West Side High School - Legenda Yearbook (Saginaw, MI)

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The band is playing and the people are cheering, the great grand stand is filled. Down in the box seats sit eleven men, the guests at the dinner the preceding evening. Far back in the grand- stand sits an old man, a little woman, and a little girl. Such scenes are strange to them. Before them stretches a race track. The track is not a saucered one, but a dangerous mile course track. Six cars stand in front of the grandstand. Strange looking cars they are ; big, long, hoods covering powerful engines ; in fact they are almost all engine. Two hours have passed. The motorcycle races are over, and the aeroplanes have made their flights. The lesser automobile races are done, and Hugh Wandeman is winner of them all. The green Mercides car has stood strangely silent all afternoon, but now there comes a figure across the track which caused little Mary to gasp. Thomas Elberts has been recognized. Suddenly there is heard a terrific noise as the many cylinders of the Mercides give vent to a loud roar. The Mercides is going around the track for a tryout. A suspicious tear glistens in the eye of a little old woman far np in the grandstand, and joy beams from the face of John Elberts. The Mercides completes the tryout and becomes silent again. One after another the other cars speed around the track on the tryout. Hugh Wandeman ' s car is No. 1., Thomas Elberts No. 6. At length the tryouts are over and the cars line up for the start. The silence is intense. Thousands of eyes are turned upon six low racing cars. BANG, The race is on. With a tremendous roar six cars leap forward ; six pair of hands are clenched npon six wheels, and six pairs of eyes are glued to the track before them. On, on, they speed, No. 1 in the lead on the inside of the track, and No. 2 second. The other cars remain even.

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low will bring a crisis in the placid life of her home. Tomorrow ' s events will decide whether or not her son can continue his college course. Tomorrow her son ' s life will be endangered, perhaps lost, but she must be brave for there is no other way. And the little mother resumes her sewing, only to be again interrupted by thots of her son. All huddle up in the big arm chair across the room is little Mary, and little Mary is silently weeping. She had pictured in her mind a great race track and an automobile race. There is a wreck and she sees her brother carried from the track. Then Mary weeps for fear. But again she pictures the end of the race. She sees her brother cross the line in the lead. She sees her brother the victor, and then little Mary weeps for joy. She sits all unnoticed in the big arm chair weeping for her brother. Presently the sounds of footsteps is heard and a young man en- ters the room. The cry of little Mary disturbs the thots of the father and mother, and the son is welcomed home. Well, father , he says, everything is ready for the morrow. Jim Fowler is ill and cannot race tomorrow and I am going to drive his car. It is such a splendid car mother, a Mercides racer. It runs just perfect. Thomas, my son, savs the father, we wish you success with all our hearts, but we wish there had been some other way for you to get the money for your last year in college. Yes , my boy, please do be careful pleads the mother. But Thomas is enthusiastic, he does not realize the danger, he is eager for the race. Father, says Thomas, Hugh Wandeman and the others are racing for honor, while I shall race for money. I have beaten Wandeman once, I must win again. It means five hundred dollars to me. 4. The afternoon of the fourth has come, and everywhere the peo- ple are going to the race track.

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On, on they go around the second curve, and the third, and down the home stretch, at a terrific speed. One mile is past. Look ! No. 6 forges ahead : even now with No. 2 ; now back a little, now — but look, No. 6 slows down and stops. Thomas Elberts jumps from the car, with a tool in hand. But what is the trouble? A loud roar — five cars rush past — one minute lost. A deft turn of the wrist, a tightening of a screw, and Thomas Elberts is in the car again, a mile and a half behind. But Thomas Elbert ' s face is just a little paler, and his chin just a little more prominent than before. His gleaming eyes search on the track before him. A roar, and No. 6 is going around the course. But No. 6 is Tmwjyiria ' close the inside of the track. The turn is at hand but Thomas Elberts does not slacken his speed. He takes the turn full speed still hugging the inside of the track. Thousands of eyes onw watch one car instead of five. Two, three, four, miles past and Elberts over a mile behind. Disappointment shows in the face of John Elberts ; sorrow in the face of his wife. No. 1 still leads the race with 2 and 3 close fol- lowers. Five, six, seven miles past, and on up to ten. But look — Elberts is only a mile behind and slowly but surely creeping up. There is a glimmer of hope in Elbert ' s eyes, for he is gaining. The fifteenth mile is past and No. 6 is only half a mile be- hind. The eyes of old John Elberts brighten. There is hope for No. 6. j Twenty-three miles past and No. 6 is a hundred feet in the rear, and the car is still hugging the inside of the track and .slowly creep- ing up. The turn is at hand. Five cars slacken speed but No. 6 does not ; again the turn and again No. 6 forges ahead. The Mercides is running even with No. 4 now and now No. 5. Down the home stretch they come. Twenty-four miles past. Again the turn, Now is Elbert ' s last chance. No. 1 is directly in front of No . 6 hugging the inside of the track. No. 1 slows down