The Sunday Bee
MAGAZINE SECTION
VOL. 52 NO. 4. ' OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 9, 1922. FIVK CKNTS
THE SACK . By Owen Oliver
All His Life Had Been a Sack Race
- And Yet He Chose to Come Back
To It and to His Burden!
(
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THE surgeon rather advised against the operation;
but he left it to Greatorex and his friends to decide.
"My head is a lump of wood," Greatorex told
him. "Oct them to settle it.
It seemed to the surgeon "that most of the friends
thought more of themselves than of Greatorex. So he
committed the decision to the one who thought more of
Greatorex than of herself. He had no doubt that she did.
No one had.
"There is just a chance that it might save his
life," he stated; "but it isn't very likely that the '
life -ouId be worth living. To him, I mean. Of
course, there is the question of those who are more
or less dependent on him. I don't mean merely
for money."
"Do just what is best for him," she decided at .
once, without taking account ot any one else.
The surgeon nodded; put his hand on her
shoulder.
ItT t . - , I - I J M T T "II
i snail i operate, nc uuu hit. nc win go
ejuietly and without much pain. God bless you!"
r "Thank vou. You are verv kind. You will let
me be with him as much as possible?"
"Of course," the specialist promised, "Of
course. Yes, yes I"
Greatorex rallied when the surgeon told him
the decision; found some of his keeo wits for a
few minutes.
"Who settled it?" he muttered.
"I consulted Miss Mason. She left it to mc to
do what is best for you."
Ah! For me! She would, of course. But,
you see, I should reckon her. A man isn't just his
own chattel. Doctor, settle it as I should ifmy old
head would work."
The surgeon's mouth twisted for a moment.
He had taken a liking to Greatcrex.
"I think she'd miss you a good bit," he said.
"You would weigh that in; weigh it more than you.
ought, I expect. However, you art you! I'll see
if I can pull it off, old man. We'll say tomorrow
morning. That won't leave the little lady long to
worry."
' "You've got my point of view -all right,"
Greatorex told him. He smiled faintly, "Thanks,
my dear chap."
When Greatorex took the anaesthetic he
thought he was preparing for death; and then all
at once he found himself preparing for life instead;
standing somewhere just beyond the beginning of
things, getting ready to start in a race.
His schoolfellows were there, too. They had
all grown young again, just as he had; those who
had died as well as those who, like himself, had
come to be oldish men. They were all forming
up in line to toe a great white mark. Johnnie
Reeves was playing the fool as Usual; and as usual
Harry Kane was late and kept them waiting for
him. Teddie Burns' little white dog ran in front of
the -tine and had tobe driven away. They all
laughed at that. Laughter had not felt so spon
taneous for many years.
There was a broken, hilly country in front of
them; and far across it, upon a wooded rise, there
was a aueer shaped white column for the goal.
Greatorex resolved confidently it was a long time
ince he had been so cheerfully confident tnat he
would reach it first. He was sure he would. He
felt so overbrimmingly strong and active and
light; so light that he knew he would just skim
the ground when he ran.
Some one called to him to be ready to start.
It sounded like the voice of the old headmaster.
Greatorex stooped with his fingers touching the
ground, ready for the first spring. The starter's
pistol gave such a terrific bang that it confused
him and everything swam round for a, moment.
(That was when the operation began.)
"He's not very deep," the surgeon growled.
"Well, his heart!" the anaesthetist protested;
also rather testily. "I'll give him some more, if
I must, but "
"No, I'll try what I can do I'm pretty keen
on this case, Smith. I don't mean anything if
I'm snappy, you know."
"That's all right, chief. Rather a forlorn hope, isn't it?"
"Yes. Sharp with the clips, Stevens.'
Greatorex seemed to bound into confused space at the
cannonlike report of the pistol. Then after, some lost mo
ments, he saw things again, and found himself running
hard across a green field. The other boys were running
hard, too. He was level with the foremost, when they
reached a long hurdle, which, somehow or other, he thought
of as a "form." He caught his heel upon the top rail, when
he leaped it, and fell. Some one picked him up, and pushed
him forward. Why, it was the head! The same foxy-'ook-ing
little man, wearing that same brown suit. Just the
same after 40-odd years.
