Evening star., 1935-11-17

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In the line which hemmed
4 L the chromium plated rail
than a gray-hairec alumnus spotted
him. He had seen him play on the
freshman team the year before and
was shocked to find that he didn't
60 out for the varsity when the Fail
rolled around. Immediately he buzzed
1t around the room that that was
Arnold, the freshman pilot of year
ago, who stubbornly refused to try for
the varsity.
The alumni, particularly the older
ones, seized on the news as choice
and important morsel of timely COL
lege gossip. They turned around and
stared at him, although until now he
was oblivious to it all.
When Chuck sat down he noticed
that the two men and the lady sit
ting at his table looked him over
rather circumspectly. He paid little
attention to them at first, but as he
cut into his roast beef he became
poignantly conscious of the fact that
for some unknown reason he was the
center of attention.
Not easily ratified and being Stub
born by nature, he decided to be un-
concerned about it. He suspected now
that it was the foot ball loving element
that was looking him over and he felt
like standing up and telling them ell
to 20 plumb to hell. He liked Colburn
as much as any man there, he thought
to himself, and yet because he
wouldn't subject himself to the brow
beating and bullying tyranny Of a
coach who smacked of the old school
he was regarded as something of a
disloyal curiosity.
For a minute he felt almost certain
that there was something to what
Halstead had said in his editorial
columns after all. Why all this fuss
and turmoil, this excitement and
psalm singing in the name of the
gridiron sport when a game Of golf
or a game of tennis were probably
just as enjoyable and maybe more
exhilarating?
Just then Chuck overhead man at
the next table say: Bum Baxter? Do
remember him. Why, roomed with
that bozo. And when you say he
could tackle you speak the truth. Why,
believe it or not, saw him hit the
tackling dummy one afternoon in
practice and knock it clear up and
over the cross bar. He sure could lay
'em out, though, couldn't he, Stan?
Too bad he's gone. Crashed, you know,
at Pensacola"
No, foot ball was different some
how. He had to admit that. 1t had
something in it that stirred ones
deeper feelings. Sort of wound itself
around the heart of man. Made him
play more fervently than any other
sport. Made him give more of him.
self in every play. But then, he rea-
soned, what was the use of thinking
about it. He could never learn to take
McBrair's talk.
Bailey oval was decked with flags
and pennants which fluttered fetch
ingly in the sunlight of clear Au-
tumn afternoon. The crowd began
pouring into the stands long before
game time. From the surrounding
towns and villages the fans drove to
the oval in cars, carriages and sta
tion wagons. A portion Of the east
stands was reserved for the alumni
and alumnae Of Colburn. The stu
dents sections fanked the home
comers on both sides and the west
stand was given over to Sanford root
ers and strangers.
Half hour before the game the
Sanford students arrived on special
trains, and paraded to the stadium.
Led by the college band, which was clad
in colorful uniforms of blue, trimmed
with white, they marched clear
around the field, yelling and cheering