Stadium High School - Tahoma Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

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I0 THE. TAI-IOMA at Nan. And it seemed to Bert that she too looked back at him across railing, and Bert knew he must pass her. I A The shot, and they were off-allieven for the first hurdles, Knox and Gratton ahead and even, for the second, Gratton ahead for the third. The Canadians in the stand went crazy, the-hopes of three years materializing below them. The old exhiliration was upon Bert, and he ran for the sheer joy of it, but Knox could not keep up with him, and so he had to slacken impercetptibly. Billy felt it, and just as they neared the place where Nan stood, he passed Bert. The Jaxon pennants waved frantically and their yells now drowned out the minority of the Harmonites. Gratton glanced up at Nan, but she was looking at Billy with something in her eyes that he had never seen, and he distinctly heard her voice above all the howling-her voice unsteady with anxiety., Oh, Billy, Billy ! she cried. Instantly Bert's purpose changed. He saw things differently. His school love vanished like mist before the sun. Knox was a half dis- tance ahead of him--Knox whose pace was ridiculous, Whose record had never been penciled, and whom girls cheered-he, Bert Gratton. to lose all to him. It was idiocy. So he reasoned as he ran. Angry, jealous, outraged, he leapt ahead. Not because he honored the gold maple leaf over his heart, but that same spirit which had pushed him to sacrifice the honors due him for his school's sake, now rushed him on to wing to save something of himself-his own that was receding from him to nothingness. They were nearing the last hurdles, and with the dash of his old record he passed Knox, who, astonished, tried in vain to catch up. Five yards more, and the tape thrilled across Bert's outstretched hands and he had won. Iaxon had lost the hurdles for the first time. The Canadians were frantically delighted. He was pounded and hammered by enthusiasts. The other stragglers slunk off without a cheer. The race was played by two. Bert went to the shower room, wholly indifferent to the results of the other events. Huhl no wonder Billy was squeamishf' he mused, as he dressed. And cold and smileless, he came out again into the sunlight. Though he watched the broad jumpers with apparent interest, he still thought of Nan's words. But Trent-he had forgotten Trent until that instant. Xvhen the dragging afternoon was over and the crowd began to scatter, he started to followpthe Harmon men to their dressing rooms:

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i T I-I E T A I-I O M A 9 insignia of the Canadian school. He knew Nan would be there to cheer for him. Suddenly he saw her, seated very near the slight wall which bounded the arena, and with her was Billy Knox-Knox that was to pass him! He watched them until he had attracted Billy's attention. Knox stared, looked away, then, excusing himself to Nan, he lifted his hat, leapt the rail, and came over to Bert. Nan had not seen him. Didn't know you for a second, remarked Billy gaily, as they shook hands. Then, without any preliminaries, he plunged straight into the thing Bert wished to avoid. I don't like this stunt, Bert, it looks crooked to me: but if itis for Jaxon'it's got to go. But the dog-gone part of the whole business is, I'll get all the glory and dope, and, great heavens! I'm only a second-rate pawn in the game. And Billy scowled. Aw, cut it out, you're getting sentimental, Billy, grinned' Grat- ton. But cheer up. You'l1 have to go some,'though. I don't intend to 'fluke until I show'em what I can do. And he sauntered off to the dressing rooms to get rid' of Billy, who in turn went over to the jaxon quarters in the opposite side. Bert had not seen Trent yet -and hoped not to. The fellows in the dressing rooms were in high spirits. They joked each other, lost their shoes, found them, then lost some one else's in their hurry. The hurdles were to be the second of the events. the sprint trials to be first. The other boys hustled out that they might miss nothing, leaving Bert with Brown, who had never been on time in his slow, deliberate life. But Bert liked him, and as he watched him carefully lacing his track shoes, he contrasted him with jerky little Trent with his small tight face and laconic speeches. Brown was straightening his sweater so that the maple leaf might be more i.n evidence, and smiling at Bert, said, Hard lines, Bert, running against your old school, but- All out for the hurdles -and Brown's condolences were cut short, to Bert's great relief. Together they hurried out and across the field to the Iaxon side for the line-up. The tension of weeks was relaxing, and Gratton became strangely excited. I-Ie set his teeth hard to keep them from chattering, and a nerve in his eyelid twitched unceasingly. As he knelt in line, some one remarked, Gratton means business 5-look at that face. Knox, who heard, did look at the keen prohle in line with him, and noted the set muscles and the pallor of the skin g' but he also saw that the' eyes looked not ahead but slightly to the left, and straight across the arena

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'IHE TAI-IOMA ll then he saw Trent ahead of him stop, turn and wait. As he came up to him Bert did not speak. Trent sneered. You're a swell sport, you are! But Gratton looked past him indiiferently and walked in. He sighed with relief. That was over and the words had not cut at all. Oh, Bert wait! suddenly thrilled him. It was Nan, and he did Wait. He tried to be cool, but the frank eyes were too friendly and he took the impulsive hands she held out. Oh, I'n1 so glad you wo11, Bert ! And she colored. I wanted you to win, and I wanted Iaxon to win, and I didn't know which I wanted more 'till Billy passed you. Then you were just being patriotic, huh? when you cheered for Billy. No-no. I wasn't really cheering-I was just afraid he was going to win and in And you wanted me to, Nan? looking narrowly into the gray eyes nearly level with his own and beautiful with all candor. She flushed again, tried to laugh, and then admitted, Yes, Bert, I did. I - 3 , ' S .