Rollo in Society Part 7

"Hot towel!" cried Rollo, to Jonas's amazement, and running violently about the room to the grave danger of the dainty bric-a-brac which stood on the marble-topped table.

"We start to-morrow morning at ten o'clock," said Lucy, "and mother said you must surely wear your tippet, and take the little shawl your Aunt Sarah knit for you."

"Tippet and shawl, indeed!" said Rollo, "I shall wear my new fur-lined great-coat and my c.o.o.n-skin hat. Oh, hot towel! Hot towel!"

The little folks then joined hands and danced about excitedly until they were quite exhausted.

Promptly at ten o'clock on the following day, Cousin Stella's handsome automobile came rolling around the corner, and Rollo and Lucy, warmly dressed in their best coats and hats, were soon ensconced among the comfortable cushions with their little friends.

Somewhat to Rollo's disappointment Rupert Hogan was one of the party, but this feeling was almost immediately forgotten in his enthusiasm at again seeing Miss Anabelle who looked charming indeed in a dark blue dress with grey furs, against which she wore a large bouquet of violets. Rupert, on the contrary, wore a bright, brown suit with an extremely large yellow chrysanthemum in his b.u.t.tonhole.

"Which are you for, Rollo," asked Anabelle, "Yale or Princeton?"

"I am for Princeton," said Rupert loudly, which was very rude as he had not been addressed.

"I am for Yale, of course," cried Rollo.

"Oh joy!" laughed Anabelle. "So am I. I must teach you the cheer. It begins 'Brek-ek-kek-kek, ko-ax, ko-ax!'"

"Tiger. Siz-boom-ah!" shouted Rupert.

"See, I have a tin horn, all the Princeton men carry tin horns."

Thus, with much shouting and noise and merry glee the little company sped on their way towards the city of New Haven. The thoroughfare soon began to be greatly crowded with thousands of automobiles filled with other girls and boys as well as grown-ups, some so old that Rollo marvelled at their being out of doors at all, all bound for the great match. There was much dust and confusion, and not a little danger.

Racing cars filled with gentlemen with pleasant red faces dashed by at a break-neck pace, and at one spot there was quite a pile of autos which had run into each other and were severely damaged. It also began to be extremely cold.

"Are we not delightfully uncomfortable?" shouted Rollo, as they whirled off the road to avoid another car, jumped a ditch, grazed a telegraph pole, and bounced back onto the turnpike again.

"Yes indeed," said Anabelle. "That is half the fun. Of course we might have made the journey in a warm train, but that is not considered the smart thing to do. One should always be half-frozen when one arrives at a football match."

"Right-o!" said Rollo. "Come, Rupert, I will wager you a dime on the result!"

"Done with you, Rollo," said Rupert, and Lucy and Stella and Anabelle all applauded.

New Haven town was even more crowded and confusing than the highway had been. Important constables waved them hither and thither, and they were soon pa.s.sing imposing buildings, which Stella's mother told them were the Halls of Learning.

"There are the new Harkness buildings," she said. "A very great architect, Mr. Rogers, designed the group."

"We have a Rogers group in our parlor," said Rollo, "but it is by no means so large or so fine as this one. But do they play the match in that great courtyard?"

"Dumbbell!" said Rupert. "They play the game in the Bowl."

"Well I vow!" thought Rollo, "who ever heard of playing football in a bowl!"

But he kept silent and was very glad he had done so, for, after an hour of snail-like pace through the streets they came in sight of a gigantic structure, in which Rollo could see thousands and thousands of people sitting.

"There is the Bowl," cried his friends and they all clambered stiffly to the ground, still munching their luncheon sandwiches, and made their way to their seats.

The spectacle which met Rollo's gaze was indeed an imposing one. Round about the great arena stretched thousands of people, tier upon tier, an unbroken ma.s.s rising far above his head.

"They do not look like people," cried Rollo, "but like the knots on one of Grandmother's hooked-rugs. But I should like very much to see a baseball game here."

"And why baseball?" asked Rupert.

"Because," said Rollo, "it would be interesting to see a tiny pitcher in such a huge bowl."

"Bravo!" cried Anabelle, and Rupert scowled ill-naturedly.

At this moment a tremendous burst of cheering split the air, several bands began to play at once, and the great mult.i.tude rose to its feet shouting and waving their flags, as two groups of strange padded creatures pranced into the arena like savage beasts entering the Coliseum at Rome.

A moment later a whistle blew sharply, and an ominous hush fell over the vast a.s.semblage. Although he knew not why, a strange sensation of physical illness almost overpowered Rollo. The game was about to begin.

"Isn't it wonderful!" cried Stella.

"Is it?" said Rollo in a faint voice.

The contest which followed left our little hero even more dazed and confused. Time after time he shuddered and winced as the two groups of players came crunching together, or when ten or more Princetons fell with a crash upon a single Yale.

"No fair!" shouted Rollo, but Anabelle said, "Hush, Rollo," very gently, and put her hand on his under the robe.

Occasionally the players would stop to rest, while doctors and men with stretchers would rush out on the field and remove the wounded.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "--it seemed to him that he kissed her"]

"Who is winning?" asked Rollo.

"n.o.body knows," said Anabelle. "No one ever does know at a football game. The only way to find out what is really happening is to read about it in the papers to-morrow."

This was a great comfort to Rollo, for he gave up trying to understand what was going on and from then on began really to enjoy himself. A few moments later, the whistle blew again, everyone began cheering wildly and the game was over.

"This way," cried Anabelle as she and Rollo reached the ground outside the Bowl. Rollo followed her and for several minutes they threaded their way among the crowd, squeezing between groups of people and dodging motor cars. Night was falling, and bright headlights were gleaming over the tumbled fields. This way and that they darted, until Anabelle suddenly stopped and said, "Oh, Rollo, where are the others?"

"Anabelle," replied Rollo, "I verily believe we are lost."

"I'll say so," said Anabelle. "Well, let us sit here until we are found. It is much safer than to go wandering about."

"You are quite right," agreed Rollo. "We once lost a fine brindle cow, because she wandered into a swamp and sank in a quagmire. But, h.e.l.lo--what is this?" As he spoke Rollo pulled from his coat pocket a small bottle.

"As I live and breathe, it is a bottle of martini which Jonas has thoughtfully prepared against the cold."

"Blessings on Jonas!" cried his little companion. "I am almost frozen."

It was the work of a moment to spread the robe on a gra.s.sy knoll, and here Cousin Stella's chauffeur found them just as Rollo tossed the empty bottle into a coppice.

"Atta-boy!" cried Rollo gaily as they struggled to their feet and ran toward the automobile. It was now quite dark, and when they were snugly tucked among the cushions Rollo began to feel very sleepy. As they rolled homeward through the night, the little boy drowsed off into slumber. Then he seemed to see two bright stars gleaming in the sky, which reminded him of Anabelle's eyes and it seemed to him that he kissed her. But he may have been dreaming.

"Who won?" asked Jonas when Rollo and Lucy reached the apartment.

"I did," cried Rollo, "I beat Rupert Hogan all to pieces."