Rock Island Argus., 1914-10-24

Football at Buckeye college was N
afternoon pink tea. IL you apoIogized
for putting a hobnailed shoe in tht
face of your best friend the coach was
likely to light on your neck the nexi
minute because of your ladylike man
ners. Temper played big part In
picking the team. and those of us who
didn't have any originally had bad II
developed The one exception was
Billy Gordon. the big guard.
Billy was so good natured that II
oozed out all over him. No one, not
even the coaches. could ever ruftie
him. Even If one did pick a scrap he
was so big that IL didn't do any good.
He would put out his right hand,
! which was about as heavy as full
sized ham and greatly resembled one.
and If Any one got in front of it he
would be brushed away like fly.
leaving Billy as serene and good ma
tured as ever.
A man like that can get place in
the line on any football team in the
| country. But Tom Burns, head coach
of Buckeye, wanted more than an au-
tomaton of defense; he wanted whirl-
wind of attack and destruction. He
used to sit up whole nights trying to
think of schemes to make Billy mad.
His theory was that every man had
temper stored away somewhere and
It needed only touch on the hidden
spring to start it of.
But Tom was pretty well stumped
trying to discover the combination that
fitted Billy.
Two weeks before the big final game
with Kenyon college, our main rival,
the situation began to get desperate.
Tom Burns called a meeting of the
whole team minus Billy and explain
ed that, no matter how furious the rest
of US got, if we didn't get good mad
out of Billy we stood as much chance
of winning that game as of growing
wings on earth.
What he wanted was to get Billy
angry just before the game and have
the cause of his anger so far out of
his reach that he couldn't get at it and |
would take his wrath out on the Ken
yon team
This set US all thinking. and that |
night as 1 jumped into bed l found |
the solution. That solution was Miss
Pink
Miss Pink was the queen Of the CO.
eds and the prettiest girl in two
states. 1t was secretly surmised
among a choice few who were In on
the game that she was as good as en-
gagged to head coach Tom Burns. Bill
ly, who didn't dance, was not one of
the few who were in on the game.
My plan was to get her to cast a few
Of those smiles on Billy. It's a well
known axiom that a fellow in love is
susceptible to the crouch
germ. and it's just a step from a good
blue crouch to u tearing rage.
/ predicted that in two weeks we
could get the thing SO well under way
that on the day of the final game all
we would have to do would be to light
he fuse and then run like the mis-
chief TO get far enough away before
he explosion.
The end that outlined to Tom was
o have Miss Pink come up to Billy
ust as he was leaving the locker build
ng in his football clothes and reach
,ut and slap him on the face.
She could throw in some words at
he same time. like liar" and "cheat"
IT whatever the ladylike phrases were
hdl NOhhCy lhG hiCdhllS.
This. L reasoned, would rouse the tenn
'er of mummy. And, of course, as
BILLY couldn't hit girl, he would go
nto the game and begin tearing the
lothes off the Kenyon team.
Tom agreed that the basis of the plot
Tasn't bad. but he didn't think that
ute so much action in the final part
1ould suit Miss Pink He said I had
;xAf h.,S hot . "a
/ love l would realize that it wouldn't
IKE as much as that to make a man
ut granite. :
According to his views, the best way
, get Billy's goat would be to have the
Idy of his choice suddenly announce
u the day of the game that she was
lgaged to another man 4
II guess you're right" said. "It
Ire would give Billy a jolt if Miss >
ink should tell him that she was en- =
aged to you when he was thinking
lat he was the king pin. Do you :,
link you stand In strong enough to I,
Ill the trick Off at the proper mo- u
ent:" :"
1t was fool question for me to ask. e.
there was one line where Tom con.
1ered that he was strong it was with III
e ladies. He wasn't far wrong. eli
er. for he was no end of a hero. and Sd
rls like that kind. But had an idea az
at he was having harder work bring ns
g Miss Pink to terms than he liked "
admit.
This seemed tough on Tom. for it OF
IS plain as day that she was the one fu
II he had ever met whom he was
ad over heels in love with. We
Well" said Tom. looking a little di
ssed. you certainly have got u lot
nerve. But If you can keep secret W.
tell you something. I'm not en- ii
ged to Miss Pink yet. but hope to
And l think that for the good OF bu
: college / can get her TO play her no
rt. and we'll let Billy know of our ws
sagement at the right moment to 30
n thar game"