“But I don’t want—I won’t accept——” stammered Stuart.
“Order!” called Jack, thumping vigorously with the sugar bowl lid. “Mr. Tasker has the floor.”
“Mr. Chairman, and fellows,” began Howdy, “in seconding the nomination of Harven I’d like to say a few words.”
“Go ahead, Howdy!”
“Who’s stopping you?”
“You tell ’em, Old Timer!”
“Towne says it would be wasting time to say anything about the nominee, but I don’t agree with him. I’ll say there’s a lot to say about him. I’ll say——”
“Take a fresh hold, Howdy!”
“I’ll say—” Howdy gulped and started over. “Look what happened this fall. We elected Harven captain and he got out. I don’t pretend to know all the facts, but I do know that there were mistakes made. Whether Harven made them or the Ath. Fac. or Coach Haynes doesn’t matter. Maybe they all made ’em. Anyway, it’s all over and past now. But what I want to say is this. There aren’t many of us would have acted better than Stuart Harven did under the circumstances. He didn’t sit down and sulk. He saw that he was needed on the team and he walked right back and—and enlisted as a private! And he worked hard and he made good. Every fellow who played during those first ten minutes of the Pearsall game knows that he did. I haven’t got my breath yet! He mighty near drove us off our feet, but we liked it and loved him for it and—and, by gosh, we got there! If I never play football again I’ve had my money’s worth, fellows! And if I play twenty years I’ll always remember that touchdown and be proud that I had a hand in it! Now, I’ll say that a fellow who can handle the team like that, and—and who is the sportsman that Harven is, why, I’ll say—I’ll say——”
But Tasker didn’t have to say any more, for the cheers drowned his voice, and after moving his lips a moment longer he sat down. Half a dozen others demanded recognition, among them the frantic Leonard, and Billy Littlefield was the fortunate one.