“That’s all, Mr. Loring, really,” insisted Crowell. “I guess that the fact of the matter is that I—I just got used to the idea of a certain fellow playing a position and hate to think of changing.”
“That’s a bad idea, Crowell. Every team is likely to have some dead-wood in it that needs cutting out. You want the seven best players in there that you can find, irrespective of age or social affiliations or anything else. Isn’t that so?”
“Yes, sir, it is. Is there any other dead-wood? Have you any other fellows in mind?”
“No, I think not. I’d like to see Casement get a good, thorough trial at right wing, for Deering’s been playing pretty erratically of late, but I’m not prepared to say that Casement is a better man. As to Tucker, I’d advise using him harder, giving him a fairer show, Crowell. If he is really better than Lamson let’s find it out. We want the best man at goal on Saturday and two weeks from Saturday that we can discover. Personally I believe Tucker’s the man, but I may be wrong. Is Lamson a particular friend of yours?”
Crowell frowned. “No, he’s not,” he answered shortly.
“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way,” said the coach soothingly. “I only wondered if you were hesitating about hurting his feelings. If you are, you might let me attend to the matter. When it comes to building a team they all look alike to me.”
Crowell made no answer for a minute. They had reached the gymnasium and had paused in the upstairs hall. Finally the captain looked up frankly, if a trifle embarrassedly, at the coach. “I guess, sir,” he said, “you don’t want to turn out a winning team any more than I do. And I think it will be best if you just—just take charge of everything after this. I suppose I’m sort of dunder-headed about some things. If I choose a fellow for a position I’m likely to let him stay there rather than acknowledge that I’m wrong even to myself, and that’s mighty poor management. I’m sorry if I’ve acted like an idiot all the season, sir—”
“You haven’t, Crowell. I didn’t mean to convey the impression that I was dissatisfied. Everything has gone along quite smoothly, my boy. If there have been mistakes we’ve shared them. But I’m not going to pretend that I’m not mighty glad to take full charge, because, quite frankly, I think you’ll play your position a lot better if you don’t have too many—er—too many cares of state on your mind! Suppose that after this we get in the way of meeting after practice, say in your room, or in mine if you don’t mind walking down to the village, and going over things together. That seem feasible to you?”
“Yes, sir, I think it would be a mighty good plan,” answered Captain Crowell. “I guess it would have been better for the team if we’d done that long ago, Mr. Loring.”