The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-08-12
When Jim Caught the
Football Fever
BY H. LOUIS RAYBoLD
g Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service.

brown eyes. On, forgot, she
added, "that Jim doesn't care for
football"
isn't it the limit" And this time
the brown eyes blazed. "When one
is football fan of the first mag
nitude, and has been reared on foot
ball with ones brother a coach, to
have a f1ance, otherwise perfectly
heavenly, who rates football a
bore!"
''It is hard" sympathized Leila,
land if 1 were you, should cure
him or die in the attempt. What
does he suppose football weather
was made for?"
The subject was dropped for the
time being, but Leila's assertion
that Jim should be cured occurred
to Sue later and she pondered just
what drastic means she could en-
ploy to bring about so desirable a
reform.
She wondered if brother William,
now married and running a hard
ware store in Rawlinsville, but still
acting as a coach on the side for
the Rawlins eleven, could help her
out. Certainly he was worth try.
So that evening she wrote and
posted bulky letter whose post
script ran: "Above all we must APP
proach him indirectly. Jim is canny
enough to shy completely if he sus-
pects."
Brother Williams reply must have
been all Sue hoped, for the evening
of its arrival she began her attack
on Jim.
"Do you know, DEAR" she said
plaintively. "Im rather worn out
after the summer. 1 have half a
mind during your vacation to run
up to Wills and rest. You'll be 60
ing off somewhere and I wouldn't
see much of you anyway"
Jim - tall, broad shouldered,
clean-cut - regarded her quizzi-
cally. "What made you think I was
going anywhere?"
ooh, you'll want to-" said Sue
airily, "you need a change also. It
will only be for about couple of
weeks"
"Well-" said Jim. st ha d
thought perhaps we'd do little
house hunting and furniture buying,
but if you'd rather"
Sue had visited her brother ex-
actly three days when Jim's tele-
gram arrived, followed shortly by
its sender, who paused a brief mo-
ment at the College Inn to deposit
his baggage and then FASTENED to
Sue who greeted him with concealed
triumph. Indirection had worked
thus far.
The following morning, after
breakfast (William had collected
Jim and his belongings from the
inn Sue remarked that she had
letters to write and could not give
Jim any company until luncheon.
Perhaps Jim could amuse himself
for a time.
"I'll look after him." broke in
William. Have a bunch of would
hes to try out. Jim will look them
over with me-"
Jim acquiesced agreeably, al
though no doubt secretly wondering
just what would-bes were in terms
of hardware. Surreptitiously, Sue
winked at her brother. Things had
begun to move.
The two men did not show up
until lunch was cold and Sue could
not help but notice that Jim seemed
strangely dusty and dishevelled for
a mere onlooker.
"Got Jim to help me out referee
ing" said William nonchalantIy,
and Sue let it go at that.
The first game of the season was
scheduled for the day prior to Sues
intended departure for home. The
time was short and William daily
neglected his hardware affairs to
work up a creditable team. Jim
tagged along also, and to Sues
pleased surprise seemed always as
ready as William to get down to the
field.
But not until the day of the game
itself did any word of football pass
between Sue and Jim. Then, "I'd
like" she said hesitatingly, "to GO
to the game this afternoon, if you
could possibly find something to &C.
cupy you"
GO to the game? Something to
occupy me?" echoed Jim, staring
blankly.
"Of course, you're going to the
game. I'm only sorry I can't sit
with you, but your brother has
asked me to be the timekeeper. It's
great game, Sue. Really, it's
wonderful"
Some months later Sue met Leila
and in the course of conversation
football was mentioned.
IT hear" said Leila, that Jim
has become an ardent rooter. sup.
pose you are delighted"
"Well-maybe," sighed Sue. Then
at the others look of surprise she
went on to explain: "You see,
always wanted Jim to get interested
so that we could go to the games
together. But-do we? Quite the con,
trary. Why Jim is so keen that
I'm mere amateur beside him. AS
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