Show tl The sec second nd Half Haf 11 To lounge dejectedly In his chair gazing pensively at the mantelpiece had become one of Bobs Bob's daily dally Perhaps the white letters W-E-L W W L S L-K-S Y L-E-Y Y standing out ut conspicuously conspicuously con con- on n a pennant In the center had fascinated him Perhaps the mere knowledge that she had given It to tim lim made Fate seem less cruel Be that as It may the Wellesley pennant held the place of h honor nor in t the e room the spot wherein the football players player's heart had hitherto stood A long row of pretty faces reaching across the wall told their own story of cf a brief reign And now where each eachIn In turn had stood hung an inanimate pennant Tom was rudely recalled from dreamland by a knock at t th the door Come In In he shouted inhospitably Inhospitably bly and without looking looking- around up Bob Inquired Ned Summers entering the room In football football foot foot- ball attire Why are you mooning around here The fellows are waitIng wait- wait Ing He glanced about the room for some explanation of Bobs Bob's evident mental disturbance Hang football was the unc uncivil response re re- spouse Ned vented his feelings by a whistle of surprise After r a minute he laid a hand band on Bobs Bob's shoulder the matter old chap he asked Do you you want those fellows to wipe us off the face of the earth on Saturday One might think so so o from L J A r ll 4 Gazing pens pensively Ively at atthe athe the he mantelpiece the way youve you've played this fall I Id suggest that you were In in- inlove love but but but- bello hello J His eye fell on the pennant on the mantel atit H. H Hw w Wheres her picture Who is it now the where question question where is It ItT IU Sh She didn't give me me o one one Bobs Bob's dejected air was so unusual f as to cause Ned to look curiously curiously- at himI him I say Bob Is your brain affected he ho asked half seriously No I tell you Ned its it's my he heart rt Im I'm hard hit Why dont don't you tell her Why dont don't you ride to the moon Inan in inan inan an auto Evidently there were rough spots in Bobs Bob's temper Come Come Bob what's it all about N Neds Ned's ds d's expression was one of bewilderment bewilder bewilder- mentI ment I tell you she wont won't listen to meI meI me I I 1 met her at Green Lake in August She spent the spent the summer th there re with her mother and on the afternoon of the night she was to leave I tried to tell her all about it only to become entangled entangled entangled en en- tangled in one of th those se sarcastic conversations con conversations COIl COIl- which ended in a J. J quarrel To cool off I went out f for r a turn in inthe the water intending to return and apologize for some things I said I was nicely ly out in the middle the wind went down and left me lulled two miles from shore my sails saUs empty and no no sign of an oar Well WeB asked Ned leaning- leaning against the mantelpiece and becoming Inter Inter- ested Well It wasn't well weB at atall all aU corrected corrected corrected cor cor- Bob impatiently When I finally reached the hotel several hours later she was gone b but not but t not without a parting shot at me in a note She said a lot of things about people losIng losing losing los los- ing their tempers and all aB that rot and of how a real gentlemen would have apologized for what I had said You see she thought it was was intentional Intentional- my going out on the lake and remainIng remaining remaining remain remain- ing until she was gon gone Bobs Bob's eyes sought the pennant again But why dont don't you write to her Shell She'll listen to reason reason Ned was beginning beginning beginning be be- ginning to show signs of sympathy I did I did and Im I'm waiting yet yet for for the And lAnd the pennant pennant how how about that Oh she gave that to me me before Its It's all I have of hers Do you realize realize that you haven't enlightened me as to who her Is Lourene Richmond Lives in Corning It was Bobs Bob's own fault that he did not detect the shaft of surprise that shot across his friends friend's face Well WeB Its It's pretty tough old man but this wont won't win our game for us Come we must practice practice A bump or two on the gridiron will shake all allsen sen tin nt nt out of you We must do those fellows Saturday A few minutes later when they st stepped Into the street together Ned ran on ahead and disappeared around the corner ostensibly to t telephone to toa a friend But t the e telephone m message w was was s' s written written written writ writ- I ten on a telegraph blank and read I 1 Miss Gladys Irving Corning New J 7 I I a. a to York Arrange to come coma to game Saturday Sat Sal an art bring Lourene without without- fail fall Ned Nod Expressions of o f mingled surprise se an and disappointment were were plainly visible on on- many faces In the crowded stand Ter- Ter bell the halfback had fumbled every ball in th the first half He was not playing in his usual form When time was called Ned Summers Summers Sum Sumo mers rushed up to a a. a small boy standIng stand stand- Ing on the field All AB out of breath bream from irom playing he gaspe gasped R Run n to Bob room Know where It Is All AB right Bring the the pennant pennant pennant pen pen- nant hanging on the mantel Bring Bring it l here tere ere as f fast st as you youcan can scamper As the players took their positions for the second halt half Bob bending bend bend- ing over with his head between between his knees glanced casually casually-at at the tIie grandstand grand T stand Through the space he saw a white- white lettered pennant floating in the breeze Without thought of the game he stood erect j Just st as the signal was to be given On pretense a-pretense of adjusting sting his he stood for or ora a minute while the signal was held Z Y called the quarterback quarterback quarterback quarter quarter- back as Bob resumed his position The fight for the pigskin was on Bob played football as aft well weB in the second half as he had played badly In IE Inthe inthe the first and all because he saw a face behind the flying pennant But you played so much better Inthe in inthe inthe the last last half Bob BoT said Lourene as she put a little hand in the two big ones in the deserted grandstand Two 1 fit i it t it h If It It Is so easily won Bob she che said said- other thoughtful t young persons were were- walking in an opposite direction You sav saved d the d day y No you did It replied Bob lookIng lookIng looking look- look Ing ridiculously h happy and forgetting to to release the hand he held You won von the game But lor tor the sight of or your face so unlooked unlocked for behind that pennant I should have fumbled through the whole game A part of or ormy my anatomy was wanting And a long time afterward when he had taken off his football clothes and had regained some some of his equanimity he be said ald Do you suppose dear that you jou you could help me win the battle of life Ufe as you did the gam today day You Youcan can can but but will you If it jt is so easily won won Bob she said And they began on the second half halt of the game Dorothy Dorothy Blackmore In Boston Globe |