Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, 12 April 1895 — Page 7

OLD ELI'S FAVORITE SON

A Be vela ti on of the Romantic acd Remarkable Career of Lawrence Bangs, the

Famous Yale Athlete.

CHAPTER v.

THIS FlllST TKIUMI'11.

The arguments by which Lawrence Bangs was induced to yield to his brother's wishes are not essential to this narrative. 11 is enough that the reader should know that the famous young- man was in reality one-tenth himself and nine-tenths Paddy O'Tool. Is'either is it important to explain here the machinery by which the trick was played. It was very simple. Harry Jiang's rented a house in New Haven, arid Lawrence and Paddv lived there with him. There was no other occupant except an old woman who acted as housekeeper. Lawrence was visible during- the earlier hours of the day. At the close of the recitations he went home, and ceased to exist. Paddy took his place. One of them was always in the house, hidden from mortal view, while the otker played the part of student or athlete in the college world.

These details may be passed over with mere mention, but there is one point which needs a serious consideration. It may be that to the reader this scheme of dual personality will appear objectionable on the ground taken by Lawrence Hangs at first, namely, that it is not honest, if such is his view, ho must remember that this is an isolated case. It is absolutely exceptional, and has no bearing upon the question of the purity of college athletics. There is, in reality, 110 such question at all. If there is anything in men's later dealings with one another whieli is so honest, pure and manly as college sport, it has cleverly eluded the writer's observation, if there is any tendency to take an unfair advantage, it does not come from the boys themselves, but from men who, since leaving college, have arrived at •'business principles" by a process which is very properly called "coming down." And even business principles and the recognition of the fact that a victorious team of athletes is a good advertisement, have been successfully withstood thus far by the native honesty of American youth.

The case of Lawrence Bangs is an instance of misdirected enthusiasm which will sometimes work mischief in the best regulated societ ies. 11 is valuable only as an illustration of the relative popularity of the student and the athlete. A recognition of this l'act dawned upon Lawrence very early in the game, lie resolved to make his name so illustrious by scholastic attainments that the work of l'addy O'Toole would pale in comparison. lie had several months start. Harry Jiangs had decided not to allow Paddy to be a candidate for the football team. Paddy's public appearances during the first three months were limited to a few visits to the gymnasium. Harry accompanied him on such occasions until he became familiar with the building. The deception was perfect. It never occurred to anybody to doubt the identity of the athlete and the student.

Meanwhile Laurence burned the midnight oil as he had never done before. lie had sworn to make his name known, ami he succeeded. In a month it was the talk of the college that the brother of the famous llarry Bangs was a long luiireu grin -.

This is a term of reproach, and yet it carries no bitterness. There is no other place on earth where the individual rights of man are so perfectly recognized as they are in a first-rate American college. One may do as he likes there. And yet it is a fact that a young man who spends fourteen hours a day in hard study has not much time for making friends. Fellows who called upon him at first found him always knee deep in Greek or Latin, and they ceased to come because they disliked to disturb him.

During this time Paddy was being subjected to an educational discipline

r'L*'?

FIELDING AND IIIS SECRETARY.

which was equally severe, though the curriculum was limited. lie was being taught to say a few words in a voice which would not suggest the South Cove of Boston to anybody who had ever visited that locality. The natural tone of his voice was, happily, quite similar to Lawrence's, but his vocabulary was entirely different. He did not say much, but when he did launch a remark it whizzed through the air like one of his masterly "in shoots," and left a sulphurous trail behind it. Not that Paddy was a bad boyt no, indeed he was full of amiable qualities which had never, been developed. He adhered to his own standard of morality with admirable fidelity, and it was certainly not his fault that the standard was no better. lie considered himself bound in honor to please Harry Bangs in everything, and it was he who first solved the difficulty presented by his peculiarities of conversation which suited so ill with the character of Lawrence Bangs the student. "See here, Mr. Bangs," he said one day when Harry had been lopping off a few excrescences from the South Cove dialect, "every time I open me trap you jumps on me neck. I can't learn that dago that you want me to talk. What's der matter wid me closin' me jaw for keeps? I'm willin'. You just call time on me, see? An' anybody what gets a word out o' me after that is a beaut? Does it go?" "But you've got to have something

to say when you get cornered.

