Rock Island Argus., 1914-10-24
The Daily Story
oSE1IHB D111J OO'"V OI"OIN II "II1'
Copyrighted 1919 by Associated literary bureau

that she wasn't the Kind Of 81, !.
would back ont and that she w.'s,s 90. ."ai a
ner best for Buckeye. He ,v.a ue
to take Billy to walk that n,g,, so.ns
meet her accidentally and had =. !. ga
cuse all fixed up to leave tbs,s ~
gether ~ 70
Now that everything was arrw
] j began to feel little upeasv !, ssa
conscience. liked Billy, as dia a.y my
body else. and it seemed to me fta,
were playing him a pretty low do.'
trick. 1'"n
Things began to turn out beauttfrn.
just as we had planned. l guess ,s.',
man doesn't stand much chance 80
a girl really sets her cap for h,s
Billy fell like lamb and even too. !.
writing poetry. His whole me-.
changed. and he carried around :.
25O pounds as If they were ba,a,.
enough ballast to keep him connoc,s,
with the earth.
Tom gave him clear Geld. for fra
good of the team, and when he vss,.
at practice or attending lectures -
could be pretty sure he was with III.
Pink or waiting for her somevhsr.
This went on for two weeks. r,,h.
up to the afternoon of the final g.na
Then came the explosion. II was b,..
ger than we had expected-so biz ths,
Tom got caught in it.
A few of US were walking dcrn :.
the field with Tom he was yeu
nervous, not listening to anything Wa
said, and / knew it wasn't all carsas
by the game. Right In front Of n.
were Miss Pink and Billy, waiting on
the corner. AS we passed Billy called
to Tom, and he Joined them. We
went on.
l heard later that Tom tried to pet
away, but she wouldn't let him.
"Please stay, Mr.. Burns" she said
You have both been such good friends
to me that / want you to be the first
to hear a secret. I'm engaged. bur
don't tell, because it isn't out yet
Richard Randolph is a distant cousin
and / am so anxious to have you meet
him."
She smiled up at them with those
big. round, trusting eyes of hers She
was so confident they would be de-
lighted and SO absolutely unconscious
that she was. causing the slightest un-
easiness to either of them.
They tried to say the right thing
and left her to wait for her girl
friends who were going with her to
the game. and when they Joined Us at
the locker room they were like two
full sized hurricanes done up in quart
bottles.
Nobody but knew what the trouble
was, and I didn't guess but half Of it.
Tom sailed into US in true football
style. and the talk he gave US was
lyric. I've never heard nor read of
speech before a battle that could touch
it 1t put fire into US as if be were
pouring it in with a dipper. and We
ran out on that field ready to consume
Ill that we touched.
That game will live forever in the
history of Buckeye college. Kenyon
,ame on the field with heavier team
ind the idea that they were going to
nave a cinch. They found ten furies
ind one demon, and there was as much
.hance of stopping Buckeye as stop
,ing the north wind.
Billy was the demon. From quiet
'eace loving Hercules Of an hour be-
ore he had changed into an avengng
orient of wrath. Four men couldn't
old him, and his path when he ran
own the field was lined with cripples.
With one or two of the gravest. who
ourted death, clinging to him.
The odds turned right around In the
rst ten minutes, and the college in
ne bleachers went wild with delight
8 we dashed on to victory. The
core at the end was 30 to O. and
lere was lots of fight still left In Us
wo men fought even as the cheering
carried them twice around
le field on their shoulders. These two
ere Tom Burns and Billy.
There was a big bonfire on the
Impus that night, and everybody, CO.
Is and all, attended. At about the
iddle of il there was a cry for an az.
Id as 1 vaguely remembered having
en- one around the corner or the
and stand where the carpenters nau
.en working went for it.
made plenty of noise coming, Out
ere were two people around there In
e dark that didn't hear me. Tney
ere Miss Pink and Billy. was near
ough to hear what they were saying
hen | stopped. and / couldn't neip
tening Miss Pink was talking.
IL said it for joke" she was
wing. There isn't any Richard Kan,
lph. I'm sorry l did ii. / wonla
yer have done it tiff had thougn1
u would get so angry with me"
i wasn't angry with you or an!
p" said Billy. stubborn as parn
| of mules.
Oh. but you were. You were very
y angry. indeed, and il was sp'en'
!. and-and-I love you for IT,?
always pays not to argue WIN
man. and there are sometimes wnen
pays better than others.
hurried away as fast as cou'u'
couldn't get away fast enousn
TO notice that Billy realized TINS
: one Of the times that caiied io'
lon. not words.