Cinder Path Tales

116 CINDER-PATH TALES either athletic training or ambition. A student of the first rank, so that he was known at oncewhere muscular ability is much more i likely to obtain recognition than mental strength, it was not until his secondyear that I saw much of him. He then took up running, not so much with a view of contesting, as to fill out his lungs and increase hisstrength. It was not long, however, before he began to show decided improvement, and steadily gaining, hadrun unplaced, but close up, in his junior year. He had brought himself out in this way with­ out in the least losing rankas a scholar, and I knew it was his one remaining ambitionto get a place in athletics, andwin a point for the old college on thislast competition to which he would be eligible. If he had beena musty bookworm I should not have cared so much, but he was a splendid fellow, of good family, and a great favorite ofmine, because of his pluck and good nature. He appeared next day on the track, as agreed, a little serious, but not at all disa­ greeable; which made me feel more guilty than ever. In fact, I tried to apologize, and for this received, as I deserved, a sharp answer, that the decision was doubtless cor­ rect, and there was no necessity for further talk.