"What's der matter wid yes an' no? Detn two words will carry a fellie a long ways. I'm finking?"

Some fellow may nail you on the field and try to get points out of you on. tho studies. Kemcmber that Larry is a great grind. Ile'ssupposed to know everything. Suppose a fellow should ask you to translate a line of Greek?" "I'd say, very perlitely: 'Don't be after botherin' me wid that dago. I knows it meself, see? An' I ain't givin it away to the likes 01 youse. How would that strike him? Do yer t'inlc he'd be after me on that lay again?" "No, I don't think he would," rejoined Harry, "but you'd lose your job and I'd have to skip the country.'" "Would ho tumble to me just from them few words?" "Well, I should say he would. But your suggestion is a good one, and I believe you're tlio man to stick by it. I'll give you just one sentence to say and we'll spend the next month in getting it down fine. Just use it every time you get stuck, and don't say anything else on any consideration." "All right. You can gamble on me. What's the sentence?"'

Harry thought a few minutes and then he said: "It's hard to decide. It must be something high toned to lit Larry's reputation. 1 should say it ought to be something like this: 'I never permit my studies to encroach upon my hours of recreation.' "Say, that's great. That 11 be three strikes and out for any gillie that faces me. Just let ipe learn them words. How does they go, now?"

Bangs repeated them and he kept right on repeating them about live hundred times a day for the next month till Paddy knew them much better than he knew the alphabet.

In January the make-up of the nine began to be the principal subject of interest throughout the college. Of course the name of Lawrence Bangs was never mentioned in that connection. In fact, it was rarely mentioned anywhere except in the class room, lie was one of the least known men in the college.

But one day there came a change. Harry Bangs took Paddy by the arm and led him to that great center of interest. the baseball cage.

John Wilkes, the famous catcher, was captain of the nine that year. "Johnny," said Bangs, "I've brought my brother over, lie wants to try for the nine."

If Capt. ilkes had not been leaning on a bat he would have fallen down. He had heard of Lawrence Bangs as a grind of the bluest description. Also, it must be remembered, Paddy was made up to lit that character. He wore spectacles (with perfectly plain glasses), and had withal the studious air of a young man who meditates studying for the ministry. "1 1 Ueliglited," stammered ilkes.

Then he grasped Paddy cordially by the hand. "I'm mighty glad you've come out," he said. "We want every man who plays ball to show up here, and do it right now. Harvard is going to have a mighty strong nine this year, and all Yale must g'et up and hustle if we're going to beat them." "\es," said Paddy, in that calm and studious tone which he had learned from Lawrence.

It was all he dared to say—all he was permitted to say under the contract. Neither the reply nor Paddy's manner impressed Capt. V\ ilkes as being permeated with that enthusiasm which should characterize a candidate for the nine. "What position do you play?" asked the captain. This question could not be answered by yes or no, and Paddy tnrned an appealing eye upon Bangs. "He pitches—a little," said Bangs. "Good," responded Wilkes. "We're weak in the box. I'll give him a trial now. Get into the box, Bangs, and I'll have the fellows bat around."

Paddy removed his spectacles, and wiped them carefully as he had seen Lawrence do. Then he handed them to Bangs for safe keeping, and went to the pitcher's position. The candidates for the nine looked at him and smiled. His face still wore the absorbed and ministerial air whieli he had copied from Lawrence. Lie looked like anything else on this terrestrial sphere more than he did like a ball player. (."apt. Wilkes put on his mask and gloves, and got behind the plate. "Beef Edwards, who had led the batting of the nine in the previous year, stepped up and prepared to drive the first ball pitched through the side of the house. Wilkes threw the ball down. Paddy rubbed it on the leg of his pantaloons, while he looked up into the air with an expression which he had seen on Lawrence's face when a line of Horace was puzzling him.

