The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-04

win first place in the meet was to win | first place in Alice Summers eyes. At least this was the conclusion reached | by Harwell.
 He hurried the pasture bars into the meadow. It was rather wet, and the smell of bruised cowslips and tender new spring mint, followed the soft pad of his sandals. At the sandpits Harwell halted at the sound Of his name shouted at the top of lusty lungs Small in knickerbocker's. was pounding away with his geological hammer at a huge boulder. "Tll chill if I stop" called Harwell, merrily. Why aren't you runninsr' Got this bloomin' five-fifths geolo- | gy to make up this week"
 "Too bad" shouted Harwell. bound | ing with his long strides toward tho | far side of the pits
 Small looked after him, then mali cious look crossed his eyes Tiff liar well should get chilled! He sprang to his feet
 | wait! Wait!" he roa- I; q want" then Great heavens!" hs cried Then there was silence
 | Harwell did not turn his head at Smalrs call. He grinned appreciatively | to himself Cant work me that way" | he thought "A chill for me would be very valuable to Small" and he crossed l the little meadow brook with a care l less bound. Then vague sense of ap- prehension entered his mind. Small's roar had stopped very suddenly He wondered why Perhaps he ought to i go back.
 | Then 'Poohr he murmured. Moth I ing cou have happened to him. and I'll not give him the satisfaction of l having worked me"
 l But the sense of apprehension grew and would mot go. Finally. with lit- Itie groan at his own fooIishness, Har- well turned and retraced his course to l the sand pits. his stride never break i ing At the brow of the slope he. gave a startled ejaculation. In springing to his feet Small had dislodged a great slice of the sand pit wall. To his arm | pits in sand, with face white and sense- less and the sand creeping constantly down to sift' higher and higher about Ehim, was Small.
 Harwell dashed toward him. As he ran, he snatched up an old tin can. half full of rain water and dashed it in Smalls face. Small opened his eyes. l I'm suffocating, Harwell." he said. "Oh no, you're not; not by a long chalk Here. take this can and dig to beat the band. I'll use this piece of shovel and we'll have you out in a | jiffy.'
 He set to work fsverishly. The bit of shovel proved very efficient, wtelded by Harwell's sinewy arm, and the tin can in Small's hands was not to be de- spised Harw ell worked with one eye on the edge of the pit The sand layers one by one, were loosening. If he did not get Small free before they fell-- we'll there was no use in thinking oi that Now Small was free to his waist line, now to his thighs, now--silently
 swiftly, a great wedge of sand gave way and Small was again buried to his shoulders
 Harwell looked about The pits had
 been so long deserted that there was not board in sight Yet, half buried and black with age. there was one Hs pclted across the pit. gave a grea'
 wrench and was back again with tnt
 board, which he placed as bulwarh against further sand slides. Then tt work again with the broken shovel, fev'
 erishly, for Small was growing faln'
 and limp
 Al last. panting. Harwell helped tht half unconscious Small to his feet Then he was sudder'y conscious tha his hands were blistered. that his fec dragged. that his right thigh muscle ached wearily But he put his arm
 about Small and led him slowly from the sand pit, down to the turnpike roat
 that was the straightest course to th' college dormitory. It was nearing sun
 set, and a damp. cool wind blew iron the marshes Harwell shivered. but th'
 closed his lips firmly and hurried Smai
 on as best he could
 There was the sound of hoof heat behind them. The two weary figure
 drew to the road side and waited for tn [ smart little dog cart to pass them. Bu
 it stopped, and its solitary occupan gave an exclamation of surprise.
 What in the world is the matterY asked Alice Summers
 small got caught in the sand pit, . replied Harwell. both men staring ul into the beautiful sensitive face. Tn girl gave a little cry of sympathy "Oh
 get in here. Mir. Small. and I'll driv'
 you to the doctor"
 In a few minutes Harwell was watch
 ing the gay painted back of the trap
 now occupied by two figures, retreatinf Into the dusk.
 His lips ouivered a little sensitively
 "They never thought of me-" he nut
 tered. Small has got her. and I-I'v'
 got the chill he wanted me to have
 Then he limped on through the twi l light toward the dormitory mile away
 That evening Harwell sat in the liv ing room of his fraternity house, nursing
 his aching muscles and giving an occa
 sionaI sneeZe. The hundred yard dasf | was lost; but since Alice. too, was last
 he was strangely indifferent. Then h. 1 was called to the telephone Miss Alic Summers, who was staying at the hote
 with her mother, would be glad to hav'
 him call.
 As Harwell. very cold and dignified
 stalked into the reception room. Alice
 her winsome face eager. led him to
 quiet corner. Dick" she said. hes
 itatingly, did I act very brutal thi
 afternoon"
 Dick thought for a moment Yes.
 he replied firmly.
 Alice caught her breath. But hoy
 could know that you had been &
 fref You said nothing"
 There was nothing to say. It wal , Smalrs inningl"
 "smallr' snifred Alice. Don't men : .ion Billy Small to me! think you a-' , fine, but could get that from wha Billy said by inference. Dick, di' you get a chill?"
 Dick hooded. and Alice's faco file with dismay With two brothers in col lege, she understood all the shading of training.
 "Oh. Dick!" she said. "oh. Diokr , Something in her tone made Dick lool up. But you don't care." he said, bit
 terly
 Don't I?' she replied. Well. per
 haps I do care. more. that you wer'
 brave and fine enough to give up al . chances in the meet to help man wht was not worth it."
 The room swan around giddily. Dick
 clutched the arms of his chair. anC . then, both the girls slender hands wer' in his.