But the old man was 20 years dead. How did he come
here? Greatorex pondered, and then suddenly understood.
He was running his life race over again. That was it. Of
course that was it. Didn't Evelyn say that he ought to!
"You have run a sack race all your life, dear; always
carrying the burdens of othe'rs. If you could run it again
without the sack. O! I wish you could!"
And he was running it again; and without the sack.
Good I Good!
"Now, laddie!" the head cried. "Now I You'll do it yet!"
Greatorex Clenched his hands an4 vowed to catch the
lads who were now in front of him. He was gaining . . .
gaining. One caught and passed. Another. Another.
He was in front. Heavens! There was a great ditch to
jump.- Ke'd never do it. He hadn't wind enough left; and
his legs felt like lead. He almost stopped; and then he saw
someone frantically beckoning forward.
"Good gracious 1" he cried. "Why. the old head's there
new!"
Yes. I was the head. He stood1 on the far side of the
ditch, waving his red silk handkerchief. ("The same old
rag," Greatorex thought.) Suddenly the handkerchief
Jhancd to the rcd-covcrcd algebra. "Simplify first!" That
was vbat the old man was calling. He always said that
when he took the algebra class. No, he said, "Come on,
Greatorex 1" '
He seemed to fly up in the air at his old martcr's call,
and to be looking down at the water from a long way above.
Then he lost things. Presently he found himself across the
ditch, lying on the ground, panting and pan'ing.
"Now you're in the upper school, laddie, you must make
a man of yourself! And I'll make a great scholar of you
on'e day."
That was what the head said, when he won. When he
won? What was it that he won? Lower School Exhi
bition. That was it. He had won it again ;but he couldn't
;f .Y ..?
"I shall not operate," he told her.
He didn't think be could
Keep it
fftt his treath; not enough breath.
go on.
"Here!" the surgeon raged. "What the d:vil!
opsn, man! Keep it open.
"Doing my best. You said you must have h'im deep."
- "I know, I know! I don't like his breathing, Smith."
The surgeon paused, instruments in haufi.
"He's all right now. How docs it look?"
"Frttty bad! Well, here goes."
Greatorex did not remember getting his breath and
starting off again; but he found himself running once more.
The new race was through close country. He had to push
his way among the brambles and bushes. There was one
very thick clump which he thought he would never get out
' of. Oratio Obliqua, he fancied it was called .But the head
came and showed him just where the opening was, and
he got through so easily that they both laughed.
Next he had to mount a steep slope covered with loose
stones. He thought that place had a name, too, but he
couldn't remember it. "Science," perhaps. He was never
good at science. He kept slipping back; but Forbes shout
ed to him from above. Forbes was fifth form master then ;
but he died a missionary in China, he recollected. Well,
he had come back again; and he looked just as jolly and
Tat as ever. He threw down a rope, and Greatorex got up
by clinging" to it. There was a fine view from the top of
the slope, and Forbes chuckled, "You've got to get'outsidc
things to see them!" He-was always saying that.
Some way further Greatorex entered a huge maze; a
maze that was all turns and had several paths to choose
between at every turning. The sides were close thick yew
hedges that one could not see through. The head used to
talk about "the maze of learning." That must be it And
he was lost in It, helplessly lost Ah! Here was the old
head again! He wa running again! He was running and
pulling and. as excited as Greatorex himself.
"This way, my boy." he called. "This way! Catch
hold of my coat, in this dark place. Keep close lo mc I
know it. Ah-hat I know it! There's the way out. .See'"
He pointtd to a slit of light ahead.
Greatorex ran to the light, and through it, and found
himself out on a white road, with a wood on one side, and
a green field on the other, sloping down to a brook. He
was running like a mad creature. He heard the head be
hind him, clapping his hands, and talking to some one.
"He'll have an open scholarship, too, mark my words.
Brilliant boy! Best I've turned out."
Why! That was what the head to'd his father, just
l.i fore his father died. "There isn't very much, except w hat
he'd set aside for your education." He heard the old law
yer telling him that; noticed that the queer little
man was watching him curiously. Then he was
running again. Then he was back in the lawyer's
little office. Mr. Grimes sent for him to come and
have a talk. Yes, that was how he got there.
And old Grimes was talking again. "Heavy losses
of late. They will fall upon the provision he had
intended for your mother. She is a delicate wo
man, my boy! A delicate woman."
