ster of ceremonies stepped out, the waves of sound gradually
died away.

"Silence! silence! let Mr. De Camp talk!" was heard here and there; and
even the most gossipy girls dared not exchange words after that.

The director, in a few happily chosen remarks, told of the great
benefit to be derived from school athletics, when properly conducted. He
also declared that the right sort of friendly competition or rivalry
between neighboring schools, bent upon excelling in various channels of
athletics, was calculated to inspire a proper ambition to win. And above
all, he observed that in such friendly contests the best of good will
should prevail, so that the vanquished might feel the sting of defeat as
little as possible.

"Be true sportsmen, boys," he finished by saying; "remember in the flush
of your victory that there is another fellow who was just as eager to
win as you were, who is feeding on the husks of defeat. Give him a
hearty cheer for his pluck. It can only add to your own glory, and
speaks well for your heart. That is all I want to say. The announcer
will now tell you the character of the first competition."

Mechanicsburg showed up in a formidable way early in the program.
Bristles Carpenter for Riverport, and Ogden for Paulding, brought out a
round of applause when they cleared the bar in the high jump; but after
it had been raised several notches above their best record, Angus Smith,
who used to play such a clever game out in left for Mechanicsburg,
easily crossed over, amid deafening cheers.

So the first event fell to the town up the river.

"Oh! that's only a taste!" boasted a Mechanicsburg boy, close to the
bevy of now rather subdued Riverport girls; "we've got plenty of that
kind. Just wait, and you'll be greatly surprised, girls. Mechanicsburg
has been keeping quiet; but oh! you Riverport! this is a day you'll
never, never forget! It spells Waterloo for yours!"

"We've heard that sort of talk before, Tody Guffey," remarked Mame
Wells, defiantly; "and when the end came where was Mechanicsburg? Why,
in the gravy, of course. We never yet started out well. Riverport needs
something to stir her blood, in order to make her boys do their best.
Now watch, and see what happens."

However, Mame, splendid "rooter" for the home squad that she was, could
not claim much glory as a prophet; for the next event was also captured
by the hustling school team from the up-river town.

It was a standing jump, and aga