The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-12-14
When Football
Counted.
By Clinton p. Tickr.or.

4 tion. Their two older boys We're
so utterly different. Harold had been
graduated from Yale with high hon
ors, and Eric was making remarkable
progress at the scientific school. In
sact, they were both exceptionally Enc
Students, which made the contrast all
he more striking.
Fur Clinton was sadly Unlike his
brothers. He seemed to labor under
lhe impression that he had been sent
10 college simply and solely for the
purpose of learning to play football.
Apparently nothing else had The pow
Ell to kindle the slightest enthusiasm
in his sluggish breast and his mother
Argued and expostulatcd With him in
vain
You are fritteriRg away your valu-
able time" she argued again and
again. "and letting slip golden oppor-
tunities which. once gone, never viii
come back to you, and what have you
to show for it all but n broken nose
and fractured collarbone?s
rs there any prospective benefit TO
be derived from these hours spent in
scrambling after footballss his father
questioned, sen efei5. 10 which Clinton
merely responded. in his usual offhand
style: "Who knows but may be elect
ed captain OF the Varsity team next
year?"
is that the height Of your ambi.
tion| his parent returned bitterly.
Il am terribly disappointed in you. sir.
Are You to go on playing football for
ever and ever, Or what do you propose
to make Of your life? Perhaps you
think that your reputation as a foot
bah player will prove an open sesame
to all desirable positions Do you
suppose that any one wants q fellow
who has willfully wasted his best OPP
portunitles? l had hoped to make a
professional man of you--not a profess
sional athlete-and had even aspired
to see you some day in our leading law
Office with my old friend Robert
Choate, but it's no use Choate only
wants young men of the highest prom
iSe," and Mr. Crompton sighed YEARLY.
1T does no good to talk to Clinton. -
he cOnflded to his wife afterward, FOR
hardly ten minutes had elapsed after I
had been demonstrating withhlm about
the evils of football before he inquired
If wouldn't bring you down to see the
game ON Saturday and Informed me
that he had saved two tickets for us
Mrs. Crompton regarded her husband
faeiplesslv. "What did YOU say to
tim?g she queried
IL told him certainly not, . Mr..
Crompton exclaimed. warmly. 'and /
expressed my surprise at his daring to
suggest. such a thins. show me some
lasting benefit or any abiding good
that is to he derived from this ridicu-
ious game / told him and then come
to me to abet you in such folly but not
till then"
And so Mr.. and Mrs. Cronpton failed
to witness that memorable game in
which their youngest son gained for
himself such enviable laurels. once on
the field, Clinton was Ike one trans
formed. Keen, alert. cool. rising splen-
lldly to every emergency, no one would
have known him for the same slow,
Indifferent, easy going specimen Of hu.
manity who grieyed the ambitious
souls OF his parents by his small apti-
tude for Greek.
Not by any means that Clinton was
a Ounce, for his class standing was
fairly good, but what panied his father
and mother was the recognition 81
what be might base accomplished had
it not been for that arch enemy foeti
bah.
The great game over. the victorious
team FASTENED back to the gymnasium
with all possible speed. They had
some little distance TO go. as the gym
nisium was not very near the bal
grounds, SO that in order TO reach Il
they were obliged TO traverse the cen
ire Of the town and cross the railroad
tracks.
Clinton, who had been detained Z
moment or so longer than the others
reached the station a short time after
they had crossed. and found the plat
forms crowded with people who were
returning from the game, mingled Will
those who were alighting from The in
coming trains. As he stepped from
the platform he became conscious tina
something unusual was going on. an(
be Immediately perceived the eyes 81
the multitude were riyeted upon {
figure half way across the tracks, ;
figure pausing there in bewilderment.
There's train coming each way
somebody gasped. "Wby doesn't b,
get off the track
The station agent and one or tw,
other officials were shouting loudly
but the man, who was old and seem
ingly deaf. appeared thoroughly dazed
AS lie prepared TO step upon the tract
nearest him he had caught sight of on
train coming down upon him, and b
now staggered back and was about t
paunge IN front Of the other down-com
ing express. Suddenly something yer.
unexpected hapDened- 414-