The Press., 1908-01-15

 of her hair. the warm ivory of her skin, the red of her lips. Today she wore blue-a trim tailored gown of deep colored cloth, little cocky felt hat and great bunch of violets that outshone all the other blues except that of the pennant which she carried at the end of a slender cane.
 "You beaaty!" Holden said under his breath as he took his seat beside her on the grand stand.
 She turned quickly.
 "Oh, Irwin" her face was brilliant with color, tits worth everything to see you again! Aunt Sue," she said to the lady beside her, ''this is Irwin Hol- den, the famous halfback of two years ago."
 'The king is dead! Long live the king!' Irwin quoted solemnly. There have been so many famous halfbacks, Helen, that 1t isn't any wonder that Mrs. Mcdonald doesn't remember me-"
 ''But I do remember" Mrs. Melon aid assured him. Helen has talked of you so much-and." she hesitated, 'of your accident"
 'I haven't been able to walk well on two feet since," Holden said grimly, "and this Is the first game I have dared let myself see It makes me wild"
 ''To think that you can't play!' Hell en's tone was sympathetic.
 ITO know can't ever do things that make a man worth while!' bitterly.
 "But you have done so many things that are worth while, and they tell me that you are writing book"
 .'Oh, bookr' His tone was scorn- full.
 "You might have let me know what you were doing!' she complained. '1 think our old friendship deserved that"
 He glanced down at her.
 "Ah, our friendship" he said. v had two good feet when we cemented that, Helen. I wasn't a dummy on crutches."
 Irwin" she flashed out reproachful- ly, ''as if that made any differencew
 "But it does make difference" he said as he bent over her. You know
  you?"
 ''Yes," she agreed quietly, ''but not always mere physical strength"
 ''The one isn't much without the other Look at those fellows now"
 Down the field came the teams The bands of the opposing sides crashed out the good old tunes, college ye9 succeeded college yell, and the banks of spectators stretching up and up on the seats in solid masses of blue and crimson were agitated to uproarious- ness.
 "Isn't 1t fine? Isn't it fine?" Helen said breathlessly. having cheered the blue team to the echo.
 Holden nodded.
 "They are bound to win," he said. ''They are made of the right stuR."
 ''I only know one of them personal ly," Helen told him-"van Dorn."
 He's the strongest man in the lot. He's an ideal halfback."
 "He is ideal in more ways than one" she agreed.
 He flashed quick glance at her. M
 q have heard you thought 90, ''Who told you?"
 "Eome of the fellows"
 She turned her back on him squarely.
 'T didn't suppose that you talked me over with the fellows" she said over her shoulder.
 'I don't" uncomfortably, ''but one help hearing that Van Dorn Is awfully daffy over you"
 ''So were you-two years ago."
 She said it daringly, giving him glimpse of flaming cheeks and indlg- nant eyes, and then once more he was forced to contemplate the knot of bronze hair under the cocky hat. Il
 His face went white, but he said l quietly, "We are missing the best of | the game" and turned his attention to ! the field.
 All about them people were absorbed | by the play. Aunt Sue, unlearned and l unlettered in football lore. was obNvi Ous to everything else. These two ! alone thought of other things.
 1t was at Van Dorn's touchdown that | the place went wild.
 "Oh, he's great, great, great!'' Helen | enthused as she waved her pennant 1 "I haven't seen anything | like 1t since the last game you played, | Irwin. Oh, do you remember the little | blue pennant that made you pin to your sweater for luck-and 1t didn't | bring you luck"
 "No," he said duly, "it didn't bring | me luck. I lost the game, I lost the strength gloried in--T lost you, Hel- en."
 'NO, mo-" she protested; "you knew you always had my friendship, Irwin" "But didn't want friendship, and VOu knew it and knew 1t. And I hadn't the right to ask for anything .lse, and so I kept away from you. But after two years of separation the to see you was too great, so sent you the tickets and asked you Q come to the game"
 ''The whole world was changed when
 read your letter." she said simply I have missed you so, dear boy" Then for a moment he let himself go. "Oh, Helen, Helenr' he said bro ,enly.
 But the game was over, and tumul- uOus throng poured out of the seats. 'Irwin wants us to go to dinner with jim, Aunt Sue" Helen said as they vent down the steps.
 Tn their walk across the green they Iccracred more than usuul attention, he younger boys admiring Helen's 'eauty, the older ones recognizing in he man with the crutch the famous Ialfback of two years ago, who had hen been reported engaged to the girl y his side
 Van DOrn, flushed with victory, came p to their table at the college inn. "I've won your pennant, Miss Mar ball." he said, looking like young cd, with his great strong figure, his air hair tossed back from his fore cad.
 Did promise it?" Helen asked un- ertainly. teY~5oo<9 -x1,. aa5 !