Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-30
! 1.-THE EVENING STORY
MISS PRuE's COLLEGE ATHLETE.

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MISS PRuE's COLLEGE ATHLETE.
BY LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY.
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
airy Press.
It was said of Miss Prue Bailey
that she was good-looking II she was
old-fashioned. In her case they defined
old-fashioned to mean that she mad
never been in love nor given young
man chance to fall In love with her.
She had certain dignity that 1rlgnt-
ened them. She had a way OF question
ing them that startled them. The mo-
ment young man had arrived at ner
mothers doorstep twice she asked OF
him what his profession was TO pe'
what use he was making Of his time:
how he was to render himself useful
to his fellowmen and thereby MS
country. II he was dawdler she had
him running Z, ten minutes; II ne mad
graduated for the law or medicine or
the army and navy she criticized his
delay in getting to work.
Miss Prue held that men were not
made for puppets, and that 1t rested
with each one whether he should be
governor Of great state or bump on
a log. Yes she was very old-fasnloneo
about that. She had brother Fred,
who was in college. She was sure that
he was wasting half his time. He was
uncertain as to a profession, and she
was morally certain that 1t must END
in his using shovel and pick in
ditch or turning out to be a confidence
man.
What they differed on most. how
ever. was college athletics. Fred made
football, rowing, boxing and swim
ming his excuses for being short in
his studies. She said they should be
eliminated. She pointed to great gen
erals, poets, statesmen, lawyers, en-
gineers and others who were not atm
letic, and then she pointed to John T..
Sullivan, who was. The argument
always ended one way. Fred got mad
and banged out Of the room with:
"Oh, hang it all, girl doesn't I'M
derstand, you know! I wish you were
not so old-fashioned. We've got TO
have athletics or-or-"
ooh there'd be no one to saw
wood" she would call after him.
When Scott Danforth, Fred's chuln
at college, caught sight of Miss Prue's
photo, she lacked six months OF be-
ing twenty. It was six months later
when he saw the original. He threw
out many hints, but Fred fought shy.
Danforth was an athlete. He ranked
high as swimmer, runner and boxer.
He was. a nice chap with nice fam
lily behind him, but if he came down
to Shore Acres to pass fortnight,
there was Prue. She would 60 for
the chum before he had been in the
house a day. He was not a very Clip
talker and she would get the best o.
him on all counts and hurt his feel
ings.
However. the day came when Fred
appeared with his friend. The family
liked Danforth at once; he liked them
in return. Miss Prue to leave the
others out, liked him because he was
big and strong and looked exactly as
she had always pictured the discov-
erer of the north pole. There was no
sentiment about 1t. He could stride
over the ice, eat fat and stand so de-
grees below zero. For two days he
was let alone, and Fred was feeling
a great relief. Mr.. Danforth had been
trying to hop, skip and jump IN the
back yard to keep his muscles lin
bered up, when he was called into the
house and asked:
"Mr. Danforth. do you go in for ath-
letics at college?"
ooh. by all means" he replied be-
fore Brother Fred could catch his
eye.
"Then you want to be the champion
swimmer Of the world?"
well, hardly, Miss Bailey"
do you hope to run faster or KICK
higher than any other American"
"Well, you know-you know"
"Mr. Danforth, we have some able
jurists in this country" continued the
girl as Brother Fred said something
about going fishing.
Yes"
"Did they box their way to the
bench? We have some rather famous
admirals and generals. Did they kick
their way to those honorable posi-
tions?"
mo-
Eve have some of the greatest fin
anclerS IN the WoIlu. Dfu lHcy Mo
win prizes as runners or high jump
ers?"
I'll think not"
Erred says you think Of the law as
profession, but that you want two
years in Europe first. Won't that be
losing two years out of your profes.
sion? VIII seeing Europe help you to
plead you cases at the bar? Will tbs
art Of boxing give your clients more
confidence in you?"
"Then-then you do not approve, Of
college athletics?" Mr.. Danforth man
aged to ask, as the beads Of perspira-
ton stood on his forehead.
For boys who may be Ill or who
wish to straighten a crooked spine."
There would have been more Of 1t
had not Fred carried his chum bodily
from the room When they were in
the open air the latter said: