Tommy Parish got the tidings from his room-mate, Billy Pillsbury. Pill was much excited and predicted disaster. Tommy said: “Soak your head, Pill. Johnny’s got the right idea at last. I was wondering how long it would take him to tumble to himself.”
Pill stared incredulously. “Aw, get out, Tommy! You never thought of it! I suppose you’ll be saying next thing that you suggested it to Johnny!”
Tommy shrugged. “No, I didn’t suggest it to him, but I might have. All fall fellows like Andy Dozier and Hop Meecham and others I could name have been sitting pretty and doing just enough to get by. They sure had Johnny buffaloed! They couldn’t have done it another season, but this year Johnny has too much on his mind.”
“How do you mean?” asked Pill, impressed in spite of his determination not to be. “What’s he got on his mind?”
Tommy winked soberly. “A girl,” he answered.
“Oh, piffle! That’s just a yarn. Some fellow saw a photograph on Johnny’s mantel and started that stuff.”
“All right, Mister Wisenheimer, you know it all. But you just wait and see. Pshaw, I know the signs! I’ve got brothers and sisters, Pill, and I know how they act when they’ve got the bug. It’s fierce!”
“Well, even if that’s so,” said Pill, “Johnny’s making a bull. You can’t make over a football team right in the middle of the season. Gosh, what do you suppose will happen if he gets to monkeying with some of the guys? They’ll get mad and quit on him cold!”
“Don’t you be alarmed,” answered Tommy calmly. “There won’t be as many changes as you might think, son. Let some of those fellows get it into their beans that they’re going to lose their positions if they don’t brace up and they’ll brace, take it from me! Bet you there won’t be four changes in the whole line-up between now and the big game! What will happen, Pill, is that the whole bunch of loafers will get onto themselves and do an honest day’s work now and then! You watch, young Pill.”