He lost the lawyer again he seemed to go in
a flash and was it-nning his race once more, on
the hard white road, under the wood; but round
the corner he came upon his mother; the tame lit
tle mother. (Ah! Mothers do not thange much!'
She was in widow's weeds, crying and wringing
her hands. She urjtt d him to leave her and go on.
"You have such a future before you. Harry,"
she cried. 'Father left enough to roniplet? your
education. I shall manage somehow. I shall
manage, dear. You go on."
She tried to sni:le and picked up a bi.,r bundle,
and was walking ar.ofher way with it. And then
Greatorex noticed something lying in the road.
It was a great sack. And somehow he knew that
the burdens c! his life would go in it.
His eyes blinked for a moment; but he picked
it up without hesitation.
"I've got to run a sack race after all." he said.
"Poor old Evelyn! She'll be so sorry!"
He took the bundle from his little mother, and
put it in the sack, and slung that over his shoulder.
"Why, you tiny little mammy!" he laughed. "It's
nothing to mc; and, if you're naughty, I'll tarry
you. too!"
He kissed !r.s mother, and danced her round.
He always thought she was such a pretty little
mother, he renumbered.
"I shan't M it," he declared.
Then he started running again, turning twice to
wave his hand to her.
It was hard work with th sack upon his back,
he seon discovered. He had been well ahead of
his rivals before he stopped and picked it up; but
now he could hear footsteps behind. Nearer. Near
er. Just as one of his pursuers was at his elbow
Archie Green. Yes, it was old Archie he
caught a glimpse of the white goal through some
trees. He must drop his burden and'then "little
mcnts he gained; but his heart felt as if it would
burst. He most drop his burten and then "little
mammy" would come and pick it up or he must
give up the race. He came f a dark wood. Re
nunciation, it was called, wasn't it? He thought
the head named it that. Yes, renunciation. He
dropped out of the race there. And then he fainted
or fell asleep.
"He won't stand any more," the "anaesthetist
cried. He wiped his forehead. "In fact, I don't
know that he'll stand this."
"Best for him if he doesn't, perhaps," the
surgeon muttered. -''Well, I'd better finish the
job, anyhow. He's breathing, I supose?"
"Just breathing! A little better now. Great
vitality; must have been a vev strong man once."
Greatorex had a faint notion ot teeling sick and
staggering blindly through dark places; but he
knew nothing distinctly, till he found himself out
of the woods, running on a very rough road; still
carrying the sack. He did not know where he
was going, only that he had grown into a young
man and was running a young man's race. He
caught several who had been ahead of him, and
passed them. There was a big red house afar
on a hill. He knew that was the new goal, and
he believed that he would reach it first. Then some
one stopped him. Why, it was his young brother, Jim!
Jim was crying at having to carry some weighty bundles.
Grtorex felt in his heart that Jim was a bit of a
coward, and ought to carry them without any fuss; but he
remembered what "little mammy" said, before she died.
Ah I little mammy. Dead! Dead! "Be his .mammy for
me, Harry. You are so brave and strong, and he's only
a little chap." Only a little chap. Little mammy's baby
boy.
Greatorex shook his head at Jim and his parcels; but he
took half of them and put them in his sack.
"That's all right," he said, "boy Jim. I can manage. Sec
you after the race! And you buck up, you young scamp,
and don't whine!"
He ran on, but now he couldn't move very fast The
sackload was too great a handicap. There w-ere footsteps
behind, and they were gaining upon him. He ran harder
still gaining. The house was quite near, though. He
would manage it. he thought, in spite of the sack. He could
just last out He made a furious spurt.
"I believe we'll pull it off after all." the surgeon exulted.
"The 'op' looks litke its coming out all right, if only lie
can stand the shock."
"His heart?" the anaesthetist doubted. He Vntt down
to listen to it "He's making a great fight . Wonderful
constitution." , .,,.j
"Good enough for two men," the surgeon muttered,
"but he's been trying to do the work of three or four all
his life. I've neary finished, Smith. Keep him alive some
how, man; only keep him alive. It's coming out much
better than I expected." ,
Greatorex thought that he would be the first to the
red house, after all; but just as he could almost touch u.
0