The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-02-19
MUSCLE WINS
over BRAINS
Strange Courtship Of a Would
Be Athlete.

easily we are apt to depreciate. There
fore we are prone to prize that for
which we have no aptitude.
Wilbur Parks while at college car
ried Off prizes as readily as a chicken
picks up grains Of corn. Indeed, the
, winning of intellectual h0nOrs was so
simple matter to him that he couldn't
understand why all students couldn't
do the same. What Mr.. Parks coveted
was success In athletics. and he espe
cially desired to be prominent as a
', boating man. He had not the physique
to gain him an entrance into the uni
versty crew. but felt 1t possible for
him to stand well as an oarsman.
Parks spent his vacation before en-
tering upon his senior year at Lake Nj.
and sent his own boat up by rail. AT
the hotel where he stopped were o
couple of college girls. one Of whom
had no end of conditions consequent
upon her last examinations to make up
and should have been studying rather
than summering. The other. Josephine
Banning. was rich. and 1t made little
difference practically whether she got
a diploma or not, but Aida Lane was
poor and doomed to the drudgery Of a
schoOlrOom. and her degree was Of the
greatest Importance to her. Since the
needful is seldom bestowed in the right
place. Miss Banning was good
scholar. while Miss Lane dragged along
at the foot of her class. However, the
latter was pretty. and there was hope
for her in another direction. Parks
met the two girls and devoted himself
to Miss Banning.
One morning Parks was pulling
leisurely on the sunlit bosom of the
lake In his skeleton boat. when, hear
and saw Aida Lane in light lap
streak she had hired at the landing,
Not averse to company, Parks gave Il
few strokes with his long sweeps with
view to taking position beside her.
then turned his head to speak. TO
his surprise. her boat was not on his
quarter. but about as far ahead as
he had first seen it. He gave a dozen
more strokes. and turned again to look.
He had not gained half n length. Then
he began to exert himself. but when
Wilbur Parks exerted himself he was
sure TO do poorly. He put his oars In
too deep and took them out with a
jerk. Miss Lane stopped rowing and
let him come alongside.
"YOu don't feather right" she said
Parks. red as lobster. looked at her
with an expression denoting that he
did not care to be taught rowing by
girl.
"Your strokes are too fast for such
long sweeps" she went on. you're
giving Us many to the minute as With
these paddles"
Parks didn't deign to reply.
"Oh." said the girl. pulling on. ri beg
your pardon. | didn't intend
Either she didn't finish the sentence
or Parks didn't hear the end. At any
rate. though he worked hard. she
pulled away from him.
The young mans emotions were like
the rumbling of volcanic forces. What
were all the scholarly prizes he had
taken against this IgnominiOus defeat
by a girl. Had she beaten him intel
lectunlly he would not have much
minded it, but for man to be worsted
In the matter Of mans natural en-
dOwment--strength-by girl whose
principal weapon should be weakness,
was humlliating indeed. He hated
Miss Lane, and when man begins to
take enough interest In woman to
hate her he is In n dangerous way.
The matter might have stood at rest
here had not sudden shower come up
when the guests were having a lawn
party at some distance from the hotel
Parks was walking briskly for cover
when Miss Lane ran by him. lnstinc-
lively he began to race her. but when
he reached the piazza she was sitting
In hammock tanning herself.
After this there was more bad blood
between Mr.. Parks and Miss Lane. and
they barely spoke to each other.
One morning Miss Lane went to the
landing for row. There was not
boat to be had. and she was about to
retrace her steps when, looking out on
the lake. she was just In time to see
collision between punt and Wilbur
Parks shell. Both oarsmen were spill
ed In the water. the amateur swim.
ming for shore. Parks clinging to one
Of the boats.
Had the girl let him alone he would
have been picked up presently and no
damage done. but she saw her advan-
tage and grasped it, Taking OF only
her shoes. she plunged In and swan
for him. Parks saw her coming and.
preferring death to being saved by her.
left his boat and tried to swim for the
landing. When they met ne was ex-
hausted. The girl managed to get bis
arm over her shoulder and around her
seek and carried him to shOre.
After that Parks suddenly discovered
that his hatred for his preserver was OF
a very peculiar kind. Indeed. ne dis
liked her so much that he became her
slave. The next June he left college
with high scholarly hOnors. while Miss
lana loft hv fha taok 1nnr-thut a.,