St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-03-02

THE day OF the great football gam
was approaching, and all Kensing
ton was wrought up to fever pitch. O
the campus, at the eating clubs, and i
the town the talk was of but on
thing. How are the men to-day +?
rs Travers' leg any better?'' "Wil h
be able to play?" "Any signs of over
training?" do you know wha
tricks they are working up?" And S
generally, be it observed, in tn
form of questions-for at this seasol
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. 4 spir
versity. and serious work was well
nigh impossible. Moreover, this spiri
affected not only the student body, bu
many faculty circles as well. Instruct
ors and younger professors were un
der its sway. perhaps quite as much a.
any under-classmen.
At THE Cloister." where four Of us
trainers of youth, live in. contentei
bachelorhood, the electric tension OF
the atmosphere was obvious. Oul
conversation at meals and after was
always about football; lectures were
prepared without the usual care and
thought; and l 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.
Il don't know why it is, fellows
said Milford, one day at dinner; "''I
don't care a rap about the smaller
games; l don't take interest enough in
them, even, to 60 down to the field
when they are played in Kensington.
But when il comes to the big ones. 1
bet so nervous it breaks me all up: l
can't work and can't sleep for think
ing about them. The strain is fearful"
Prof. Milford has 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-back. whom everyone
looked to to secure the needed touch
down, was conditioned in Mitford's
subject. and that condition must be re-
moved before-he conld 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 conscientious
man, and he had sworn by all that was
holy that Guild must pass his exam
ination regularly if he were to play in
the game; and YET his heart was with
the team, and he knew besides the un-
popularity he must expect to incur, if
he did should contribute to
the defeat of Kensington in the great
event of the year.
What about Guild. Mit?" we asked
him one day at table. Nit looked up
with an expression of disgust, and
what he said in reply is best repre-
sented by dashes and asterisks. After
that the subject was dropped. as far
as we were concerned. But certain
things became palmer as the days
passed by and the date of the game
drew near. 1t was evident that the
team were improving Won |
derfully. and would give our men q
fight. And it was also |
evident that our men relied on Guild.
to win the game for them.
he was champion kicker, and rum
ner, and tackler, all in one.
"If Guild is knocked out during the
pame we are lost said some one at
The Cloister once. ,e all agreed with
the speaker in our inmost hearts, but
as Nit was present we expressed no
opinion. and the subject was deftly
changed.
II was the second Gay before the
yame. and the team were to leave for
Pembroke the next morning. Our
,nxiety could not longer be sup
pressed.
HAS Guild passed off that condi-
ion yeto- / ventured to ask Nit in
he course of the day.
: '.Oh, go bury yourself he an
wered, and my fears were con-
irmed. With carte blanche from the
aculty as to time. Guild had put of
lis examination till the last minute,
nd q failure now would be irremedi-
BILE. That evening we were to have
! party of guests to dinner-Mlt's
riends. they were-and the talk could
,e of nothing but the game. About
i've O'Clock the doorbell rang. and
arty OF students appeafed. Nit wss "