ve an abounding success; the rest
remained to be proven. But the gathering athletes who began to
appear in little knots, coming from the dressing rooms of the
building, seemed full of confidence, and answered the loud salutes of
a myriad of friends in the crowd with reassuring nods, and gestures
calculated to buoy up their hopes.

The programme would be varied. First would come several short
sprints between the best runners of hundred-yard distances in the
county. These were sure to key up the spectators by their thrilling
intensity, as is always the case. Following fast upon these there
would be hammer-throwing, and the toss of the discus. Then the
programme called for other athletic exhibitions along a line that
would lend variety, and enhance the interest, as the different
schools struggled for supremacy in the arena provided, spurred on to
do their utmost by ringing cheers, and the dearly beloved class songs.

Everybody worth mentioning in Scranton would be there, from Dr.
Carmack, the supervising head of the county schools, as well as
principal of Scranton High, down the line to the Directors of the
Games, the town council, the mayors of the three boroughs, and a
whole host of notables besides.

And how the fond eyes of father and mother would follow the movements
of John, or Edward, or Philip, as though he might be the only young
athlete worth watching in all that animated scene. If he won, they
had always known he did not have an equal in his specialty; and
should he be so unlucky as to come in at the heels of the pack, why,
it was easy to be seen that he had not been given a square deal by
some of the rival runners, who persisted in getting in his way, and
were probably leagued together to prevent him from carrying off the
prize. But no matter, he would always be a hero in the eyes of those
who loved him, though he might not decorate the family mantel at home
with the prizes he aspired to win.

Hugh had kept fairly quiet after returning from Hackensack, and
seeing the hermit once more safe in the charge of his folks. He knew
that he must conserve his strength for the great undertaking that
confronted him that afternoon. Those who had entered for the
long-distance race would not be allowed, of course, to participate in
any other event; that had been laid down as law by Mr. Leonard when
they entered their names on the list of candidates. They must
simply stand around and watch what was going on unt