Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-12

IMI among us Archvie Academy fell
AVA lows. He was one who had been liv-
fzTg1d ing in the school couple of weeks;
- nobody knew any more about him
than that he came from Battleburg,
and was the owner of bicycle, on which he
could make almost as good time as Clem
Devn
this is what brought about the race.
"But where shall we have itT Delvin want
cd to know, the next thing.
Some half dozen of us were gathered about
the campus gate, chatting, after tea one
Thursday evening.
Right up and down the road here, in
front Of the academy" suggested Ed Rogers,
who was Deyins great chum.
loo many wagons passing" objected Glenn.
,.IBesldes, we ought to, have something more
like a regular race-track, so one needn't make
any sharp turns. The distance should be set
at a mile or two, you know"
Whereupon an idea struck me.
Why can't you the road that runs all
around the edge of town. asked. Its all
most in the form of a circle and twice around
would make about mile and a half, /
should think"
Good enough, Marks" put in Rogers, clap
ping. me on the shoulder. "And for the
novelty of the thing" he added, ''havc the
riders start in opposite directions, and who
ever first crosses the starting line for the
second time be the winner"
Both Cheltney and Delvin thought favor
ably of this scheme, and before the bell rang
Tor study hour it was decided that the race
should come off over this course on the follow
ing Thursday, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
., However, this little conversation out by
the campus gate proved to be only the fore
runner of consultations that resulted in lifting
the contest into great prominence.
The more the affair was talked over the
interested haoo
and to crown all, our principal, Professor
Gardner himself, promised to try and zee
what he could do for us in the shape of prize.
AS 1T happened, a meeting Of the school
trustees was to be held on Saturday and that
evening, after prayers, the professor put us
all into a fever of excitement by announcing
that he had secured the offer Of bugle, to
be presented to the winner on Thursday
And Squire Prebles, the president of our
board, he continued, "has most kindly placed
his summer home at your disposal as the
grand stand and starting point, and his
daughter, Miss Ida, is to bestow the prize on
the victor"
This was glorious news indeed; and l
could hardly wait for Monday morning to
come, | was so anxious to tell it to Cheltney,
who, went home every Friday to stay over
Sunday
1 actually got permission 10 walk down to
the station to meet him, though, as / have
hinted, we hadn't ever been on very intimate
terms, but now 1 somehow felt drawing to
:he fellow.
You see, Deivin was an old scholar. and
had plenty Of friends in town, while Cheltney
knew nobody outside of the school
So, when he stepped off the train, I rushed
1p, and slipping my arm through his, started
Dn enthusiastic description Of the honors
In store for him and Devin-a description in
which silver-plated bugles and Miss Ida Pre-
bles were mentioned many more times than
was absolutely necessary.
! kept on talking for perhaps five or six
minutes. then stopped short and looked
around at Cheltney.
He hadn't said word or uttered even an
exclamation and now | saw that he was
looking as sober as if I'd been giving him an
account Of how the smallpox had broken
out at the academy.
"Why, Cheltney,'' burst forth, inpulsive-
ly, "why don't you say something? Every
body in town is talking about the race, and
therel be the biggest kind Of a crowd to see
you start. Aren't you satis6ed?"
eyes, too much so, Marks" he answered
then. II never thought they'd have all this
fuss and feathers over the affair. It's just
this way, you see. I'm new scholar; no
body outside the academy knows me, and so,
of course, this Squire Prebles and his daugh-
ter and all the rest will be hoping Delvin