Then he sent in the ball. "Beef" Edwards never knew when it went by him. lie didn't see a little piece of it. He saw Paddy's arm wave and that was all. The ball hit Johnny Wilkes on the center wire of his mask. He did not even get his hands tip. Johnny is a pretty good catcher, as everybody will admit, but he is not fortified against all the surprises of this mortal life. And if a Gatling gun had opened fire on him he would not have been tncue astonished than he was then. The mask protected him from ip^ui-y, but he saw more stars thanaro stt down on any reliable astronomical chart. lie walked slowly toward the ball, which had gone to the roof and then come down in a corner. With tying a word he tossed it back to Paddy. But he was ready next time. "Beef" Edwards struck out, They all struck out. Wilkes took a turn at the bat, and he had seven strikes called on him before he found the ball.

But this triumph did not make Paddy lose his head or forget liis part. He continued throughout tlio practice to wear the look of one whose daily food is Greek roots. And, faithful to his agreement, he did not onen his mouth.

CIIAPTHU VI.

ON THE SnOUI.DEHS OF THE CUOWD.

It is usual to preserve a considera­

ble degree oi iv licence rcgaruiug the performance of candidates for an athletic team. Roastf illness. is the least common of all offenses at colleges. The works of the athletics praise them and not their own lips. The captain of the nine always says modestly that lie will do his best, and that his man will do their best, and he leaves the remainder to the ollicial scorer.

But the performance of Paddy O'Toole had been so remarkable that it could not be kept quiet. It was all over the college before morning, and the name of Lawrence Bangs was more common in conversation than the definite article. When he appeared at prayers he was the object of adoration which was very nearly sacrilegious, considering the ostensible purpose of the gathering.

On the grounds and in the class room many fellows took occasion to be kind to him. lie was a freshman, and lie looked like one, but several upper class men spoke to him in a way that was calculated to make him think that he hail been in college several years. Lawrence was less susceptible to flattery than most young men, yet he could not help admitting to himself that this consideration would have been agreeable if it had been honestly acquired. It grew and grew in the succeeding weeks till it became positively harrowing. Lawrence was well in the lead of his class, but everybody forgot it. When the nine came back from its practice tour in the spring recess lie as the ball player and nothing else. It was as impossible for anybody to think of him aside from his connection with the nine, as it is to separate Capt. Kidd from his piracy.

Of course. Lawrence remained hidden during that recess and Paddy had the character all to himself, lie did very well \vitli it, thanks to the continual prompting of llaz-ry Bangs, who traveled with the nine.

To Lawrence such a period of retirement from the world would ordinarily have been no hardship. He was always glad to be alone with his books. But on thi1- occasion it happened that Miss Lome was in New Haven, and Lawrence knew of it. Now La wrence had been powerfully imp'es»,ed by Florence's beauty, and he counted the days which must?- elapse before Paddy could return and set him free. When the distinguished pitcher at last appeared Lawrence made it the first business of the existence which had been restored to him, to go and call upon the young lady.

She received him in an entirely new way. Mie had appeared to take an unusual interest in him when he had first met her, but it had been tempered by the shadow of her displeasure. She had argued with him severely on the question of his duty to the university, hlie believed that her arguments had given to Yale the greatest pitcher that the shade of old Eli had ever looked down upon with approval. And she received Lawrence as one whom she had saved from oblivion, and set upon the pinnacle of fame. There was no concealment about it. She asked for Lis gratitude and he gave it. Bewildered by the light of her eyes he told her that he had no other ambition in life except to shut Harvard out without a base hit. and she replied that he was her knight and must wear her favor in every contest. They talked baseball for three delightful hours and Lawrence. who had committed to memory on lier account the newspaper accounts of all Vale's ga»ies, acquitted himself almost as well as Faddy O'Toole could have done it.

