The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-06-19
For
A Hero


alumnus of both the college OF arts
and the college of law. Being TO-
mantle and ingenious young person OF
IS, Mary had informed Jim that she
was sure going to fall in love with
some football hero.
"The handsome Greek god, who, when
all seems lost, saves the day for old
Wisteria or the slender boy whom
the rest thought too light for the
game who gets around the end and
scores for old Illgan, and when he
doesn't rise where he fell in making
the touchdown they find he has been
playing the last quarter with broken
rib-oh, shall fall in love with some
one of them" said Mary, with dane
ing eyes.
''Bosh," said Jim, stolldly. There
were no handsome Greek gods on any
team l ever saw"
We'll, therell be one hero, certain.
ly, and when he's carried off the field,
suffering terribly, but not a word of
complaint escaping his lips.and I'll send
him some flowers and he'll bury his
face in them, tears starting from his
eyes,"
CAS- the girls do in chose fierce
yards purporting to be college stories,
To my notion football game affords
about as much chance for a real story
as a game of chess" declared Jim. Il
never read a football story that wasn't
punk. Hi. look at that now!"
The visiting contingent of Wisteria
undergraduates LOO strong, headed
by their band, was progressing around
the track that encircled the gridiron,
in an astonishing choragic dance. 1t
was at once cake walk, a minuet and
gigantic quadrille With their steps
in ordered rhythm, their hands bran
dished aloft in triumphant gestures in
unison with the cadence of their high
lifted feet, they wound in and out.
why, it's charming. No, it's awe
inspiring!" exclaimed the girl, look
ing through her field glass who's
that leading them? Isn't he hand
some?"
"That's Bill Howard, the hottest
alumni rooter of them all"
"And look at those people nthe
box down there! How excited they
are! Alumni and their wives, of
course Isn't it fine to see the alum
nj so enthusiastic and loyal"
alumni nothing" growled jim.
That's a bunch of brokers with big
bets on the game, probably on the Wis
iting team, for fellows like that
would be likely to back university
outside their own state"
Suddenly there burst forth from
the bleachers where Wisteria students
were massed a huge roar Of inarticu-
late, mindless sound. The Wisteria
team had hulked out on the field. All
possible comliness of face and form
was hidden by the ungainly garb, so
Mary hardly looked at the players.
Her glass swept the line of yellmas-
tiers, picturesque, we'll tailored slim
youths, gay with ribbons, waving pen.
nants in a frenzy.
THAT one in the middle is such a
DEAR" she said.
That's Red Robertson" said jim.
Gle roomed with me when he was a
freshman and l a senior law. He's
the head yellmaster."
Does he ever play?"
play? He's too pretty to play. A
man Nho ties a necktie the way he
does wouldn't play. He hasn't the
beef, anyway"
Hes awfully graceful, and so quick.
I know he could play if he want
ed to-"
llligan won. 1t didn't matter much
to Mary, for Red Robertson at the
close of the game had sought them
out, anxious to see Jim, though he
hardly noticed Jim after he had been
presented to Mary. He steered her
through the multitude. Some foot
ball men passed. They moved heav-
lily, awkwardly. Quick enough on
the field in action, they seemed out
of their element now, like crabs on
land.
"Hackaday is bowlegged in his
arms as well as in his legs, isn't hep"
said jim. Good player, though.
Where'd they get him?'
bill Hands, 90, when he was up
hunting two years ago, saw him pol
ing logs in the river, and got him
down here" explained Robertson
"Bill is the man who got Dixie, too.
Dixie was driving cab in Denver. A
corking good alumnus, is Bill"
What. DO colleges still hire pro-
fesional players?" asked Mary.
NO, But there are still organiza-
lions called Alumni Students Aid as
sociations that loan money to men
whom they want to see get college
education and the men they want to
see do that are liable to be fine
athletes"
Are there no football heroes?" de-
manded Mary. mo boys who weep
over the defeat Of their team? Nobody
for me TO give my roses to for him to
weep nto?"
Yes there are some real stu
dents on every team and perhaps
some day they'll all be real as they
used to be In the old days. But the
fellows who weep over defeat are
mostly on the bleachers. I've lost a
big bet and I'd like to weep. Won't
you give me the roses?"
IT'S dreadful disilusionment,"
said Mary. Il meant them for halt
back, not a yellmaster, but here are