Show STUDENT LIFE ded “Old Lonesome’ As soon as the race was finished the rooters crowded onto the field to congratulate the winners who were rolled in big warm blankets and carried to the gymnasium The six remaining men were not forgotten for their friends were ready with the blanket and friendly commendations No one appeared to have seen “Old Lonesome” finish He plodded on and on and finally ran into the crowd in an exhausted condition He was ready to fall for he was so weak and breathless There was no warm blanket waiting for him so he pushed through the crowd and staggering found liis way to a grassy plot behind the grand stand where he lay down Here he lay for some time face downward on his crossed arms A shudder seemed to run through his He bony and angular form lay forgotten until the victors had left the field with the howling admirers Then with a shiver he rolled over on his back and with a long breath which seemed to bespeak an inward remorse he stood up steadying himself by holding on to the grand stand A weakness came over him his bead began to swim and everything became blurred He reeled and fell backward and with a dull thud he struck the ground Here he lay insensible long after the May sun had set and the twilight of the spring evening had settled down Over on the other end of the cam ever-welco- me 207 pus the lights began to twinkle and sounds of twanging guitars and the rythmic swing of “Ein Zwei Drei” of evening serenaders floated out on the evening breeze When night had welt appeared “Old Lonesome” awoke from the insensible condition rubbed his eyes stretched out his stiffened limbs and again stood up With whirling head he crawled and dragged his wretched forgotten self in the direction of the lights Mrs Henderson kept one of those typical city boarding houses where there is a commingling of several different types of humanity all of them bread winners There was the clerk the shoe salesman the music teacher the school ma’am and the government office clerk Then there was another boarder a tall angular raw-bonman with set jaws and a sad little pathetic smile which played around his thin lips His daily toil was in a little pent up office down on the water front checking and long columns of figures brought into him by the dock foreman He went to his labors early and returned late He very rarely went out then alone There was an air of mystery about him for no one knew where he came from He appeared to have no friends but from somewhere a name came Where it came from or how it came no one ever took time to consider It probably just grew but the rest of the boarders dry-goo- ds ed re-check- ing |