This meeting was but the beginning. I lorenee was making a long visit in New Haven. Their conversation glowed with the sacred fire of hostility to Harvard. Lawrence described the feelings which inspired him when he went upon the field. He swore that he thought of nothing and nobody but her from the instant when a game opened, and he declared that if by any possibility he should neglect to think of her at such a time, if, in short, her influence should be withdrawn for a single moment, Yrale would inevitably lose the game. Whereupon she implored him to be very careful not to cease to think of her. because she could never forgive herself if Yale should lose a game in that way. And especially she conjured him to think of her much harder than ever before in the game with Harvard, which would be played on the following day. Then Lawrence liod some more and promised to do that which only Paddy O'Toole could perform. Indeed, the exigencies of the case had made Lawrence so expert a liar that it is no wonder his love suit prospered. It was, by the best accounts. in this interview on the evening before the Harvard game that I lorenee promised to give him a good square kiss with all dodging, squirming and unnecessary haste strictly barred out under the rules, in case Harvard's colors were trailed in the dust.

As Lawrence had great confidence in Paddy O'Toole this promise made him feel very nice. But there was one remark of I- lorenee's which was not so agreeable. "Oh. Lawrence," she said, looking thoughtfully into his face. "I wish you could wear your baseball uniform

"YOU OUGHT TO WEAR YOUR, UNIFORM ,' ALWAYS." all the time. You don't know how much handsomer you are in it than in your ordinary clothes."

That hurt a little, but Lawrence stifled his iealousy of Paddy, remem­

bering how much the lad had done for him. "Patrick," he said, solemnly, when ho had rejoined that phenomenal youth at home, "I wish you to exercise all possible caution to-morrow. I have much at stake on the game." "Well, the moil is as good as your own stuff rignt now," said Paddy, stretching out his right hand perfectly 11a'-, with he palm down, and about on a level with his waist. "They ain't goin' to be in it, see?"

And then came the first Harvard game. Oh, it was a slaughter! Three hits and one of these a scratch. Only one red-legyed man on third base in the whole game and he died tlmre. Fifteen men struck out, and Paddy brought- in the iirst two runs for Yale with a three bagger in right field in the third inning, and scored himself a few seconds later amid cheers that rent the sk v.

Lawrence, absorbed in study, sat in his room. The time passed more quickly than he knew. Suddenly he heard a sound as if pandemonium had slipped its cable and was drifting down on him. lie peered out bet-ween tlio blinds. The street was filling with people. A street band which had been picked up by the way came marching along, its seven members playing every one, his own tune in the key that suited him best,

And behind the band came Paddv, borne upon the shoulders of a yelling mob of enthusiasts. He escaped from them some way, anil ran into the house. "We did 'em up," lie said to Lawrence. "They were easy fruit," "And you distinguished yourself, no doubt.?" "I guess I did. Hear those gillies howlin" outside. 1 like it all right, but

fA

I*ADDY COMES HOME.

I'm dead tired now. Go out and take your turn at it." So Lawrence went to the door after a suttieient interval, and stood on the steps a moment, looking out over the great crowd, on the street, "Now, all together!" yelled some one: "a triple round for Larry Brings!"

The cheers rattled the windows. Then.a- score of students swept down on Lawrence and carried him away, lie was like a man in a dream. The illusion overpowered him. lie tasted the sweet savor of popularity, and forgot that- it was not really his. lie wave.' ills hat to the crowd with the air of a conqueror, and all the fellows cried with one voice: "B-A-N-G-S! BANGS!!"

CHAPTER VII.

AN OBJECT OF ADMIRATION.

Lawrence, borne above the crowd, yielded himself absolutely to the intoxication of popularity. He was the biggest man in New Haven for an hour at least, and he thoroughly enjoyed the sensation. The route of his triumphal procession chanced to take him by the house where Florence lived, and she was standing on the steps, surrounded by a dozen other girls, when he passed.

There was a shrill chorus of applause, and all the girls waved handkerchiefs. Florence was so proud of him that the tears came into her eyes. She felt very small and unimportant to be the sweetheart of so distinguished a man. It seemed to her that many of the other girls looked more worthy of the honor. They were tall and queenly, while she was only five feet four in high-heeled shoes/ And then she remembered that her persuasion had made Lawrence what he was. But for hot1 he might never have been famous. Ar.d with that thought she became so :ll that she could look over the heads of all the other girls and see what was going on as well as if they hadn't been there.

