human
You are the best representation of Gloom I ever saw pulled off,
gpt
My jinx seem to be working overtime, returned Frank,
human
Bad judgment, my boy, bad judgment. You should have gone in for the less strenuous sport of rowing as I have,
gpt
A lazy, sit-down job and one for which you are peculiarly fitted,
human
Ah, but my boy, if you can win your Y sitting down, isn't it better than to be mauled by bear-cats every day? I belong to the antisweat brigade.
gpt
The only Y you will ever get is the one you find in your soup,
human
Stranger things than that have happened, Mr. Turner.
gpt
Yes, blue moons, for instance.
human
You only had to sit still, pull ropes now and then and talk.
gpt
I'm paralyzed with amazement, said Frank, looking the Codfish over quizzically,
human
Well, you see it was this way, returned the crew squad-man, crossing one thin leg over the other.
gpt
I went down there to the boat house one day, merely to look on, to see----
human
To see how the young idea was shooting, eh?
gpt
Precisely. And when the coaches saw me they were struck with my peculiar--ahem----!
human
Unfitness!
gpt
Wrong again, the phrase I was going to use was, 'peculiar fitness,' fitness, do you get it? for the job, and begged me to help them out.
human
And you helped?
gpt
What could I do? Other things are claiming my attention but I could not see rowing go to the bad down there, so I accepted as gracefully as I could.
human
And now things are in a rotten state?
gpt
For the second time, wrong and always wrong. They are improving daily. Of course, I'm not in the first boat yet, it would have created too much jealousy, but I have assurance from headquarters that I will be moved into the coveted position of cox of the Freshman crew as soon as it has been picked.
human
Heaven help the first Freshman crew then,
gpt
Little do they realize the honor that is shortly to descend upon them, returned the Codfish, complacently.
human
I have some original ideas about steering a shell which will practically assure them of the race next June.
gpt
And they are?
human
Why cast pearls before swine? The scheme will be revealed to you in due season,
gpt
You didn't know, perhaps, that I've decided to go out for the _News_, did you?
human
Aren't you a little late in the undertaking? inquired Frank.
gpt
That is something of a job for even an intelligent man.
human
For an ordinary intellect, yes, but for me a mere bagatelle, or bag-of-shells, as the ancients have it.
gpt
Heeling the _News_ means hours and hours of shacking, said Frank.
human
Have you seen those pale ghosts of heelers flitting around by day and by night on bicycles?
gpt
O, yes, that's the ordinary way, I know. I shall deal only in scoops, which, if you follow me, means a 'beat' on all the other fellows.
human
It's a difficult business, sonny.
gpt
On the contrary, a cinch. Watch your Uncle Dudley. Simply mind over matter. You boneheads wouldn't understand my reasoning processes if I explained, so why explain? But I say, when is David Powers expected in this burg?
human
Arrives on the morning train from New York, said Frank.
gpt
Got in on the _Olympic_ last night from the other side. Began to think he was lost.
human
Good old Davey. And he's going to be in Pierson?
gpt
Yes, right across the hall from us.
human
Good, I can use him in my _News_ ambitions. Now I guess I'll run across to the _News_ office and tell the editors I'm ready to start work.
gpt
I hope they kill you,
human
Well, what happened?
gpt
What do you suppose?
human
They fired you out after one good look at you.
gpt
On the contrary, they welcomed me with open arms. Assignment Editor is a peach. He recognized my ability at once.
human
How?
gpt
O, kind of naturally doped it out for himself. General bearing I have, I s'pose. Poor Freshman bunch heeling the _News_ now, he told me, and that makes my chances better.
human
O, you egotist, you blithering egotist,
gpt
No, no, not egotism, just merely confidence. Now if I were on the Freshman football squad, I'd just simply know I was going to make the team, and that's all there'd be to it. I'd make it. Mind over matter, my boy, mind over matter, as I was telling you.
human
And when do you begin?
gpt
O, I'll knock off a little something in the morning. I've an hour after ten-thirty recitation. I asked the Assignment Editor to save me a column on the front page, in view of a scoop I contemplate. Hand me that paper, Turner,