Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20

ne W1L0OreW. NO girl SO--Wetls SO everything aS
Ann-would care to have her name linked with
his now. And he didn't want his name linked
with hers. He wasn't that sort at ALL Also
about this time he heard how Reck BeggS had
been driving over to the home town once . week
to see her. He was not altogether happy.
The evening after the second game he was
standing in his window looking down at the
campus when crowd of fellows came along
He recognized Big Loomis and Wilmot and Jones
ana Boss Wheeler, and they stopped just before
the house
I'VE ought to hold q meeting" said Big
LOOMS.
"why?"
"welI, something's got to be done, hasn't it?
He's quit on us. Hasn't he the sense to resign?
II he hasn't we ought to boot him OUT
BOOT him outI" said Boss Wheeler softly.
"And why? Why, Jumbo? Why2s
Because he's yellow He's lost his nerve be-
cause he got roughed around 3 little last year."
Hippo" said Boss still very softly did pn-
derstand you to say Steady was Yellow"
"You did, Shrimp"
Boss mounted two steps so that his head was
almost on level with Big LOOMS. step over
here Sec Mastodon," he said gently.
"Eh?"
"Ihat,s it. Right there. Now. Whale, femme
say to you that no two hundred and ten pounds.
of bubber animated by q mental vacuum can
call Steady yellow and get away with 1t" Boss
voice grew bit shril at the end, just before
he put every ounce of his hundred and sixteen
pounds behind wallop to Big LOOMS jaw.
The huge center shook his head and backed
away and then he grinned.
shrimp" he said I'm going to let you live.
I-doggone if don't kind of respect your mo-
tives. But he amt worth sticking up for. Pee
vice."
In 10 days Steady was accustomed to hearing
himself referred to IS the "non-playing cap
tain"
Those were dark days. II only he could have
resigned, quit college, hidden awayl But he had
his job to do and Mac was depending on him.
So he put on his uniform daily and went out Oh
the ield-to be red rag before his team
mates eyes,
Every day he spent at the far end of the field
pretending to clrop-kick. Kick, kick, kick-but
very gently and cautiously, with knee held rigid
to prevent any wrenching or twisting. Kicking
. bali in loneliness and bitterness over the bar
from the 1O-yard line, or. sometimes. from the
3O-yard line.
Look him over" he heard wilmot say. "He
don't even dare take healthy kick at the BALI"
At any rate, the thing was working Mac
gave that consolation i'm one Of their rare talks
for Mac had seemed 70 withdraw from
him. too
They're fighting like tigers boy" said the
coach. They're fun Of mad. IT'S working out
fne.'
~Seems to be-" said Steady. and went on
kicking futile 2o-yard drop-kicks.
He had endured it now since early October
and it was now late November-the final game.
The last occasion upon which he would ever
wear Old Hickory's sweater In q camel And he
was in Herewith two minutes to play.
Come in to earn your letter." said Green
5teady's face was grim, immobile. He had sat
hunched ON the bench through three quarters OF
scOreless play waiting hoping, demanding the
coming of that break In the game which would
bring victory. But the break never came
He had been conscious, bitterly conscious, of
the thousands of people i'm the stands. It
seemed to him every one Of them was looking at
him. pointing to him. sneering at him. ALI Of
them! And one Of the multitude was Ann
wharton.
A Mn had written him once again after his
long silence. dignified little note, friendly.
self-contained but solicitous. to ask If he were
en- - fI,ic he I,od ranlio<l R,ria7v