The High School Freshmen | Page 8

a
pretty good friend of mine. If I put Len up to a scheme that will furnish
him with good 'copy' for two mornings, he'll put it through for me, and
be as mum as an oyster."
"How can Len help us in anything?" demanded Dave Darrin,
wonderingly.

"Listen!" ordered Dick Prescott, with a twinkle in his eyes.
When Dick & Co. hurried back at the close of recess they felt serene
and content. All the partners felt that Dick Prescott, the most fertile boy
in ideas at the Central Grammar School, was going to be able to save
the day for football. For Dick had propounded a scheme that was sure
to work---barring accidents!
That evening the Board of Education met in dull and stately session.
These meetings were generally so dull and devoid of real news that the
local press was content to get its account from the secretary's minutes.
Tonight was no exception in this respect. No reporter was present when
Chairman Stone rapped for order. Seven excellent men were these who
sat around the long table. Most of them had made their mark in local
business, or in the professions. Yet, as it happened, none of these
excellent men had ever made a mark in athletics in earlier years. As
they appeared to have succeeded excellently in life without football the
members of the Board were inclined to reason that football must be a
bad thing.
After the session had droned along for three-quarters of an hour, and all
routine business had been transacted, Chairman Stone looked about at
his fellow Board members.
"Gentlemen," he began, "we have noticed that, during October and
November, the High School percentages, especially those of the young
men, are prone to fall a bit. There can be but one cause for this---the
football craze. There are signs that this stupid athletic folly will take a
greater hold than ever, this year, on our High School students. I thought
it best to ask Dr. Thornton to caution the students that any such
falling-off of percentages this year might make it necessary for us to
forbid High School football."
"It was an excellent idea to give such a warning, Mr. Chairman,"
nodded Mr. Hegler.
"So I thought," replied Chairman Stone, complacently. "Yet, while we
have been in session this evening, I have been wondering why it would

not be a good plan to promote scholarship at once by summarily
forbidding football."
"Even for the balance of this present season?" asked Mr. Chesbritt,
ponderously.
"Even for the balance of this season," confirmed Mr. Stone.
There were murmurs of approval. Just at that moment, however, the
door opened suddenly, and Reporter Len Spencer, a bright-faced young
man of twenty-two, hurried in on tip-toe. Then, suddenly, he halted,
looking unutterably astonished.
"Oh, I beg your pardon, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen," murmured the
reporter. "But I did not expect to find you in session."
"And why not, Mr. Spencer?" demanded the chairman, crisply.
"Why, I---er---I---well, to be candid, gentlemen, 'The Blade' had
information that some one had died here."
"Died here?" gasped Chairman Stone. "Upon my word that would be a
most extraordinary thing to do in the presence of this Board. Where did
you get such very remarkable information, young man?"
"It was telephoned to 'The Blade' office," Len Spencer replied.
"By whom?"
"I---I really don't know," replied the young reporter, looking much
embarrassed. "I don't believe our editor, Mr. Pollock, does, either. The
news came in over the 'phone. Mr. Pollock told me to rush up here and
get all the facts."
"The facts," retorted Mr. Stone, dryly, "would be most difficult for the
members of this Board to furnish. Indeed, the only fact in which we are
interested would be the name of the person who-----"
Ting-a-ling-ling! As the telephone bell jangled Chairman Stone drew

the desk instrument toward him, holding the receiver to his ear.
"Hullo!" hailed a voice. "Is that the Board of Education's office?"
"It is," confessed Chairman Stone.
"Is our reporter, Spencer, there? If so, I would like to talk with him."
"Yes, he's right here, Mr. Pollock. And from the extraordinary
information he has brought us, I think he needs a talking-to. Wait a
moment."
Chairman Stone passed the instrument to Len Spencer. The members of
the Board felt curiosity enough to leave their seats and gather at the
head of the table. They could hear Editor Pollock's voice as it ran on:
"Hullo, Spencer. Say, I've just had another 'phone from that same party.
He says that he sent in his information a bit twisted. What he meant to
tell us was that there are seven dead ones in the Board of Education
who know so little about public spirit and pride in our boys that they
are even considering