"Where did you come from?" said Patsy.
"From the Milton High School, but I never did much there in the way of athletics, excepting to play a little baseball and football."
"Can you run or jump?"
"Don't think so."
"Can you sprint or hurdle?"
"Afraid not."
"Jump?"
"Can't even jump, to my knowledge. But I'm willing to try any of them."
"Well, this doesn't sound promising, but some of the best I've had knew nothing about it when they came here, and I've sent some of the best men they ever had to Yale and Harvard and Princeton. Ever hear of Tinker Howe, the great Yale half-miler? Yes; well, he was one of the men I trained. Came out here one day and at first couldn't run a half mile in three minutes. But he came along fast. And there was Winchester, the fellow who played tackle on Harvard last year, and who was one of the best shot-putters that ever went to Cambridge. He was one of our fellows, trained right in this little piece of ground."
"I don't believe I'll ever be like those fellows, but I want to try anything you think I'm fitted for."