The Monte Vista journal., 1901-06-01
THE day of the grea. football gam,

ton was wrought up to fever pitch. On
the campus, at the eating clubs, and in
the town the talk was of but one
!, thing. How are the men to-day"
rs Travers' leg any better?" viii he
be able to play?" ANY signs of over
training?" do you know what
tricks they are working up?" And 81
on-generally, be it observed, in the
) form of questions-for at this season
of the year the inside" is very secre-
tive. and outside gossip varies in de
tail almost with the number OF speak
ers. In the absence of definite knowl.
edge the suspense was terrific. A spir-
IL of nervous unrest pervaded the uni.
versity. and serious work was well.
nigh impossible. Moreover. this spirit
affected not only the student body, but
many faculty circles as we'll. Instruct
ors and younger professoars were un-
der its sway. perhaps quite as much as
any urder-c.ass
AT The Cloister," where four of us
trainers of youth live in contented
bacheiorhood. the electric tension of
the atmosphere was obvious. Our
conversation at meals and after was
always about football; lectures were
prepared without the usual care and
thought; and fear we all spent much
time in reading the athletic columns
of the daily papers which ought right
ly 10 have been devoted to original re-
search.
81 don't know why it is. fellows"
said Milford, one day at dinner; ''l
don't care II rap about the smaller
games; | don't take interes, enough in
them. even. to 20 down TO the field
when they are played in kensington
but when il comes TO the big ones, !
get so nervous it breaks me all up; ]
can't work and can't sleep for think
ing about them. The strain is fearful"
Prof: Milford has u highly strung
temperament. but we all felt that his
particular words applied to our own
cases, too. But this particular year
Milford had an added source of anxiety
in connection with the game. Guild.
the great half-oack. whom everyone
looked TO to secure the needed touch
down, was conditioned in Mi,ford's
subject. and that condition must be re-
moved before he could play in the
championship game. Milford had sent
him notice after notice, with no effect.
and he knew the students might at.
tempt TO take advantage of the facul.
ties sympathy with their cause, and
get around the condition in some way.
Now Milford was a most console n tiou,
man. and he had sworn by all that was
holy that Guild must pass his exam.
ination regularly II he were to play IL
iAc game; aad yet his heart was with
III i.aar auu he knew btsidos the un.
plpU-niri, be must cNprr, to incur. il
auttate hf did should contribute to
ihr eri - ol kcil,ir eton in the great
.,.ni Of IL year.
what about Guild. Mii?.. We asked
him one dai at table. Nit looked up
with AN expression of disgust, and
what he said in reply is best repre-.
sented by dashes and asierisks. After
that the subject was dropped. as far
MS We were concerned But certain
things became palmer as the days
passed by and the date of the game
drew near. II WAS evident that the
Pembroke team were improving won.
derfully. aud would give our men a
'',"s"e'"N hSht. NHa IL Wis also
evident that our men relied on Guild.
practically, TO win the game for them.
lie was champion kicker. and run.
ner. and tackler, all In one.
III Guild Is knocked out during the
game We are lost" said some one ut
the Ciois'er once. We all agreed with
the speaker In our inmost hearts. hut
ns Nit was present We expressed no
opinion. and the subject was d,ftly
changed.
II was the second day before the
game. and the team were 70 kave for
Pembroke the next morning. Gu,
anxiety could not ionssr BE- sup.
preAssd.
"Has Guild passed OF that eondi.
tion YETI" I vcntnred to ask Mi In
the course Of the day.
"oh. 10 bury yourself" no an.
swerrd, and my fears wrro con-
Armed. With cnric blanche from the
faculty ss 10 time. Guild bad put OF
his examination I'll the iast minute.
and . failure now would be irvmedi.
able. That evening We were to have
= party Of guests to dinn~r-MIt's
friends, they w.re-and the talk could
be OF nothing but the game. About
Ave o'clock The doorb~li rang. and
party Of students appeared. Nit WAS
cot after his guests. and Il fell ~ mo
TO receive the men.
We have come 10 sec about Mr..
Guiid's examination with Prof Nit