Lawrcncc was forced to leave his admirers soon and go to the training table for dinner. It is well known that the athletes at the principal colleges eat food especially prepared for them and prescribed by the highest medical authority. In spite of this fact many of them are quite well, but Lawrence was not of that number. Perhaps his digestive machinery was not naturally strong enough to stand the strain of eating, as. one might say, under the eye of a physician. At any rate, he had not been well since his first encounter with a scientifically regulated diet.

It may have been a twinge of dyspepsia which turned his thoughts out of the pleasant channel in which they had been running, and made him feel dissatisfied with the world as he arose from the table. To him, just then, 1'lorenee was the world, so he became dissatisfied with her. He had seen the light in her eyes, the glow on her cheeks, the ecstasy of pride when he went by. All this came back to him, and not pleasantly. "She is in love with Paddv O'Toole," said Lawrence, in his heart. "It is disgraceful."

Now everybody will readily admit that if such was the truth, Paddy had a great deal more right to complain than Lawrence had. Yet is very hard to satisfy a young man when he is in love, and Lawrence became wildly jealous of Paddy, who had never met Florence, and in the natural course jf events never would. However, there was some justification for Lawrence's feeling, for lie had not been able in the course of his acquaintance with Florence to make her take a deep and abiding interest in anything which had really been achieved by himself. She knew every curve in Paddy's remarkably extensive repertory, but she could

not remember irom one day to the next so much as the names of the studies in which Lawrence most notably excelled his competitors. lie resolved that she should love him for his intellect, for those commanding mental powers which made easy grist of conic sections and such hard things. "We will not discuss baseball this evening," said he to himself, very firmly. "We will converse upon more serious topics."

He was, by this time, on his way to call upon Florence. There was a kiss due him, as the reader may remember, for the Harvard game had been won— by Paddy O'Toole.

Lawrence resolved not, to take the kiss nor even mention it. lie would lay before her the treasures of his mind, and captivate her with his knowledge. To this plan he scrupulously adhered: and Florence had never thought him dull before.

She had looked forward to the interview with feelings of the liveliest joy, and the result was a bitter disappointment. She was offended that, he did not claim his rewaril at once. Hut he scorned to do if, for he felt that the prize had been won by his hated rival, lie would not approaeli the subject. Instead ho opened out to her the treasure house of his mind, which was really not bad for a freshman. The result was that by half-past eight o'clock she was not. only angry but bored by half-past nine they had quarreled and at ten, Lawrence took his leave, without having mended mailers at all in the last half hour, and without having secured his own kiss or the one that belonged to Paddy.

This was only the beginning of bitterness. There was another game of ball a few days later, and Paddy again distinguished himself. lie shut out Amherst without a hit, and Amherst was supposed to have a st rong batting nine that year. But Paddy was too good for anybody's nine that day, and the visitors merely fanned the air one after another. Paddy's work was justly regarded as the very finest article of ball playing that had ever been seen in New Haven, and the vast crowd simply went wild over him.

Florence, who had considered herself estranged from him, shed tears of penitence. She wanted to be forgiven rightaway. So with a great company of her girl friends, ami some men to give them countenance, s' waylaid Paddy O Toole as he was once more being borne away in triumph, and fairly captured liiin from the hands of his admirers Harry Bangs, who had been hovering on the outskirts of the crowd, viewed this scene with the blackest dismay. 1.1c had deadly fear that in the presence of so much loveliness Paddy's tongue might be unloosed. The young man had developed some signs of that gallantry which distinguishes fluIrish race. On one occasion when he had been more heartily applauded than usual by a bevy of girls in the grand stand, he had horrified Bangs by throwing a kiss to them in the most courtly style known to the chivalry of the South Cove. Happily his gesture had been mistaken for a private signal to the catcher, and the incident had escaped remark.

