ndred athletic exercises, calculated to make them healthier, and
better fitted for their studies.

The headmaster of the school, Professor Brierley, was very much
delighted with the way things had gone. He was an advocate of all
healthful sports, when not carried to excess. And this spirit which had
been awakened in Riverport, was bound, he believed, to make for the
betterment of the town in every way.

"Perhaps there'll be less work for Dr. Temple," he remarked, at a
meeting of the best citizens, when the gymnasium was handed over to the
school trustees; "because there'll be far less sickness among our young
people. Though possibly a few accidents, as the result of indiscretion
in exercising too violently, may make amends to our physicians."

Meanwhile the young athletes belonging to Riverport school had been as
busy as the proverbial bee. Saturdays were devoted to all sorts of work,
each class being represented by aspiring claimants for honors.

And when the really deserving ones had finally been selected to do their
best for the honor of the school, everyone watched their work with
pride, and the hope that they might make the highest pole vault, the
longest running jump, the quickest time in the hundred yards,
quarter-mile, half mile and five mile races known to amateur athletic
meets in that part of the country at least.

Merchants talked with their customers about the coming tournament; and
the mildest looking women, whom no one would suspect of knowing the
least thing about such affairs, surprised others with their store of
knowledge.

The bookstore in town where sporting goods were kept did a land-office
business during those days, and had to duplicate their orders to
wholesalers frequently.

Stout business men were buying exercisers to fasten to the bathroom
doors; or perhaps dumb-bells and Indian clubs, calculated to take off a
certain number of pounds of fat. Others boasted of how deftly they were
beginning to hit the punching bag; and how much enjoyment the exercise,
followed by a cold shower bath, gave them.

Representatives from Mechanicsburg, who wandered down to get a few
points that might be calculated to give their athletes renewed
confidence, took back tales of the spirit that had swept over the other
town on the Mohunk.

And they even said that Paulding was striving with might and main to get
in line with the other two places. Her boys expressed a hope that when
the favors were handed aroun