Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-11-14
The Argus Daily Story
The Great Football Game-By Ellen r. Chandler.
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary bureau.

were feet runners, 10 prepare for some
real work on the last Saturday in No
vember
The university team and the WON
ans college team We're in fine practice.
there being about two weeks remain
Ing before the end OF November. Then
Il formal challenge passed. which was
accepted by the university team cap
tain with great formality. but with the
belief that the affair was joke. Soon
after this IT was noticed that a change
had come over the women students.
Up TO this time there had appeared no
disposition on their part to dirt. but
now it was observed that several of
the prettiest had abandoned their
maidenly reserve and were showing a
disposition TO be wooed. But what was
not especially noticed was that the at
traction for them seemed to lie not in
the honor men, but in the stalwarts OF
the football team.
The truth is that the joke attending
the proposed game with the girls was
overSbadowed by a more serious mat
ter. The annual game between West
moreland and Pompton was to come
of on Thanksgiving day. As to the
game with the girls on the following
Saturday, no one believed II would
take place, or, If IT did, # would be a
sham game intended for "A sort OF SO
cial function. A couple Of weeks be
fore Thanksgiving Captain Ashton OF
the Westmoreland university team be-
gan TO have trouble with his men.
Several OF those he most relied on
became very lax in their training, and
not a practice game was played but
one or more men were absent The
captain stormed and threatened and
vowed he would resign. but TO no effect.
The irregularities grew instead OF de
creasing until during the last week be
fore the great game the condition OF
the team approached decentralization.
Ashton questioned the big fellows
as TO what was drawing them, but re
ceived no satisfaction. His best man,
Tomkins. suddenly cast the captain
into the depths OF despair by acct
dentally shooting himself In the foot
while cleaning his revolver and thus
rendering himself unfit to take his
part IN the annual game. Wharton.
another good man. was called homo
the day before Thanksgiving by "A tel
egram announcing that he was want
ed there Immediately. He did not re-
turn till the beginning OF the next
week.
1t was only two days before the
game that an incident occurred which
cast a faint light on what was the
matter with the Westmoreland team.
Slkulpins, who was relied on to do the
punting, while his team was out for
practice was seen walking on a by
lane with Beatrice Wheaton. one OF
the prettiest girls in the woman's col
Iege. The fact was reported TO Ash
ton, who began TO see through a mill
stone" But 1t was too late. His
team was obliged to go into the game
with Pompton shorn OF several of its
best men and with others whose non
attendance upon practice had untitled
them for their parts. 1t subsequently
leaked out that no less than seven
of them had Che evening before been
sumptuously entertained by young la
dies OF the woman's college. The re
suit was that at the match game the
score at the close stood: Pompton, "a;
Westmoreland, 0.
This defeat OF the Westmorelanders
seemed to be especially gratifying to
the goods. They were observed con
graduating each other, and the defeat
was celebrated by spreads given in
several of the girls rooms. Four men
who had been attentive to four DIFF
ferent girls left college on Thanksgtv-
ing night. and three out Of the four
never returned. 1t was rumOred that
they had made propositions Of mar
rage and been rejected.
On Friday. the day after Thanksgiv-
ing. the captain Of the womnn's team
wrote a note to the captain OF the
WestmOrelands asking some question
pertaining to the game TO come on
on the morrow. The messenger, re-
turning. announced that the captains
room was locked and bOlted. Messen-
gers sent 10 other members OF the
team failed TO find any one Of them.
Not a man Jack OF them was left in
town.
On Saturday evening n notice was
posted on the college bulletin board,
signed by the captain Of the woman's
team, claiming the game 10 have been
team had run away.
The girls scheme Of revenge was
out. and TO no one was n palmer I'm
MI its details than to Captain Ashton.
The triumph OF heart over muscle had
been complete Miss Horizons man
agement had been eminentiy efficient
She had set the most intellectual girl
after the prizes, placed the most mus
cular on her team while for the break
ing down Of the athletes she had
brought uD her corps Of beauty. before
which their hearts collapsed like
bursted football.
The class Of 1910 was the last WON
ans class 70 be graduated At West
noreland. and the men students swore
q great oath that there should never
be another.