Jack Winters Gridiron Chums | Page 5

got an inventive mind, and you
needn't despair if a whole lot of your ideas do go by the board. Every
inventor has conceived a score of schemes to one he's adopted. Even a
failure may be the stepping-stones to success, you know." "That's good
of you to say as much, Jack, old chap, when I do think up some of the
greatest fool notions ever heard of," acknowledged Toby; "but it's my
plan to keep right on, and encourage my brain to work along that
groove. I feel it's going to be my forte in life to invent things. I'd rather
be known as the man who had lightened the burdens of mankind than
to be a famous general who had conquered the world."
Jack did not stay longer than half an hour, but during that time he went
over the whole scheme of building the new iceboat in Toby's shop.
"I've got all the specifications down in black and white, you see, Jack,"
the other said at the door, "as to what we'll need; and now that you've
approved, I shall start right in and order the stuff tomorrow. The sooner
we get started the better; though I don't suppose we'll really have much
spare time to work at it until after Thanksgiving, and the big game with
Harmony is over."
So Jack said goodnight and went out of the front door. Usually he was
wont to whistle as he crossed the lots that would serve as a short cut to

his own house; but somehow tonight he was busily engaged with his
thoughts, and forgot to indulge in this favorite pastime.
It was a moonless night.
The stars shone brightly in the blue dome above, but gave very little
light; although it was not really dark anywhere inside the confines of
Chester, since the streets were pretty generally illuminated with
electricity.
Jack had just started across lots when he made a discovery that aroused
his curiosity a little. There was a queer sort of light flickering beyond
him. He quickly realized that some person must be walking the same
way as he was, and carrying one of those useful little hand-electric
torches, which he seemed to be moving this way and that in an erratic
fashion.
"Whoever it is," Jack told himself presently, "I do believe he is looking
in the grass for something he's lost."
Walking on and a bit faster than the unknown seemed to be going, he
soon drew closer, and was able to see that it was a boy who bent over
and scrutinized everything upon which the light of his flashlight fell.
Once he uttered an exclamation of sudden delight and made a jump
forward, only to stop short, and give a doleful grant as though
discovering his mistake.
"Oh! how cruel to fool me so," Jack heard him mutter to himself; "only
a scrap of waste paper, and I thought I'd found it. Twice now I've gone
over the whole lot, and never a trace have I seen. Oh! what shall I do
about it? I wish I knew."
Jack by now had recognized the boy as Big Bob Jeffries, the heavy-
hitting outfielder of the Chester baseball team, and who was admitted
as standing a first-rate chance to be made the sturdy fullback of the new
eleven in football.
He was filled with curiosity to know what ailed Big Bob. Something he
must have certainly lost which he was now endeavoring to find again,
and, if his lament was to be taken at its face value, without much
success.
Jack was always ready to lend a helping hand to a comrade in distress.
He had proved this on numerous former occasions, so that his first
thought was to speak to Big Bob, and ask what was wrong.
At the sound of his voice the other started as though shot, and Jack

could see that his face, usually florid and cheery, looked white and
drawn. Undoubtedly, then, the Jeffries boy was suffering acutely on
account of some carelessness on his own part. Jack suspected that he
might have lost some money which he had been carrying home for his
mother. As the path was used by a number of persons to "cut corners,"
it would be next door to a miracle if the lost cash were found again,
unless the one who had picked it up proved to be an honest citizen.
"Oh! is that you, Jack?" said Bob, in a trembling tone, as he turned his
flashlight so that its rays fell full upon the other boy. "You certainly did
give me an awful jolt, because I didn't dream anybody was so near by.
On your way home, I reckon? Well, I suppose I might as well give it up,
and go