第26章 THE DAY OF RECKONING(2)

"If a boy of your build wants to meet only men when he fights,we take it he is something of a man himself,and therefore worth too much for Sunrise to lose."Oh!blessed power of the college man to lead the half-tamed boy into the stronger places of life;nor shove him to the dangerous ground where his feet must sink in the quicksand or the mire!

Vic sat looking thoughtfully at the man before him.

"Your confession here is all right.Your claim to a place on the team in Thursday's game was just."The simple fairness of Fenneben's words made their appeal,yet,it was so unlike what Vic had counted on he could hardly accept it as genuine.

"You have made a great name for yourself as an athlete.I paid for the roses.I know something of the degree of that greatness."Dr.Fenneben smiled genially."You played a marvelous game and Iam proud of you."

Vic did not look proud of himself just then,and Lloyd Fenneben knew it was one of life's crucial moments for the boy.

"The big letter S cut over the doorway out there stands for more than Sunrise,you remember I told you."Fenneben spoke earnestly.

"It means also the strife which you have already met and must expect to meet all along the way.But,Burleigh"--Lloyd Fenneben stood up to his full height,an ideal of grace and power--"if you expect to make your way through college with your fists,come to me.""You?"Vic's eyes widened.

"Yes,I'll meet you on any grounds.And if you ever try to coerce a professor here again,I'll meet you anyhow,and we'll have it out."Fenneben was stern now.

"I wouldn't want to scrap with you,Dr.Fenneben,"Vic stammered.

"Why not?"

"I am too much of a gentleman for that."

"When I fight,I fight men.You are in my class,"Fenneben quoted with a smile in his eyes,which faded away with the next words.

"You are right,Burleigh.A gentleman does n't want to use his strength like a beast to destroy.The only legitimate battle is when a man must fight with a man as he would fight with a beast,to save himself,or something dearer to him than himself,from beastly destruction.Get into the bigger game,my boy,where the strife is for larger scores,and add to a proud athletic record,the prouder record of self-control.The prairies have given you a noble heritage,but culture comes most from contact with cul-tured men.Don't take on airs because you have more red blood than our Harvard man.

The influence of the great universities,directly or indirectly,on a life like yours is essential to your usefulness and power.

You may educate your conscience to choose the right before the wrong,but,remember,an educated conscience does not always save a man from being a fool now and then.

He needs an educated brain sometimes by which to save his soul.

Meantime,settle with your conscience,if you owe it anything.

It is a troublesome creditor.I'll leave you now to square yourself with that fellow you must live with every day--Victor Burleigh.We'll drop everything else henceforth and face toward tomorrow,not yesterday."Lloyd Fenneben grasped the boy's hand in a firm,assuring grip and left him.

"If Sunrise means Strife,I'll face it,"Vic said to himself.

"As to money,I have only my two hands and that old mortgaged quadrangle of prairie sod out West.But if culture like Fenneben's might win Elinor Wream,God help me to win it."Up in the library a week later Professor Burgess came in while Dennie Saxon was putting the books in order.Burgess was often to be found where Dennie was,but Burgess himself had not noted it,and nobody else knew it,except Trench.Trench was a lazy fellow,who always lived in the middle of his pasture,where the feeding was good.

That gave him time to study mankind as it worried about the outer edges.

"Don't you get tired sometimes,Miss Dennie?"the Professor asked.