CHAPTER XXV
A DISPUTED POINT
For a few moments after the dramatic withdrawal of Shambler, followinghis practical confession of guilt, no one spoke, and no one seemed toknow what to do. Then Wallace, who acted well his part under the tryingcircumstances, again arose.
"I can't tell you fellows of Randall how we hated to do this," he said."But we felt it to be our duty--our duty toward ourselves as well astoward you and the other colleges."
"Yes, I--I guess it had to be done," admitted Holly, sorrowfully.
"I suppose there is no doubt about it--the charge of professionalism,"suggested Dan Woodhouse gently.
"None whatever, I'm sorry to say," went on Wallace. "The firstintimation I had was when Jack Pendleton and Hal Durkin, two of ourplayers, spoke to me about it, after they saw Shambler, the other day.He goes by that name now, but he played as a professional under thename of Jacobs."
"As soon as Durkin and Pendleton told me their suspicions I began tomake inquiries," went on Wallace, "and I soon found that they wereright. Here is a picture of the professional nine with which Shamblerplayed," and he held up a sporting paper, with a black ink mark aroundthe left-fielder. The boys crowded up to look at it, and recognizedShambler at once.
"By Jove!" exclaimed Tom, "that's the same paper that we saw Shamblerhave in the reading room one day--the paper that he tore a picture from!It was his own likeness, and he was afraid we'd recognize him."
Several recalled that incident.
"I guess there's nothing else to be said," admitted Holly with a sigh."I suppose I needn't assure you Exter fellows that we knew nothing ofthis," he added quickly. "We never would have admitted Shambler to thecontests if we had dreamed of such a charge hanging over him."
"We know that," Wallace assured him quietly. "It's too bad, but there'sno harm done. Do we understand that you withdraw Shambler's name?"
"Sure!" exclaimed Kindlings. "It's too bad, for he is a fine athlete.I'm glad, now, he wasn't in the hurdle race."
"I guess he got in the wrong kind of company," went on Wallace. "Iunderstand he has been seen several times of late with a fellow namedNelson. He, too, is a professional, but he has been barred from even hisown class because of cheating. He helped Shambler train."
"Nelson," mused Tom. "That must be the fellow I saw with Shambler, andthe one I heard him talking to." It developed later that this was so.
Wallace laid before the committee several other items of proof of thecharge he had made. They tended to show that Shambler had been one ofthe best amateur all-round athletes in the West. But he began going witha "sporty" set, and, needing more money than his folks could supply him,he accepted the invitation of a professional ball team to play forthem one Summer. He managed to conceal the fact and returned to hiscollege as an amateur until chance betrayed him. Then, having found inprofessional athletics a comparatively easy way to make money, hecontinued along that line, coming to Randall under false colors.
It was believed that he intended doing as he had often done before,secretly placing bets through Nelson, and so clearing a tidy sum.Wallace showed Shambler's professional record in several events, and inevery case the time, or distance, made was much better than the recordof Shambler at Randall.
Wallace hesitated a moment, and then said:
"This case is not half as serious as the other, and we would not bringit up except that we feel that you would not want to enter a contestantagainst whom there was the least hint of professionalism. Am I right?"
"Exactly," declared Holly grimly. "Out with it, I guess we can take ourmedicine. I hope it isn't myself."
Probably not a lad present was prepared for what followed.
"It is a sad duty, but one I feel I have to do," went on the Extermanager, "when I say that Frank Simpson is also under the ban ofprofessionalism."
"Frank Simpson!" gasped a score of voices.
"The big Californian!" added others.
"What's that?" cried Tom, as if he had not heard aright.
"It isn't possible!" fairly yelled Phil Clinton, as he leaped to hisfeet and held out his hand to Frank, who sat beside him. "I'll stakeanything on Frank."
"So will I!" cried Tom and Sid. Wallace remained calmly looking at thelad against whom he had brought the ugly charge.
"Frank, answer him!" implored Tom pleadingly.
For a moment Frank had been so plainly stunned and surprised by theaccusation that he did not know what to do. Then he slowly got up.
"I wish to say, most emphatically," he began in a calm voice, "that Mr.Wallace is mistaken. He has either confused me with someone else, or hisinformation is at fault. I am not a professional, I never have been one,I never intend to become one. I never took part in any professionalgames, and I never received any money for playing ball, or in any othercontest. I can't make that too strong!"
"Hurray!"
"That's the way to talk!"
"Now we're coming back at 'em!"
Amid a babble of cries these were heard. There were angry looks cast atthe Exter committee, and one or two lads started from their seats, andworked their way forward, as though to be in the fore when hostilitiescommenced.
Wallace stood there, calm and collected. He looked at Frank, whoreturned the gaze undismayed and unflinchingly.
"Do you insist, after Mr. Simpson's denial, that you are right?" askedHolly, when there was silence.
"I am sorry--but--I do," was the quiet answer.
There was a storm of hisses, but Holly stopped them with a wave of hishand.
"And when I say that, I do not in the least mean to reflect on Mr.Simpson's word," said Wallace courteously. "I think he forgets, that isall, and I will proceed to give the facts. It is no pleasure to dothis," he went on, "but duty very seldom is pleasant."
"Go ahead, old man, don't mind me," said Frank with a smile. "Myconscience is clear. I think you're mistaken--that's all."
"I wish I was," replied the Exter lad. "But I have information that youtook part, as a professional, in some games held on the Fourth of July,three years ago, in a park outside of San Francisco, California. Inparticular you took part in a running race, and you were paid the sum offifty dollars. The affair was for some hospital or other charity, andthere were a number of other semi-professionals who took part in it. Doyou deny that?"
For a moment several thought that Frank Simpson would collapse, sosurprised was he. Then he braced himself by a strong effort, and triedto speak. For a second or two no words would come, and then, in a huskyvoice he said:
"Part of that is true, and part is not. I did take part in those games,but it was strictly as an amateur. I can prove that. I have never been aprofessional."
"Isn't it true that you won the mile run?" asked Wallace.
"Yes, I did."
"And wasn't the first prize for that contest fifty dollars in gold?"
"It was, but----"
"Didn't you win, and get the prize?"
"I won, but I did not get the money!" fairly shouted Frank. "I neverhad a cent of it. I did win the race. The prize was fifty dollars,but I never got it. I turned it over, without even taking it into mypossession, to the charitable committee. If that's professionalism, makethe most of it!"
He sat down, and every lad in the room was on his feet in an instant.
"Of course that's not professionalism!"
"Never heard of such a thing!"
"That's a silly charge!"
"The A. A. U. rules don't make that professionalism!"
"Not by a long shot!"
Everyone seemed to be shouting something, and Holly managed to hear theabove expressions, amid the babble of others.
"Silence! Silence!" he cried.
"That's our case," Wallace managed to say.
Once more came hisses, that were not so easy to silence.
"We claim that is professionalism, and we won't compete if FrankSimpson represents Randall," said Pendleton, who stood beside Wallace.
"It seems like splitti
ng hairs," spoke Kindlings, "but----"
"Perhaps it does," admitted Wallace calmly. "But we claim that Simpsonis a professional under the rules. It's up to you fellows, but----"
"Mr. Chairman, I move that the athletic committee of Randall go intoexecutive session at once, consider this matter, and let Exter have ouranswer as soon as possible," shouted Tom above the din.
"Second the motion!" cried Sid.
It was put and carried at once.
"Will you make yourselves comfortable until after our session?" askedHolly of the Exter committee. "I'll have you taken to our chapterhouse," and he called some lads, who were not members of the committee,to act as the hosts of the visitors.
For the Honor of Randall: A Story of College Athletics Page 25
