The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-21
LEM, THE BASHFUL
He Desired Popularity, But Was
Too Tinid to Co After 1t.

said Mr.. Gibbons one evening sew
erai days after Parker had excepted
Melyille's challenge, that Parke.'
High is organizing an ice-skatinS
team"
yep, | guess that's right said
Lem, not looking up from his Alge-
bra book. Il saw notice on the
bulletin board today that alb the
fellows who want a position on tho
team should come out tomorrow
afternoon for the try-Outs."
We'll, you'll be there, suppose.
eh?"
"Naw-I guess / wouldn't have
any chance-they didn't ask ME
anyhow. Nav guess ! won't
Lem closed his book and laid down
his pencil.
They didn't ask you? Why. for
goodness sake, son, you don't ex-
pect them to tender you an invita-
ton on a silver plate, do you?
You've got to go out and show 'em
what you can do. As for having
no chance-I cant see why you
haven't. You're not a bad skater
are you?" Mr.. Gibbons tone was
encouraging.
AMI finally it developed that
when the Parker High School
coach called his twenty-five ice
skating candidates together, Lem
uel Gibbons was one of the group.
Lem stood on the edge of the
crowd not feeling as though he
should mix in (bashfulness AGAIN.
1t had taken all his nerve to get
this far and he had to take strong
hold on himself to keep from break
ing away from the tryOuts alto
gether.
But he stuck it out, to use 4
common expression.
And when the day was over and
Lem had returned home from the
tryouts down on the river, he an.
nounced that he had made the
team.
Good for you. Lem" praised his
dad. Which made Lemuel Gibbons
feel joyful and proud, and he al
most forgot that he had ever hated
Parker High School.
The morning of the day after the
tryOuts, when, the names of the
successful candidates were posted
on the bulletin board of the school,,
and Lemuel Gibbons name was
seen there, several students with
whom Lem had conversed once or
twice, and whom he considered his
best friends in the school, ap-
preached him and gave him their
congratulations.
There was Paul Service, for in
stance, and George Davidson and
Horace Smith, who said they were
pleased to see he had gained a
position. And then Mable koler,
a member of LENS English class,
and a person whom Lem secretly
admired very much, told him how
happy she was to know he had
made the team.
To cap it all, Sticky" White,
cheer leader for Parker, in assem-
bly, late that day, called for yells
for each of the men on the new
team, and a thrill ran through Lem
as his name was roared out by the
whole school. He realized that at
last he might have an opportunity
to live down his reputation as be-
ing the most bashful and awk-
ward boy in school.
When the cheers for each man
on the ice-skating team had been
given, Lem happened to glance 10
the direction of Mabel KOler who
was sitting in the assembly hall
directly across from him. She
smiled to him and Lem blushed
deeply-"DOggonit, just like me, J"
he thought.
After much daily practice on the
ice, the day set for the race with
Melville High School drew near.
All through the days preceding that
of the race, Lem had astOnished
the other members OF the team and
the coach himself with his wonder.
full ability on the skates. He did
SO well, in fact, it was generally
PEMEMpEn7