The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1908-07-25

Lyceum and give me a fair show for
the nine, but I'm not going to do it,
ooh, come now 1t isn't as bad as
that responded Ned Don't you
bother. I'll get you elected before
class day, Jerry. Grab your skates
and come on down to the river
"Skates!" exclaimed Jerry. "Why
you can't skate to-day. The ice is all
breaking up. Look at it,"
There's plenty Of ice along this
bank" answered Ned, cheerfully, "and
as it may be the last chance I'll get
to skate I'm going to make the most
of. it. / promised Tom Thurber and
Herb Welch I'd meet them at four. /
must get a move on. You'd better
come along, jerry
But Jerry shook his head, staring
moodily out over the dreary prospect
of wet campus and slushy road. A
mile away the little town of Peter.
boro- lay struggling along the river,
the chimneys of its three or four fac.
tories sprouting thick black smoke
into the heavy air. Jerry was disap'
pointed. 1t meant good deal to win
of what he had told Ned, he had all
along entertained a sneaking idea
that he would make it, Welch or no
WEIGH. He wondered whether Ned
couldn't have got him in if he had
tried real hard. Ned and he. were
fri
had never met until they had been
roomed together in the fall, but Jerry
was new boy still, while Ned was a
Junior and had known Herb Welch
three years.
II suppose" he thought, Med didn't
want to offend WEIGH. Much he cares
whether I'm elected or not!"
""Coming?" asked Ned, pausing at
the door. Jerry shook his head.
mo, I guess not. I think I'll walk
over to town and get some things
Ned slammed the door behind him
and went gathering down the stairs
and presently Jerry got into the
sweater and followed.
1t was a good twenty-minute walk
to the village. BY keeping along the
river path to the bridge he might
have saved something in time and
distance, but the river path was ankle
deep in slush and mud, while the
road, although longer, gave firmer
foothold When he reached the old
wooden bridge he paused and watched
the water rushing under between the
stone pillars. He had never seen the
stream so high. The surface appear.
ed scarcely eight feet beneath the
floor of the bridge. Huge cakes OF
ice, broken loose up stream, went
tearing by, grinding against each 9th.
er and hurting themselves at the worn
masonry. Then he went on, turning
to the right at the end of the bridge
into the main street of the town.
His purchases did not take him
long, and soon he was back at the
bridge again. Up stream, on the acad
envy side of the river, he could see the
skaters. Apparently half the school
was on the ice. At the end Of the
bridge Jerry decided to take the river
path. He felt rather more cheerful
with his tramp and told himself that
If there was time he would run up to
the room, leave his purchases, get his
skates and join the group on the ice
He had left the bridge full quarter
Of a mile behind when a sudden com
motion amongst the skaters attracted
his attention. He stopped and watch
intently, but for a moment saw moth
ing to account for the actions of the
fellows who had congregated along
the edge of the ice. Then several oil
them turned and 'skated frantically to-
ward the bank.
At that instant a single figure came
into view, figure huddled on hands
and knees full fifty feet away from
his companions. For moment Jerry