On Your Mark! A Story of College Life and Athletics

triving to draw a coat from under him. No one was paying any special attention to him, and the tent was filled with the hard breathing of the runners, who

the consequent difficulty of breathing is the most painful feature of it. Allan had been dimly aware from the moment he pitched into the throng until now of what had passed, but his interest in events had been slight; he knew that arms had reached ou

t the track was like mush and no one should be expected to run on it. Hooker, looking amused, grunted as he pulled his shirt over his head. Allan scrambled to his feet and began to dress. He couldn't help wondering what the others though

t up to the gym, and don't be afra

the tent. Starting to withdraw his bullet-shaped head with its scant adornment of carr

e up?" he asked. A

tily. "You'd better come out Monday and we'll

ered Allan,

ou see m

had gone, Hooke

you're don

hat?" as

ou to death. You weigh when you get over to gym and then weig

up. Rindgely

t from winning a mile with a co

nk it worth while correcting Rindgely, who was evidently rat

had, it wouldn't have made any difference to you, you

ed the state of the track, the injustice of the handicappin

zy," he jibed. "You

become angry. But, after a moment of indecision, he added

id, "and some fellow must have lugged me ov

whopping big fellow named B

his head t

will when y

htly when he reached the corner of Poplar Street and turned down that elm-roofed thoroughfare toward his room. Poplar Street ends at Main Street in a little triangular grass-grown space known as College Park, and Allan's room was in the rambling corner house that faces the park and trails its length alo

n Hall to the library. The fact that former denizens had left comfortable window-seats at each side casement was a never-failing source of satisfaction to the new occupant of wha

ment's array of brand-new furniture, carpeting, and draperies. To-night, after he had lighted all four of the burners i

its polished top, and the more familiar objects on the mantel and on the dark walls, accumulations of his school years, seemed to return his gaze with friendly interest. To-night

with a boy's cheerful disregard of economy, left the four light

in addressing himself to the agreeable task of causing the total disappearance of a plate of soup. His preoccupation give

the face handsome, you would nevertheless have liked it on the instant. There was a clearness and steadiness about the brown eyes, a gentleness about the mouth, and a firmness about the chin which all combined to render the countenance attractive

believed himself cut out for a record breaker. His afternoon's performance had been as much of a surprise to him as to any. At Hillton he had been rather popular among his set, but he had never attempted to become a leader. His classmates had gone to other co

Erskine who had given their lives in the struggle for the preservation of the Union-and Allan's father had gone there, too. Allan couldn't remember very much about his f

r Dorothy, two years his junior, and for himself. If there had been any sacrifices at home, he had never known of them. At Hillton he had had about everything he wanted-his tastes were n

healthy appetite. For these he signed with an impressive flourish. When the last spoonful of ice-cream had disappeared he pushed back hi

l Smiths, "so I put these over my slip

drawn toward each other since they had reached Erskine. During the last week, however, Hal had been making friends fast, and as a consequence Allan had seen less of him. Hal had quite a reputation, gained during his last year at Hillton, as a f

d play some pool

but with a condition in mathematics to wo

And then: "Say, Hal," he asked, "do you

y? Yes; wha

ng. What's

s or Montana or somewhere out that way." Hal's ideas of the West were rather va

of pool and was going home to toil. When he opened his door a sheet of paper torn from a blue-book fluttered to the floor. There was a pi

e Bu