The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1908-08-08
THE REAL TIE ST

the ia fashioned village Inn absorbed
thea. There was but one man seated
before the huge open fireplace when
they entered re was middle aged
man. dressed 10 black. and had dark.
poetieal eyes. lie moved cOurteously
TO make way FOR the three friends.
He had a bright pint tankard by his
side for purposes OF reference and
he smoked new churchwarden clay.
The three men regarded him with some
curiosity as they ordered refreshment
and III cigars. Then they discussed
the sports and the time for the quar-
ter. which had been good. II showed.
one OF them observed, that Timson
was undoubtedly the better man.
Pardon me-" the stranger observed
removing the churchwarden from his
lips, but surely Il only showed that he
was the superior in running the quar-
ter-not that he was the better man"
The first speaker laughed, but an
swered a little contemptuously: Ger
tainly. didn't suppose that It showed
that Timson was morally better or
that he was quicker over the sticks"
II See" said the stranger. that you
think me pedantic. Really. it is not
unnatural But / was thinking OF an
extraordinary test which has Just come
to an end and was intended to show
which OF two men really was in all re.
spects the better II lasted for three
years"
'vtrhree years." asked another OF the
friends. '1s.3c-s
Three long consecutive years" He
tilted up his tankard. wiped his mouth
and resumed. mot one word OF IL
ever got into the papers. Very few
people knew anything about IT, got
TO hear OF II because one OF the com
petitors. George Shadwell, was my
cousin. My own name Is shadweli
too. Besides, | knew the lady who
was the cause OF Il ALL II was the
str1ngest thing ever heard of in my
life. My cousin, George Shadwell, and
Herbert Bracebridge were both fair
specimens OF good all round men. In
looks, position, fortune, physique, abil-
tiles. any one would have said that
they were as near equal as they could
possibly be. yet when II came 20 the
test OF which / have spoken my cousin
George won 1l2 out OF ll3 items out OF
which the test was composed II came
about In this way: They were both in
love with the same lady This lady
made them both come 20 her one after
noon and told them frankly that she
would marry the better gg,p.c vi to
find out which was the letter man. she
had made out real test, consisting Of
113 different competitions Both men
had to swear that they would go
through all the competitions; other.
wise. OF course. Herbert Braccbrldge
would have given II 40 long before Il
came TO the end. Many OF the tests
were quite ordinary The first was a
test FOR memory They bad 90 learn
the FIRST book of the 'Aeneld by heart.
Both did II IN exactly The same time.
but BracebrIdgc made 20 mistakes IN
repeating 1t. and my cousin George
made only one. This was the more ex.
traordinary because my cousin George
didn't know word OF Latin. In an
other Of the events be was handicap
ped In exactly the same way. This
was a swimming race, and George
had never learned 10 swim or course
he would have taken lessons and train
ed for II, but no notice was ever given
them OF what the next event was 10 be.
As soon as they were told Il they had
to begin Il. He got a shilling manual
on swimming. studied the theory OF II
as he was going down TO the swim
ming baths. mastered II completely and
won by head"
What sort OF time did your cousin
make In the athletic eventsT'
We'll there was only one race put
down for them. That was from the
marble arch 20 the top OF the Matter.
horn. George got the quicker OF the
two hansoms and maintained his lead
throughout II was near thing.
Bracebridge almost overhauled him at
the end. and he won by only about
twenty minutes. don't know the
time that II took. nor, am sorry 20
say, have ! got the exact measurement
OF the only jump which they had 20
uy-a deep jump. fancy II was
from a second story window into a
street There again Brncebridge had
bad luck. Both men ala II. but Brace
bridge broke his leg That. OF course,
meant that he lad not done II quite
so well ms George There was n drink.
Ing competition. hut that was n very
hollow affair. 4 gift IN that direction
has always been IN our family. George
was bottle ahead aud perfectly so
Der nj the finish. The starvation COM
petition was interesting too They had
20 fast for week, and the one who
lost weight won. George won by an
ounce"
George seems 20 have had all the
luck7"
mot at ail-not absolutely all. lie