“Yes, I suppose it might.” Sears considered. “Then let each have possession of the mug for a certain time.”
“Oh, your idea is to have the thing competed for each year?”
“Yes, don’t you think so?”
“Tell you what,” said Lanny. “Get some of the girls to make a stunning purple banner—no, pennant—and give it to the fellow who does the best work for us, as Toby suggests. In case two or more win the same number of points, take into consideration the fellows’ performances. If two chaps each won, say, eight points for us, the one who made the better record for his event would get the flag. And then let him keep it and we’ll find a new one for next year. Call it the Track Trophy and have it understood that, next to the Victoria Cross, it’s the biggest honor you can win!”
“That’s all right,” assented Harry Partridge, “but it strikes me that a silver or even a pewter mug would make more of a hit than a pennant.”
“I don’t think so,” responded Lanny. “Besides,” he added, with a smile, “that mug would cost us money, and the pennant won’t!” The others laughed.
“Still,” said Arthur Beaton, “a few of us might dig down for it. You can get a pretty good-looking mug for three dollars.”
“Speak for yourself, old scout,” protested Guy. “I’m poorer than the Athletic Committee, and that’s pretty poor! Let’s make it a pennant. It doesn’t matter what it is, really, so long as it is understood that the thing’s worth winning. It could be made of silk and have a suitable inscription on it, like ‘For Valor’—— No, that wouldn’t do. ‘For Worth?’ ‘For——’”
“For Instance,” laughed Lanny. “Never mind an inscription. Just have ‘C. H. S.’ on it.”
“With a winged foot,” suggested Arthur.