Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-06
XIII.
Crimson Against Blue.


telegram and a copy of the answer l had
sent. in which 1 urged the detective to in
creased effort.
The scoundrel!' he said. But don't
think much of those detectives, sir. Per-
haps the new one is no better than Rand"
Il am sure he must be- / said trying to
rally; This telegram proves that
l was confused and violently angry as
well against both Asbury Rand and Court
ney Lane. 1t was as If they had deib-
erately set a trap for me. Yet 1t seemed
pure chance which had led me to call on
Rand. Stop! Was it? l had found his
name in directory in the house on 9th
avenue. and I recalled that the page was
turned down and a pencil mark set against
Rands name. But there were similar
pencil marks set against many names in
the directory, and some much more notice
able. SO that 1t did not strike me as S &
nf1cant at the time. Yet now l saw that
Rand might have been in the employ of
Courtney Lane previously, and that at
some time Lane might have suggested his
name to Mrs. Randolph; what more likely
than when she desired to have search made
for her missing husband.
Jerome had been successful in getting
tickets. The seats were in a good position.
in the Harvard section, and not far from
those which Benson had secured for Mrs.
Randolph and Miss Hansborough. l did
not wonder that Miss Hansborough should
wish to witness the game, since Benson was
to play on the Harvard nine, but that Mrs.
Randolph should desire to see it did cause
me some surprise. l concluded that she
was going at the urgent invitation of her
sister, who hoped thus TO give her diversion
and change of thought.
Filled with the hope Of seeing Mrs. Ran
dolph, even though at a distance, my inn
patience now became feversh At my
urging we set out early and arrived early.
ny-nr frnyr ~ b,-iI .,1
Soldiers Field, beyond the Charles we
were pushed and jostled by people who hur-
rled as If they feared the game would begin
before they could get there. And every car
that arrived from Boston elected still more
and more people into the struggling mass
of humanity at Harvard Square The
amount Of enthusiasm that can be evoked
by day-before-class-day ball game
played by representatives of two great uni
Vers!tles is astonishing. Yet Jerome as
sured me this was nothing compared
with the crowds that came to witness a big
game of foot ball.
When we had settled into our seats oh
served that there were masses of crimson
on our side, and on the other side smaller
masses of Yale blue, with traitorous bits
of contrary color fiecking each, and that
before US was kite-shaped diamond of
green and dust color, where the Yale play
ers were already engaged in warming-u up
practice.
The crimson mass surrounding us writhed
and rustled; there was a craning of necks,
and few people stood up, only to draw
upon themselves sharp cries of sit
down."
There they Gomez said Jerome
My heart jumped, for naturally thought
he referred to Mrs Randolph and her Sis
ter, whose coming l had been anxiously
awaiting. But 1t was procession of Har-
ward undergraduates marching into the
field. led by brass band.
When they had CALAMITY cheered Yale
they broke up, and the individual members
came scampering into the reserved sec
tons. Everywhere crimson and blue flags
and banners were waving, and there was
much picturesque cheering.
Inc heaviest cheering came from Grim
son section before which old man was
slowly driving a donkey and cart The
donkey and the cart were roped with Grim
son; the old man wore a high beaver hat
bearing the Harvard H. a waving crimson
sash. crimson band round his arm and
little crimson flags boutonnieres. When
the cheering was loudest he stood M
waved his beaver and yelled in hgn
cracked voice. Tell with Yale!' 1t was
strange and suggestive that Old John, the
orange man., and his donkey and little
cart, should receive a greater ovation than
even those spectacular undergraduates At
sight of the old mascot one young fellow
who sat near me and wore a crimson neck
tie became temporarily a screechng and
purple-faced maniac.
1t takes little to amuse people when they
wish to be amused. A small bulldog wear
ing the Yale colors barked at the marching
students and later kept running round the
Yale captain as If to weave about him a
success spell. That bulldog was source
OF vast enjoyment and brought cheer after
cheer from the Yale section.
But all of this was insignificant COM
pared with the wild roar which arose when
the Harvard nine came trotting into the
field with their substitutes for practice
That roar was indescribable, deafening,
pandemonum-like. Yet 1 forgot to listen
to it. and scarcely heard the crashing of
the bands, followed by the barking college
cheers. hardly saw the thousands of flags
frantically waving, for Jerome had touched
my arm. and there, settling into the seats
reserved for them, were Mrs. Randolph and
her sister; Mrs. Randolph clothed in some
soft dark material, and Miss Hansborough
in a dress of lighter hue but each with a
touch of crimson.
l became blind temporarily to all other
sights as | watched the face of Mrs. Ran
dolph, face unnaturally pale, as l. from
much suffering, yet still to me the most
beautiful face in the world. The blue eyes
seemed a bit tear-washed. l thought | was
very near her, so near that the close proX-
unity made me tremble. Jerome had chosen
his seats well.
What happened after that for a while l
do not know clearly. l did not watch the
practice but later l caught a glimpse of
the mummery of John, the orange man,
blessing the plate for Harvard; and as the
game began, 1 saw that hundreds of little
crimson balloons were released amid ire
mendous Harvard cheering, and went sail
ing and bobbing detiantly into the Yale
blue sky, an Offering, no doubt, to the god
of base ball battles.
After that l heard now and then the
crack of bat against ball, the yells and the
wild Comanche chatter of the coachers as
they sped runner from base to base. l
heard. too. the songs of the adherents OF
the Blue and the Crimson they sought
to urge the contrasting nines and the
college cheering from the sections:
'Rah, 'rah, 'rah Yale"
And the challenge flung back with fierce
enthusiasm:
HARVARD! Harvard, Harvard! 'Rah,
'rah. 'rah! Har-vard"'
1t noisy, spectacular, like the sta
dunn contests of Greece and Rome If
had possessed leisure and inclination |
might have closed my eyes and seen the
Roman mobiles and ladies leaning from their
balconies of gold and ivory, cheering on the
savage fighters in the dusty arena. Now
and again roar broke forth as wolfishly
as if thumbs had been turned for the death
of an overthrow gladiator.
But / sat looking a Mrs. Randolph de-
vourng her beauty Though my heart was
filed with a flame of love, the sadness of
her face panied me. Not once did she look
toward me, and she seemed quite unaware
that / near her. The nut-brown maid
had eyes for nothing but those dusty fight
ers of the diamond. Jerome watched the
Ill