Stuart’s relegation to the bench during scrimmage was, perhaps, made more endurable by the presence near by of Steve Le Gette. It wasn’t that Le Gette’s mere proximity gave comfort to Stuart, but it was some satisfaction to know that if Stuart wasn’t good enough for a place in the line-up, neither was Le Gette!
Stuart didn’t spend the whole period on the bench, however, after all, for toward the end of the game Wheaton was banished and Stuart slipped back to his old position for a wonderful five minutes.
CHAPTER XIV
WANTED, A KICKER
Stuart’s return to the fold was a matter of almost as much discussion as his previous retirement had been. But where he had been censured before for leaving the squad he was now censured for returning to it. Among his friends and closer acquaintances, of course, his action was approved, but there were some three hundred and fifty students at Manning that fall and to the bulk of them Stuart Harven was known by sight only, and it was from outside his small circle of friends and admirers that disapproval came. It was largely held that, having left the team, he should have stayed off it for the season; that his return would only have the effect of upsetting football affairs again. Even among the squad there were some who viewed his reappearance on the field rather coldly. There was, however, no doubt as to the sentiment of most of the players, and Stuart was grateful to those for their hearty welcome and friendliness. He needed the encouragement such friendliness gave, for it was speedily evident that his absence from practice, as brief as it had been, had played hob with his game. Much of the old dash was gone, much of his former initiative lacking. He had to prod himself constantly in order to show a semblance of his old form. It was as though the ability to play was inside him but wouldn’t come out! By the middle of the week he despaired of “coming back” and realized disheartenedly that so far as the big game was concerned he might just as well have stayed away. But he was of use to the team, and knew it. He found some comfort in the knowledge, and, which is to his credit, refused to be downcast and kept pegging away as hard as he knew how.
Of course what Stuart realized others saw, too. Wednesday evening Jack brought up the subject after a conference in Coach Haynes’s quarters. “I don’t know what’s the matter with Stuart,” he said troubledly. “He isn’t playing anywhere near his real game.”
“No,” said the coach. After a moment he added: “I’m afraid his coming back is going to make more unhappiness for him, Brewton. I suppose he expected to get his place again, but it doesn’t look now as if he could have it, and I’m afraid he will think he is injured and blame me.” Mr. Haynes shook his head regretfully. “It’s too bad. There’s enough ill feeling on his side toward me already; and there’s another year to go through with yet. That is, if I’m back again.”
“But you will be, sir, won’t you?”
“I hope so, Brewton, but a good deal depends on how things go this year. I was given a one-year contract with the understanding that if things went well this fall I should have another for two. If Pearsall shows us up I fancy I’ll be looking for a new job.” Mr. Haynes smiled. Then he looked grave again. “This trouble with Harven has been mighty unfortunate. The Committee has stood by me, but I suppose they can’t help thinking that another man might have got along with less friction. And I guess they’re right. If I had understood Harven as well in September as I do now I’d have handled him differently. I can’t comfort myself with the assurance that the fault has all been his, you see. I’ve made mistakes, too, Brewton.”
Jack frowned. “Stuart’s awfully sort of touchy and stubborn,” he muttered. “I guess it would be mighty hard for any coach to get along with him much better than you have. He—hang him!—he’s got it in for me now. I don’t know why. He’s as stiff as a ramrod. It can’t be because I took his place, for I went to him before I accepted it and he said it was all right, that he’d rather see me captain than any other fellow. But he acts as if I’d done something against him!”