University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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THE REDWOOD 11 pile of bank notes on the table. There, my boy, he explained, there ' s your purse of 550! You ' ve made my for- tune to-day, I owe you everything. Fred brushed aside their congratula- tions and picked the roll of bank notes from the table. From the roll he drew a £ 2 note and proffered it to the Lord. Lord Everleigh, I owe you some- thing. Do you remember two years ago, turning a poor woman out of a little cottage on your estate, because she could not at the time pay her rent? She was willing to pay and asked for a little time to raise the money. But you were too heartless and mean aud refused her one chance. Ah! I see you recollect. Lord Everleigh, that woman was my mother and now I ' ll pay for that two month ' s rent. Here, take this, it will cover the debt. And also remem- ber this. Lord Everleigh, that this after- noon you had the closest call to ruiu, God will ever send you. There were big odds against you. For Lord Ever- leigh, when I entered the race I was determined to ruin you. But, — well, — perhaps the horse ran away with me or perhaps a little spark of manliness rose in me and you were given another chance. Think it over well. Lord Everleigh. Good-afternoon. Everleigh stared at the boy amazed and marvelling. Then partly recover- ing himself, he tried to speak, but the boy was gone. He turned and stared at his wife in stupified surprise and amazement. Presently his eyes wandered vacantly to the bank-note which he had uncon- sciously taken from the boy. Mechani- cally he walked to a chair and sat with his head in his hands thinking hard. After a time he looked up. His face was very grave and lacked its accus- tomed color. Quietly he tore the bank- note he held in bis hand into tiny pieces, muttering half to himself, half aloud: It was a noble act and God knows it will not be in vain! Geo. S- de Lorimier, ' n.

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10 THE REDWOOD nance il. He knew he could never tell it to her without the greatest shame. Still this thought he cast lightly aside when he remembered how this man had crushed her two years before, No, your Lordship, he muttered aloud, you ' ll feel the sting of that action today, and then let me see how you bear up against — At that moment a trumpet sounded and a voice cried, The Yorkshire Handicap! Fred sprung up and rushed to his stall. Winsome Win was led out in the pink of condition, fairly quivering with life. Fred was helped into the saddle and after a few words of encourage- ment was following the other horses to the track. From the balcony Lord Everleigh could suppress his excitement no longer. He was leaning over the railing excitedly with McLaren and examining the horses closely as they passed the grandstand. His ear was ever open for the acclaims and comments of the crowd. He drunk in eagerly such phrases as That Winsome Win can ' t be held to-day. Say, but Cleopatra is a fine looker. There ' s a horse for you, that Maxwell, etc. As the horses reached the post Mc- Laren whispered to Everleigh, She ' s in great form to-day. I think she ' ll do it easy. Everleigh ' s strained face brightened, but he kept his glass firmly fixed on his horse. Suddenly a great shout went up. They ' re off! and the excited horses shot like so many arrows on their mile run. The whole assemblage rose to its feet and breathlessly followed the ponies around the course. Maxwell takes the lead! was the the shout. Lady Rose, Cleopatra and Larakin follow in a bunch! — On the turn! Maxwell still in the lead! Lady Rose, Cleopatra and Larakin still fighting for place! Winsome Win coming up! — entering the stretch! Maxwell well in the lead! Cleopatra coming up strong! Larakin, Lady Rose and Winsome Win bunched! Then arose a great shout and the crowd went wild with yelling and waving. You ' ve got it, Maxwell, you ' ve got it, stick to it! Come on, Cleopatra, you ' re closing strong. You ' re beside him. Come on; Come on! A few more yards, Maxwell, you ' re sure of it. Come on! Ah! what is this? What is this? Winsome Win! Winsome Win! Passing them before the grandstand. Winsome Win! Win- some Win! Great God! Winsome Win, by half a length! JC JC fC 5JC ijC A quarter of an hour later Lord and Lady Everleigh, having escaped the congratulations of their friends, sat in a room in the club-house listening to the clamor and shout of the crowd without. They were waiting for the lad who had won them a fortune. Presently he entered with McLaren. Lord Everleigh and his wife rushed to greet him. They grasped his hands and showered upon him praise and congrat- ulations. Everleigh then motioned to a

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12 THE REDWOOD I WAS sitting at my desk, wondering I if the playlet I had just completed would be a success, when Peters poked his head in the doorway and said, Take a walk to the Ob? Don ' t mind if i do, I replied, pro- posing to follow. I had taken the walk many times before along the cement path, past the shrine of the Sacred Heart, encircled with its network of beautiful clinging roses, through the opening in the grand old adobe wall, that spoke dumb language of the things that were, emerg- ing into the vineyard that was soon to bear the luscious grapes, on to the shriue of the patron saint of the college, St. Joseph. I paused a moment in this rest- ful spot, that the creepers sheltered from the glare of the noonday sun, and I wondered if we of the world would ever know how many outpourings of the heart the good Fathers of this great old Mission College of Santa Clara had sent up before the image of this great saint to the throne of God, asking that their boys would go out into the world be- yond these walls, bearing with them the impress of their teachings, that the world with all its pomp and splendor, would not be able to efface. The babble of voices brought me to earth again and in a few strides I was at the Obser- vatory in the midst of five or six of the graduating class of nineteen hundred and nine. Hey, fire that hop over here, Malt- man, was the fi rst salutation that greeted my ears, and a sack of Bull Durham shot across space into the hands of the speaker. The clouds of smoke soon told me that the hop had gone the round, and between the puffs they all seemed anxious to talk of their coming departure. They all tried to speak at once and tell how glad they would be when they had passed out of the college into the world to struggle for victory, and their youthful faces lit up with excitement at the thought. I sat down on the ground a little dis- tance from the group and tried to draw, in my imagination, the characters for a play that I hope some day to write. But somehow my thoughts kept wander- ing to that little band of beginners, so I gave up the play as a bad job, and wondered how the world would treat the boys who were about to embark on its troubled waters. Gee! It will feel good to be outside the ten foot fence and to know that we don ' t have to come back! ejaculated one of the boys. How about me? said another. I have been here all my life. Will it feel good? Well, I guess! What are you going to do, Maurice, when you get through? was the next question that drifted my way. The young fellow in question twisted a blade of grass around his finger, bit off the end, smiled a quiet knowing smile. I don ' t care a cent as long as I don ' t