1898.]
• "I am surprised to see you out this afternoon," began Miss
Stratton in a bantering tone. " I thought that your commence
ment oration took all your spare time now."
" Well, it does," he responded; " but still I do not regret hav
ing come, because I had a very good reason."
" Indeed, and may I ask that reason ?" she questioned inno-
cently.
He hesitated for a moment and then replied, " It was you."
" I!" she cried, slightly disconcerted for a moment by this
frank avowal; but recovering her self-possession she burst into a
merry laugh. And then a mischievous light came into the blue
eyes and she asked, teasingly, " And what had I to do with your
decision?"
" Oh, if I were to answer that it would make you vain," he
responded lightly. But the look he gave her belied the tone of
his words and answered her even more fully than he could other
wise have done.
" Mr. Winters," she said abruptly, " you must be proud of
Lincoln's athletic record this year." This was the best subject
that she could think of on the instant, but it answered the pur
pose very well, because if there was anything about which Jack
was especially enthusiastic, it was this. He prided himself upon
his own abilities in this field, and it was no small part of his edu
cation so far, as he was an acknowledged leader in all college
sports.
They discussed foot ball, base ball, tennis and cricket, giving
their advantages, and setting forth the achievements of the Lin
coln teams in these particular fields,
Coming to himself after a while, Jack said, with a laugh, that
he thought they had had enough athletics for one afternoon. He
also made the discovery that while they had been chatting away
so' earnestly the rest of the party had drawn on ahead and were
now nowhere in sight.
Believing it to be a joke of their companions, Helen Stratton
did not give much thought to the occurrence, but Jack was de
lighted with the state of affairs. He had started out with the
firm determination to extract a definite promise from this elusive
college maiden, and now it seemed as if the fates were playing
into his hands.
Seizing his opportunity he suggested that they give their wheels
A Cycling E.pisode