In this case, however, the provocation was more pressing and immediate. The girls surrounded Paddy, and gar.eci upon 111:11 as IT no nau neen an inspired prophet. Contrary to all the traditions of their sex, they remained silent, waiting for him to say something that could afterwards be remembered. But Harry Bangs had wronged Paddy in thinking that the gifted youth would be false to the oath which bound him to yes and no. He remembered it even in that moment of temptation. A less gifted person than Paddy might have found it difiieult to open a conversation with either of the words which he was permitted to use. But the problem was very simple to Paddy. Having no ideas to express he had little need of language. His beaming countenance showed sufficiently well the delight he felt in the presence of these lovely young creatures. He surveyed them for some seconds in silence, and then said "Yes," in a most charming manner and with a slightly rising inflection. The use of this word in an interrogative sense was a habit with Lawrence, and Paddy who had more imitative faculty than a cage full of monkeys, had caught it exactly.

That, word and the smile of benign condescension which accompanied it were all that the girls required. From that instant the conversation was theirs. They showered upon Paddy the expressions of their admiration they loaded him with questions regarding the technical points of the game they made him the umpire of their little disputes about the various points of play. And Paddy with admirable politeness replied yee or no, as the oc-

YES," SAID PADDY.

casion seemed to demand, and as a judge he achieved a success never attained by the good Haroun al Rasehid, for he made each party to a controversy believe that he had given a decision in her favor.

It may be that they afterwards remembered only what they themselves had said, lo do that is a charming peculiarity of the gentler sex. when it remembers anything at all of a conversation. Some of the nice things that were said on this occasion the girls rightly credited to themselves, but a generous half was transferred to Paddy's account. The general verdict was admirably rendered by Florence. "O, isn he just too clever!" she cried. "Its no, wonder he can pitch

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nan. no ooes n, wan nis neafi. juy brother says so. Isn't that true, Mr. Hangs'.'"' "Yes." said Paddy, gra.vcly, and ho »"if applauded to the echo'as Harry Hangs led liiin away. "Say." whispered Paddy, when they were out of hearinir, "am I all right? Am I solid with the ladies? Well, Pfuess! 1 )'ul 3 ou ever see the likes of me before.'"

Hangs iped the cold perspimtion off his forehead.

"No, I never did," he replied. "You're a wonder, that's what you are. I said so the first time I ever saw you.".

Florence went home and wrote a sweet little note. She sent it by a trusty messenger, aged ten, whose secrecy could be purchased with candy of an inferior grade. Lawrence received the note in due course, and he read as follows: "I was wrong when we quarreled. I have regretted it ever since. Hut you were not yourself that evening. Doubtless your studies were worrying you. I should have made allowances. To-day I have seen your true self, and 1 admire you."

The words "true self" were underlined once and "admire," three times. "She admires Paddy O'Toole," muttered Lawrence with a groan. "I suppose she thinks he's a 'wonder,'as my brother says. Well, lie is a wonder. He is the only one of his kind ever born without a candal appendage, lie is an

MM®!!!

"HE YOUIL OWN TRUE 8KLF," SAID FLORENCE.

anthropoid. And Florence admires him." Lawrence buried his face in his hands and ground his teeth with rage.

(TO HE CONTINUED.)

CHEItllY GKOVK,

Lawrence Long has a new buggy. .lack Henderson dehorned cattle last Monday. •I. M. Ruck spent Sunday with his best girl at Perrysville.

P. H. Layne lias been improving his farm by building new fences. Aunt Elizabeth Naugle is not expected to live from la prippe.

Willie Lofland says he will have a new buggy by the time spring opens. Henry Walters helped John H. Layne move his household goods to the train Tuesday.

I1 rank Nolan has gone to hoppiDg clods for his father instead of goin"- to Valparaiso to school.

John R. Layne shipped his household foods to Salem, where he and his father have a contract of building a gravel road.

Henry Walters on last Tuesday started to town and after going about two miles forgot he had eaten his dinner.and turned around and went home, which was very unpleasant for him.