Will hastily sat erect and looked up. His visitor was Wagner, the captain of the track team, the one senior of all others for whom Will cherished a feeling of respect that was almost unbounded. He had never met the great man before, but he had looked up to him with awe when Wagner had been pointed out to him by admiring students, and he was aware that the captain's reputation was as great in the college for his manliness as it was for his success in athletics. Unpretentious, straightforward, without a sign of "cant" or "gush" about him, the influence of the young leader had been a mighty force for good in the life of Winthrop College. And now as Will glanced into the face of the tall, powerful young fellow and realized that it was indeed himself whom his visitor was addressing, his feeling of depression instantly gave place to surprise and in the unexpected honor he found it difficult to express himself. "Nothing much. I wasn't just looking for any--for you," he stammered. "Won't you take this chair, Mr. Wagner?" Will pushed the easy-chair toward his visitor as he spoke and again urged him to be seated. "That's all right, Phelps. Keep your seat. I'll just sit here," replied Wagner, seating himself upon the edge of Will's desk. "How do you feel after the games?" he inquired. "I'm a bit sore outside and worse still inside." "What's the trouble?" "I came in only third." "Only third? Where did you expect to come in?" "Why--why, I was hoping I'd get first in the hundred," Will managed to reply. "You're a modest youth," laughed Wagner, surveying his long legs and laughing in such a manner that Will was compelled to join. "Well, the fellows rather thought I'd win and that's what makes me feel worse about it." "They're only freshmen; they don't know any better," laughed Wagner. "Don't let that bother you for a minute. I think you did well myself, and besides, the freshmen very seldom win in the sprints. I don't know that I ever saw one since I've been in college." "Did you win the hurdles when you were a freshman?" "Oh, I just happened to. 'Twas an accident of some kind, I fancy. Yes, I think the soph who was ahead of me tripped and fell, so I crawled in first." "That will do for you to tell." "Perhaps I did win. But that's neither here nor there. It isn't what I came for. I didn't want to talk about myself but about you." Will looked up eagerly but did not speak, though his question was to be seen in the expression of his face. "My advice to you is to go to work and try for the track team in the spring." "Do you think I can make it?" said Will breathlessly. "I don't say that," laughed Wagner. "That's something to be decided later. All I said was that you'd better 'try' for it. You've nothing to lose if you fail and something to win if you succeed." "But if I should try and then not make it."