“Yes, I remember to have said that.”
“That, sir, was a hard blow to me. All the unpleasantness of the year has arisen from trying to be faithful to your command.”
“How so? Explain.”
“As you know, I am an enthusiastic and pretty good ball-player.”
“Yes, I have heard enough about that to be well acquainted with the fact.”
“And I am a good all-round athlete as well. As a consequence, I stood high in the councils of the college athletic circles. When I announced my in
tention of retiring from the football eleven, and the baseball nine there was a good deal of disagreeable talk. I must confess, father, this was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my whole life.”
“So?”
“Yes, and the worst of it was I was made miserable by insinuations and innuendos that I had betrayed the college teams. I was disloyal. I was acting out of pique or spite. This was all very hard to bear because I was actuated by the very best intentions. I wanted to prove to you that I was a dutiful and obedient son.”
“I never doubted that, my boy, never for a moment doubted that,”