their arms
about the neck of their classmate. The enthusiasm increased when the
time was announced as "ten, one." and Wagner came forward his face
beaming and his hand outstretched as he said: "You did it, freshman! I
knew you could, and I knew you would."

Words of praise had never sounded sweeter in Will's ears. He had won a
place on the team and that coveted honor at least was his.

His interest in the trials was mostly ended now and he returned to the
dressing rooms, where he donned his ordinary garb and then rejoined his
fellows. Their congratulations were sweet in his ears and the very
appearance of the beautiful valley to him seemed to have changed. He had
won and the stimulus of success was his.

In the month that followed Will found himself excessively busy. He took
his meals now with the team at the training table and every day there
was work to be done on the track. And it was hard work too. But the
demands were almost forgotten in the elation which filled the heart of
the young student. His father's warm words of congratulation were prized
most of all, but Will felt that he did not require the caution which his
father gave him not to permit his success in athletics to interfere with
his work for the classroom. Even "Splinter's" demands had lost a part of
their unreasonableness, or so it seemed to Will, and even the detested
Greek could be mastered under the glow of success that was his.

At last the eventful day arrived when the meet between the colleges was
to be held. Will had worked so hard and so faithfully that he was not
without hopes of winning some points for his college and he was aware
how much they were needed and how eager all the student body was that
the cup might come to Winthrop. Mott was the only one who had appeared
to be at all envious of him, but as Will had heard that the sophomore
had been careless in his training and there had been reports that Mott
and Peter John had been drinking heavily again, he felt that he could
well afford to ignore the slights. And in his heart he knew that he was
sincere when he declared to himself that if he could not win he heartily
wished that Mott might, for Winthrop would be the gainer in either
event.

The team had been taken to the city where the meet was to be held, on
the day preceding the contest, and that night at the hotel Will
endeavored again to follow the advice of Wagner and secure a good sleep.
But his excitement and the novelty of his s