be returned.
The band played, the visitors cheered, the song leader jumped on a table
and swung his arms in time to the latest Jefferson song,--and all
Ridgley School knew that Jefferson was having the time of her life. She
had come to her rival with the best team in her history and she meant to
enjoy every moment of a triumph which she was confident would be
colossal. In all this excitement Teeny-bits' absence was not at first
noticed. At breakfast some one asked for him and some one else said:

"I guess he's already eaten and gone; he probably didn't want to listen
to our football gossip."

During the course of the morning two members of the faculty called for
him--Doctor Wells and Mr. Stevens. They had an identical thought in
mind--though neither knew that the other was thinking it. They were busy
in extending the hospitality of Ridgley to the members of the Jefferson
faculty and in greeting the "old boys" who had returned for the big
game, but both wanted to have a word with Teeny-bits,--to tell him that
they had confidence in him and that they knew everything would turn out
right in the end and that they should watch him with special interest
this afternoon and knew that he would forget everything else and play
his best for Ridgley. They left word for him at the dormitory.

This was no ordinary game of football--Ridgley-Jefferson games never
were ordinary--and this would transcend all past contests between the
two schools. Jefferson was said to be irresistible; the Ridgleyites knew
that the spirit of their team was irresistible, and when two
"irresistible" forces come together something must give way. From
Springfield, the nearest large city, came numerous copies of the
_Springfield Times_ with pictures of all the players and statistics in
regard to age, weight and height. The largest amount of space was given
to Norris, the Jefferson full-back, but Neil Durant came in for his
share and a paragraph was devoted to Teeny-bits who was described in
these words:

"The Ridgley left-half will be the lightest player on the field; he
cannot be expected to do much against the heavy Jefferson line, but he
has gained a reputation as a shifty runner and deserves to be watched on
open plays."

At noon, when Teeny-bits did not appear for the special luncheon that
was served to the members of the team in the trophy room of the
gymnasium, Neil Durant and Coach Murray began to make inquiries.

"Where's Teeny-bits?"

Nobody