wither nor custom
stale your infinite variety.'"

"That's a quotation from--somebody," said South accusingly. "'Fan' wants
us to think he made it up. Besides, I don't think it's correct; it
should be, 'Custom can not age nor wither stale your various interests.'
Hold on, I'm not particular; I'll walk along with you two. But fortune
send we don't meet the Dean," he continued, as he slid to the floor. "I
called on him Monday; a little affair of too many cuts; 'Mr. South,'
said he sorrowfully, 'avoid two things while in college--idleness and
evil associations.' I promised, fellows, and here I am breaking that
promise. Farewell, Fletcher; bear up under your great load of
affliction. Good-night, Burr. Kindly see that he gets his medicine
regularly every seven minutes, and don't let him sleep in a draft;
pajamas are much warmer."

"Come on, you grinning idiot," said Foster.

When the door had closed upon the three, Sydney placed his crutches
under his arms and moved over to the chair beside the couch.

"Look here, Neil, you don't really think, do you, that you'll have any
trouble getting back into your place?"

"I hardly know. Of course two weeks of idleness makes a big difference.
And besides, I'm losing a lot of practise. This new close-formation that
Mills is teaching will be Greek to me."

"It's simple enough," said Sydney. "The backs are bunched right up to
the line, the halfs on each side of quarter, and the full just
behind him."

"Well, but I don't see--"

"Wait," interrupted Sydney, "I'll show you."

He drew a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and passed it to the
other. Neil scowled over it a moment, and then looked up helplessly.

[Illustration]

"What is it?" he asked. "Something weird in geometry?"

"No," laughed Sydney, "it's a play from close-formation. I drew it this
morning."

"Oh," said Neil. "Let's see; what--Here, explain it; where do I come
in?"

"Why, your position is at the left of quarter, behind the center-guard,
and a little farther back. Full stands directly behind quarter. See?"

"Pshaw! if we get into a crowd like that," said Neil, "we'll get all
tied up."

"No you won't; not the way Mills and Devoe are teaching it. You see, the
idea is to knife the backs through; there isn't any plunging to speak of
and not much hurdling. The forwards open up a hole, and almost before
the ball's well in play one of the backs is squirming through. Quarter
gives you the ball at a hand-pas