his voice was drowned by
the finest series of explosions you ever
heard. Rockets, firecrackers and mines
all went off together. We dropped from
the roof just as the horses got scared
and jumped into run and couldn't be
held. You never heard such an uproar
In your life. and Alaftit was thrashing
around in the middle of 1t and below
ing like mad.
Jump. Carl!' screamed Peterson.
open the door and jump, you old
fool!
1.-THE words were hardly out of his
mouth when there was crash, the
horses galloped faster. and Carts
massive legs dropped to the ground be-
tween the four wheels. He had bro
ken through the floor and was run
ming for dear life. There was nothing
else for him to do.
I'VE weren't so worried that we
couldn't laugh. for it was funny and
| no mistake. 1t was nearly quarter Of
IL mile before the driver could saw the
horses down and we could disentangle
Carl from the remains Of the carriage.
He was spectacle. We pushed him
up under an electric light in front of
saloon and make an investigation. The
perspiration was streaming off him,
he was singed and torn and frightened,
and his face was white as sheet.
BY Jovc,' said Peterson. you look
as II you'd been pulled through knot
hole.'
Never had such start in my llfe,'
gasped Matfit, but I'm not hurt bit.
Whewv
"I'll bet you lost ten pounds said.
"Gas House blinked, rubbed his chin
and then stalked solemnly into the sa-
loon. There was weighing machine in
the corner. He put nickel in the slot
with trembling fingers. stared at the
| figures and then waved both arms over
his head.
"'Great mackerel' he cried. I've
made beginning"
Then he caught trolley back to
town. and we saw no more Of him until
the next afternoon.
But when we did see him he was
playing football again. and Bill Con-
nors was radiant. He's coming down.
the trainer whispered to me. He's
coming down sure. Off six pounds to-
day. We've made a beginning. Good
hard training will do most anything II
you keep at 1t!
"Well, sir. Carts weight began to go
off from the night he smoked that ciga-
rette in the hack. When he played cen
ter against Princeton and ran around
the field like 2-year-old. told Bill
Connors that he was fine example of
the value of tobacco in training. He
didn't understand me. Connors is a
good trainer. but there are some tricks
about taking off weight which he
doesn't know.''-New York Herald.
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