The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-28
THE EVENING STORY
Miss Prue's College Athlete.
(By Lawrence Alfred C1ay.)

| olo-faShioned. In her case they de-
fined old-fashioned to mean that she
| had never been in love nor given a
young man a chance to fall in love
with her. She had certain dignity
that frightened them. She had a way
of questioning them that startled
| them. The moment a young man had
| arrived at her mothers doorstep
| twice she asked of him what his pro-
fession was to be; what use he was
making of his time; how he was to
render himself useful to his fellow
| men and thereby his country. If he
was daWdler she had him running
| in ten minutes; If he had graduated
and navy she criticised his delay in
getting to work.
Miss Prue held that men were not
made for puppets. and that it rested
| with each one whether he should be
governor of great state or bump
on a log. Yes; she was very old
fashioned about that. She had a
brother Fred, who was in college. She
his time. He was uncertain as to a
profession, and she was morally GER
tain that it must end in his using
shovel and pick in a ditch or turning
out to be confidence man.
What they differed on most, how
ever, was college athletics. Fred
made football, rowing, boxing and
swimming his excuses for being short
in his studies. She said they should
be eliminated. She pointed to great
generals, poets, statesmen, lawyers
engineers, and others who were not
athletic, and then she pointed to John
L. Sullivan, who was. The argument
always ended one way. Fred got mad
and banged out of the 9om with:
"Oh. hang it all, girl doesn't un-
derstand, you know! I wish you were
not so old-fashioned. We've got to
have athletics or-or-"
he fn w
woodi" she would call after him.
When Scott Danforth, Fred's chum
at college, caught sight OF Miss Prue's
photo, she lacked six months of be-
ing twenty. 1t was six months later
before he saw the original He threw
out many hints. but Fred fought shy.
Danforth was an athlete. He ranked
high as a swimmer, runner and box
family behind him, but if he came
down to Shore Acres to pass a fort
night, there was Pruei She would go
for the chum before he had been in
glib talker, and she would get the
best of him on all counts and hurt his
feelings.
However, the day came when Fred
appeared with his friend. The fam
lily 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 exact
ly as she had always pictured the dis
coverer of the North Pole. There was
no sentiment about it. 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.
backyard to keep his muscles timber
ed up, when he was called into the
house and asked:
Mr.. Danforth, do you go in for
~ nf
''Oh, by all means" he replied be-
fore Brother Fred could catch his
Then you want to be the cham
pion swimmer of the world?"
well, hardly, Miss Bailey
do you hope to run faster or kick
higher than any other Americana"
We'll, you know-you know"
5urists in this country" continued the
girl as Brother Fred said something
about going fishing.
Yes
bench? we have some rather famous
admirals and generals. Did they kick
their way to those honorable posi-
tions?"
1--WE have some of the greatest fin
apciers in the world. Did they first
win prizes as runners or high jump
ers? ?"
II think not.
Fred says you think of the law as
a profession, but that you want two
years in Europe first. Won't that be
losing two years out of your profess
sion? Will seeing Europe help you to
plead your cases at the bar? Will the
art of boxing give your clients more
confidence in your"
''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 i'll or who
wish to straighten crooked spine!"
There would have been more of it
had not Fred carried his chum bodily
from the room. When they were in
the open air the latter said:
Say. old man. I feel like fool!
Why, that sister of yours twisted me
all around her f1nger"
"Oh, Prue's just old-fashioned, and
you mustn't pay attention. She speaks
right out, but she means all right.
Mr.. Danforth was at once number
He was so scared that for the next
three days he lived mostly on the out |
side of the house. Fred's sister was
charming, but he saw by her eye that |
she hadn't said all she wanted to.
On a certain morning Miss Prue |
was going to invite the guest to walk |
with her to a piece of woodland in |
search of early flowers, but he had |
vanished with Fred.
She, therefore, took the jaunt by |
herself A fair-sized river ran through |
the woods and a few rods below there |
was q dam. Miss Prue had gathered |
a bouquet and was seated on a log |
when a couple of tramps turned in /
from the road and came to a halt |
and demanded her purse. She rose |
peared. She screamed louder. Then |
She was roughly seized and borne to-