The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-11-01
A FOOTBALL,
MYSTERY
Story of the Gridiron
BY F. A. mitchell

By F. A. mitchell 3
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Aunt Augusta. it's time you were
married. You must be thirty years
old"
81 shall not be murrIed. Ethel dear.
II were to have husband would
have had one a dozen years ago."
"A romance! Why, aunty, I never
knew you had one. You are such
precise. prlm little body. WaS he as
gentle man as you are wonan?"
mot at all. Persons Of opposite
makeup are more apt to mate than
those who are similar. My lover was
. young giant In strength. He once
carried me over a stream OF water
deep enough to cover him to his waist
and with current so swift that few
men could have kept their feet In II
unburdened. repaid him by coaching
him for an examination"
"You coached him. Why, aunty.
didn't know you went to college"
II didn't take the college course, but
! lived here in this college town and
followed Arthur through his studies"
ION purpose to help fim?"
Eyes. bnt l enjoyed It,"
"'rell me oil about your romance.
lid he jiit your
No: he died. But wouldn't like to
tell you about 1t. because there was
mystery concerning his denth, some
thing uncann,. Though 1t was twelve
years ago. | can't to this day talk
about II without being appalled, as
was then"
There was brief silence. after
which the lady continued:
Nevertheless there is one person,
and only one. for whom | shall make
the effort. shall give you, my dearest
niece. the story or all know OF 1t.
and when have told 1t to you shall
never speak OF 1t again."
"Oh. aunty.' The girl put her arm
about the speaker.
Arthur aud attended the high
school together" the lady began, "and
1t was the opposlteness of our makeup
that drew us together. Arthur was not
a dull scholar. but was born with spe-
cial leaning to athletic sports. He knew
all the ways of making a baseball do
what he wished II to do. was splendid
tennis player and had won cham.
pionship at golf.
But II was on the football field that
he won his most brilliant triumphs.
He so distinguished himself at this
while In the high school that repre-
sentatives from different colleges came
to see him play. and the year before
he went TO the university athletic man
ayers from Harvard. Yale. Princeton
and other colleges bid against one
another To get him for their respective
colleges that he might become a mem
Der of the university team, some OF
them offering to pay his way through
college II he would join them.
"These big. strong fellows are apt to
have some weakness. Arthur's weak
point was an inability TO decide small
things. In this he relied upon me. He
asked me which. II any. of. the prop
ositions he should accept. and J. wish
Ing to keep him near me, told him
thought he'd better enter our own col.
lege here. Besides. my father was q
professor here. and was interested In
the college. | didn't wish him to &C.
cept. any pecuniary assistance for play.
ing athletic games. and our univer
sity, being one of the smaller ones.
could pay nothing.
so Arthur stayed with us. and II
was well be did. for ! was enabled to
help him through He had the great
est admiration for my ability to solve
some mathematical problem or compre-
bend a logical sequence. while loved
and admired him for his manly
strength. What drew me to him most
was his Inconsistencies of the value
Of that strength which priced 80 high
~. But 1t is natural for weak woman
to admire physical strength In man.
Having Arthur here. we took an in
interest In athletics that we had never
taken before, and, since he was devoted
to football and would add greatly to
the chances of any team he played
with, our boys became interested IN
entering the field In the annual gam.
with the big colleges. While Arthur
was 10 college John Spangler was here
and was made captain Of the football
team. Having tower Of strength In
Arthur. Spangler succeeded In making
Up O fne team. especially the one that
entered for the annual game against
the other colleges. for the autumn pre-
vious to Arthurs graduation.
Arthur ordinarily was lazy. 1t re-
Quired something very exciting to-
cause him to use his strength. but
when thoroughly aroused he was like
q charging elephant. Captain Spangler
was constantly coming to me bewaii-
ing the fact that be couldn't get his
main man to be regular at practice
ana when he did practice II seemed i'm
possible to wake him up to bis work.
Manga time was obliged to get sew
eral girls together and go out on to the
practice fieid IN order that by my pres
ence might inspire Arthur to do good
work
"One thing OF great Importance was
kept from me- Spangler knew II and
should have told me. but lie felt sure
that n be did tell me the team would
b deprived of Arthur's assistance In
the game 4 And without Arthur the
team would have no chance for win
ming the annual game. What they
cpacealed from me for fear of losing