Terry rolled his head uneasily, much as though his collar was too tight and choking him. It was not his business to argue with visitors who might occupy the grandstand and he knew it. In the end, the score would speak for itself and it would be foolish to pick and bicker about it. Nevertheless, his one foot beat the boards of the grandstand flooring impatiently.
“What’s been the matter with this cadet team for so long?” asked one of the boys. The lad in the plaid shirt took it upon himself to answer that.
“They’ve been afraid to meet us,” he said, with conviction. “Those fellows haven’t wanted to meet us, and I don’t know what made them do such a foolish thing this year. Silliest thing I ever heard of.”
This was too much for the red-headed cadet. He swung around on the group just back of him, at the same time pointing to the furry individual in the plaid shirt.
“Look here, mister!” he growled. “Let me correct you on one point. The student body of this school has been dying to get a crack at your school for years, in fact, for every year the games haven’t been played. But I’ll tell you why the games haven’t been played. We have had a trustee named Gates who holds a grudge against Dimsdale because of some rough work they pulled off years ago when they won a game. While we had this trustee we couldn’t play you, because he controlled the school, but he is gone now and that is why we’re playing you.”
“Well, that was pretty poor sportsmanship,” protested the boy from the other school.
“Oh, I agree with you perfectly there,” replied Terry, earnestly. “Very bad sportsmanship, but it happened. This year we purposely got him to resign in order to play you and resume athletic relations with your school. Maybe you’ll win the game, and then again, maybe you won’t, but I just didn’t want you to go around with the idea that Woodcrest has been afraid to play you in the past.”
With that Terry walked away, leaving the boys somewhat impressed. Terry noted that a man well along in years was looking at him as he walked down the steps and when Terry moved near him the man spoke.
“I heard what you said to those fellows,” he said, nodding to the boys. “So it’s been old man Gates who has kept the two schools from playing, eh?”
“Yes, he has kept bad feelings alive between the schools for a number of years,” Terry replied. “But I guess that business is about over. I don’t know why he had to be so bitter about it, but some folks hang onto a grievance like grim death!”