ictory had been won.

The escapades were doubtless silly, and in after years brought a smile
to the faces of the participants when they were then recalled, but
nevertheless they had formed a part of the experiences of college life
and had brought with them the development of certain qualities of
leadership which in other ways and in later days were to play no small
part in the lives of Will Phelps and his room-mate.

The coming of springtime in Winthrop was always an occasion of general
rejoicing. The hills were once more covered with their garments of green
and the valleys were beautiful in their verdure. Among the students at
Winthrop there was usually a relaxing of effort then, but Will Phelps,
though the effort cost him much, still held himself resolutely to his
tasks. He had been learning not merely what to study but also how to
study, and in his spring vacation his father had explained to him that
this was his supreme purpose and desire. If a man did not learn how to
work while he was a student in college it was seldom the case that he
learned it afterward. And Will had responded. His Greek was still
distasteful to him, but he was doing somewhat better and was more
content.

The crowning ambition in Will's heart as we know was to secure a place
on the college track team. And he had been working quietly yet
persistently under the guidance of Wagner for the desired end. At last,
early in May, came the trial meets of the college when the selections
for the team were to be made, and when Will donned his running suit and
went down to the track to all appearances he was calmer than his
room-mate. But in his heart there was a feeling such as he had never
known before.

CHAPTER XXVII

CONCLUSION

It was a noisy crowd of students that assembled at the Winthrop athletic
field on that day early in May when the trials for the track team were
to be held. Keen as was the interest in baseball the interest in the
track team was even keener, for hope was high among the students that a
championship team would be turned out and the competition among the
eight colleges that composed the league was at fever heat. The most
formidable rival of Winthrop was Alden, and, as within the past four
years each of the two colleges had won the championship twice, the
coming contest would decide the possession of the cup which the
association had voted should be held in the permanent possession of the
college which had won most of