The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-11-28


us were absorbed in what absorbed
them There was the usual training
and practice. followed, or. rather, In
termingled. with series of games.
beginning with our least important an
tagonists. to end with a match game
with B. college. at that time sporting
the most important team outside of the
three largest American colleges.
OF course everything focused on this
final game Gummerton OF go was
captain, and we had a celebrated ex
Yale man for trainer l think a good
deal of the interest was excited by
the enthusiasm OF the captain. and
some of the fellows declared that If
his team didn't win the game with B.
he wouldn't survive the defeat.
The Meriweather twins were in col
lege at the time You've heard of
Tom Meriweather. haven't you-the
big football player of that timer Well.
be was the Meriweather that figures
In this story, or his brother Bill. or
Toms ghost; nobody could find out
then. and nobody seems to have been
able to find out since Both boys were
big fellows. Few could tell them apart.
and the only physical difference be-
tween them was that Tom was a trif1e
more massive than his brother. But
there were lots Of differences outside
of the physical composition Of the
men. Tom wouldn't study and was
10
have anything to do with athletics and
was "boner The captain wanted
both men ON the team of 81, but he
couldn't induce Bill TO leave his books
for practice. Gummerton would have
taken him on even during the last
week without any training. but Bill
couldn't be persuaded.
The captain had no end of trouble
with Tom Meriweather on account of
a girl he was infatuated with. Betty
Williams, an incorrigible flirt. who
played with the big fellow as a sea
man would play with harpooned
whale. When time came for practice
Tom would be missing Where was
he? Nobody knew except that he
wasn't on hand. He had taken q train
for the next station above. where Miss
Williams lived The worst of 1t was
that Betty's best man was B. man.
and she sympathized with the BIS In
the coming game Those of us who
knew best believed that Betty. know
ing Tom to be our main reliance. was
trying to prevent his efficiency by
keeping him away from practice She
was also always persuading him to
eat and drink what was disallowed In
training
Bill Meriweather having more in
huence with his brother than any one
else-the affection between twins is
notorious-w tried to get Bill to keep
Tom away from Betty till after the
big game. Bill did everything he
could In the matter He argued with
Tom. scolded him. told him the girl
was fooling him and if he didn't get
away from her he would surely come to
grief. He wouldn't find out what her
object was till the game had been play
ed anc lost to US. The whole college
would turn against the man who hao
been made a fool of and put his col
lege into the nine holes.
Tom would see 1t all as plain as day
and promise not to do so any more,
but his sight and his resolution would
not last twenty-four hours The mat
ter seemed to trouble his brother Bill
excessively. He got so at last that
nobody dared speak to him about
Toms action for fear of receiving
rebuff. Toward the last we all let
him alone.
Five days before the game GUNNER
ton, seeing that Tom was half the
time absent from practice and con-
stantly breaking the training rules.
his place on the team But Bill was
memorable. and the captain had to give
up. putting on substitute, for there
was no one. trained or unframed, who
could fill gap made by the herculean
Tom Meriweather. The only question
remaining was whether Betty VIII
liams would keep Tom away from the
final game.
Every effort was made TO provide for
this contingency both by keeping
watch on Tom and having the next
best outside man. Watkins Of '93.
ready to take his place in case Tom
was filched away by the girl OF
course that meant defeat, but there
must be some one to fill the gap.
/ was one Of the men appointed to
watch Tom Meriweather from the
time he got out Of bed on the morning
OF the match game till the fight was
on. arose Mt 8 and was in his room
lby 7. The bird. or, rather, the winged
monster, had flown. | learned that he
had left the evening before, but no