Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
Castor and PoIIux.
IOriginal.l

tor and Poll1X. They were both on the
university football team and were con-
sidered the best amateur players in
New England. 1 don't propose to give
away their identity here, so l shall
designate them by their college sobri-
quets They were both flaXen haired,
blue eyed giants. Every one knows
that the affection between twins is re-
markable, and these two We're no ex-
ception to the rule. Indeed when after
being graduated Castor went west to
seek his fortune, PolluX remaining at
the university to take a post graduate
course, the separation very nearly
broke the brothers down. Everybody
wondered how they dared strike out in
different directions.
PolluX was wanted on the university
team, but it was some time before he
consented to go on. He could not bear
the thought of playing without his
brother However, he consented at
last. and that made his team the stron-
gest college team in the country for
that year. I'm not going to even locate
ii by giving the college teams that
fought the champion game that year.
I'll call them A. and b. 1 can only as
sert what everybody knew happened
AS to the details of the game. 1 give
them from the account given me by a
member of the A. team. 1 was not
present myself.
When the y. team got into the tally
no TO drive to the grounds it was dis
N.
captain cursed and Numbered, making
the air hot with his remarks, but it
didn't do any good. POllux did not ap-
pear. Some one suggested that he
might have gone direct to the grounds,
and the captain finally decided to drive
on. hoping to find him there. But he
didn't.
When the team lined up POIlux was
still wanting. A substitute was in his
place and the game about to COM
mence. There was a fence about TWEEN
ty feet high around the inclOsure, and
at the calling of the game an immense
figure in football garb appeared on
its top with one leg over. Then it
jumped down and walked toward the
gridiron. \ shout arose, "PolluX TO
the Tescue"' as the figure strobe on
and took his position in the line. His
captain went up to him and asked for
an explanation, but the big fellow mo-
toned him to proceed with the game.
BY this time the betting was a good
deal mixed. for now that the missing
man had come no one knew whether
he was going to do great things or lit
tie things. He played as he had been
"a. ffU,,-
himself as much as usual, except at
critical moments. At such times he
would contrive ito secure the ball and
ON several occasions got it to goal.
There was nothing brilliant about the
way he did it. The singular feature
was that no one could explain how he
did it. The men would be massed, the
Il. men on the ball. Then suddenly
Pollux would be found to have got it
and trying to get through the guards
with il. When there was an open
game and everybody could see what
was going on he did nothing. At the
end he brought his college in for two
points ahead, and the champion game
was won.
You may say there was nothing re-
markabIe about this. Well there
wasn't. When the game was finished
the A captain turned to thank PolluX
for his work and didn't see him.
where's POllux?' he asked.
"Why, he was here a moment ago.
He can't have gone in"
He must have gone in. If lie thinks
he can bother me as he did today with
out an explanation he's mistaken
The captain went inside. where sew
eral of the team had already arrived,
and, not seeing the man he looked for,
asked:
HAS Pollux been here?'
NO" said a substitute. "And I've
been here half an hour"
Nor was there a person on the field
who had seen PoIluX leave it.
singular" said his captain. He
came over the fence-how he got up
there l can't imagine-and now he's
disappeared.
When the captain of the AS went
to his hotel the clerk handed him
telegram 1t was from PolluX and
read:
Cant play today"
"Wen,' remarked the captain, I'm
been gone up without him.
The rest of the story-that is, how it
came out, or, rather, how it didn't come
out, for PolluX declared that any
friend of his who spoke of it would
be his friend no lOnger-is rather misty.
POlluX was sweet on girl and the
day before the game came off he
Travelled a hundred miles TO see her
She was a Delilah and purpOsely kept
him till after the only train on which
he could reach the athletic grounds in
time had gone. PolluX. filled with
shame at his treatment of his fellows
sent the message to his captain, took
the next train for college and on ar
rival went to his rooms. There he
found telegram announcing the
death of his brother
The story given out was that Pollux
fho1IOhf 10 vxyo,1I6 not bo oIaIo 70 ,,Ior-