Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-03-02


had about as much chance with him as
/ would today with Bobby Jones or Wal
ter Hagen. He didn't have any Shout
ders to speak of, and his arms were like
pipe stems, but his form was a priceless
thing to watch, and he timed ever shot
with absolute precision. I needn't go
into details-you know how a natural
golfer plays, n hat vas what this
%youngster was.
He didn't have much to say at first,
just went along, quietly. doing his stun
He ratified me, OF course finding myself
up against a game like his made me
even worse than usual. and by about
the fifth hole / was whanging the ball
all over the course. Finally l asked him
to tell me what was wrong, and he did
I stood there, with my mouth open, lis
tening to him. AS a teacher he put 1t
all over Alec, at Renclair-and he didn't
charge me three dollars an hour, either.
That was the beginning OF my liking for
him. n / did my best. the rest OF the
round, to draw him out.
1t wasn't easy. He wasn't shy. or awk-
ward; he was Just plain reticent. 1 4 asked
him what he expected to do when he
grew older, and he was slow about an
swering.
play golf, I guess" he said. finally.
Naturally" l said. But you're plan
ming to do something else too, aren't
your"
NO." he said. Il guess not. There's
nothing else / want to do. I'll try to get
into the amateur next year. l guess
wouldn't expect to get very far, though.
/ don't know, either-I may wait"
He annoyed me a little with the cool,
indifferent way he talked. But / got a
hint, afterward, when I saw the car that
came for him-a big foreign machine,
with a liveried chauffeur, who touched
his cap respectfully as Tommy got into
the back seat. A kid h went around
in that style needn't give much thought
to earning a living, probably. And at
dinner time / found out more about him,
Rallston, my belated friend, knew all
about him, of course. He grinned when
l told him who I'd played around with.
Trimmed you nicely, didn't hep" he
said. "Insufferable kid-but he certain
ly can play golfl"
/ asked who he was-about his family.
III all. And that explained a lot. His
father had piled millions on millions
during the war, and had turned up In
Champion, afterward, to play the coun-
try gentleman, with a million dollar
place and a flock of cars. Socially, 1t
seemed, the Martins had done only fairly
well, but they kept their place filled
with the hangers-on who always flock
about q rich man. and seemed to be sat-
isf1ed.
kid hasn't got q chance said Rail-
ston. HE was born bored. He'll never
have to work for a~nything-even his golf
And he has no background-nothing to
steady him. He gets a tough break
around here, at that-there aren't many
youngsters Of his own age"
Just the same l found myself thinking
about him after that, and liking him,
too. Liking him better. at any rate, than
Rallston did, or than / could quite un-
derstand. Something about him appealed
to me, vaguely-made me think, some
how, Of my own boyhood. / suppose
every man, II he'd only remember and
be honest about it. could think of q
time, as a boy. when he knew the whole
world was against him and hated him
I saw him again, for a minute or two
about a month later, when I went over
again and really did get in a oun with
Rallston; he went out of his way tc
come over and speak to me.
you've got that drive going. haven't
your" he said.
Thanks to you-yes," I said. Anc
then, on an impulse, l asked him why hi
didn't drive across country to Renclair
some time, and give me another lesson
He looked at me out of his big, grave
blue eyes, and, after a moment, 1T
nodded.
I'D like to-" he said. I'D like to yer!
much. You're the first person who eve
asked me to do anything like that"
Come along, then" / said. Call M
up the evening before. My names IL
the book, n I'm always home abou'
half past SIX"
II don't suppose I really expected hin
to do 1T, but he did,. / was called to thu
phone just about a week later anc
Tommy wanted to know II 1t 0 b.
convenient If he accepted my Invitation
and came over the next day. 1 said l
would be, and for him to turn up abou
three, and I'd be ready.
Champion is a suburb OF the very rich
Of people past their prime. There ar,
many childless folk there. or peopl,
whose children lave grown and moved
away at marriage. here are few young
sters, few growing families. The Cramp
ton club Is magnificent. 1t has a superb
championship course-one OF Devereau,
Emmett's best-over which not q scor,
Of rounds are played through the week
except on Sundays. The clubhouse 1
as luxurious as q fine hotel. Renclai
isn't like that, at all. We ave our SHOW
places. and our rich people. but there
something mellow and human abou
them. and they don't dominate the owl
they don't try to, or want to. Gu
golf course is perfectly adequate; I vast
lily prefer it to Champion, with its trap
filled with specially hauled sea sand an
its six hundred yard holes. Ours is
friendly course that you can get the bes
Of. sometimes. when you come to know
1t. And our clubhouse wanders al
about. 1t began as IN old Dutch colo
NAL house, and as the club has grow
wings and ellis have been added. n yo'
, go down a step here, and up anothe
there. And it wasn't decorated by Elsi
de Wolfe. but by successive committee
OF women, out Of the proceeds Of specia
dances and entertainments. so that Their
is a comfortable patchwork quality abou
the furniture that is restful to the eye
And ever since I've lived out Their
Renclair has been overrun with kid
They're a nuisance. sometimes, I admit