The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1909-07-08
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ore
BALANCE OF POWER
BY Margaret E. DOnnellaH.

sitting room. Inc boy was ~, SIX
feet tall, athletic champion, and popu-
lar hero of the academy, but to his
father he was still the boy"
He's upstairs studying" his moth
er said, with an affectionate glance.
keeps at it pretty steady" was the
cheerful reply. Il guess he'll come
out ahead for the medal and beaming
to himself he walked of to attend to
the last of the chores.
Esther looked up from the book she
was examining with her friend, Beth
Connors. when went up stairs, ma,
he said he'd worked two hours on
problem 403 and hadn't solved it."
Problem 403." Beth belt thrill ~
exultation. She had worked out that
self-same problem.
The mother looked anxious, but her
belief in her sons ability soon
brought back the cheerful smile Beth
Connors, however, had an intuition
that he would not solve it. Beth and
Ned were in the senior class, but Ned
/ led the first division, while Beth had
all she could do to keep her place in
the second division. Although only
the hardest study allowed her TO keep
! up in English, composition and the
like, she had as her family said, ga
good head for figures" and mathe-
MATES had no terrors for her.
Esther put her books aside with
sigh Of relief. IL guess they are
Strengthened out all right, Beth, thank
you very much. 1 do so hate book
keeping"
Beth glanced at the clock and gave
a start of surprise.
why, it's 10 o'clock, when can Joe
be? Mother said she would send him
! for me as soon as he got home"
Perhaps he didn't get that train"
said Mrs. Randall
There's no other train tonight, and
father won't be home until tomorrow"
] she said. timidly, preparing for her
walk.
Stay all night, do" begged Esther,
but Beth shook her head.
Mother would be worrying" she
said.
"oYu are right, Beth" said Mrs. Ran
dali, your mother would be anxious
Ned will walk home with you" She
stepped into the hall to call her son.
Mrs. Randall, please don't ask
him." Beth cried. flushing with embar-
rassment. He needs this time for
study. Those problems must be done
by tomorrow"
The mother paid no heed. Med" she
called, Joe Connors hasn't come for
Beth and I'm afraid her mother will be
worrying. VIII you please see her
homer"
Beth stood waiting neryously; she
did not hear the answer Ned gave, but
she knew about how much q young
fellow would enjoy leaving his studies
on which SO much depended to wait
distance of more than three miles TAX
en- both ways, for the sake of an unin-
teresting girl like herself.
She was keenly sensitive and if there
was as much as a frown on Ned's face
she felt she would break down and cry
Ned appeared, however, cheerful and
smiling and Beth's heart was filed
with overwhelming gratitude and re-
lief.
They walked along, Ned laughing
and joking, and at length Beth timid-
ly said:
Have you solved all the problems,
Ned?"
Il haven't solved 4O3," was his an
swer, land I'm afraid I can't; I'm
sorry, too, as ii means a great deal
to me-"
HAS Harry jameson solved it?" was
her next question, mindful of his
strongest competitor.
He hadn't at o'clock, and he was
going to a dance tonight"
Then 1t won't make so much differ
ence If you don't solve it?"
Its like this said Ned. 81 plug
along, work hard to get my lessons,
understanding them perhaps a little
better than the average fellow, but
Harry is a genius He neglects his
work for a week and in a few hours
makes it all up. In all probability, no
one has solved that problem. Tomor-
row Mr.. Marks will explain it, and az
the end Of the first explanation Harry
will be at the beard ready to do II.
The only way to beat him is to cont
into class with the problem solved"
Again Beth felt that thrill, the con-
seriousness of power. Tomorrow would
be her day of triumph. She would
stand before them all, Ned the idol of
the school, Harry Jameson the genius.
Patty Brown and Cynthia Dean, all
that collection of stars and step by
step explain the most difficult problem
in mathematics.
Ned, unmindful, talked on. "Tt's
funny how big things depend on the
little ones. Way back somewhere I've
neglected something that would help
me solve this problem, and now on it
depends my mark in mathematics and
my chance of winning the gold medal"
Are you anxious TO win?' said Beth.
"Yes," he Acknowledged without hes.
station; 'ft's great honor, and, you
see. he stammered awkwardly-"pa
and ma and Esther think / am so clev-
err hate to disappoint them"
He talked Of other things. changing
the subject. serenely unconscious that