Page:The Rival Pitchers.djvu/167

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AN EXPOSTULATION
155

to say, did sneaking things on the sly—didn't keep in form for a race, what would you do?"

"How's that? Is some member of the crew trying to throw the college?" cried Sid, suddenly sitting up.

"No, no. Of course not. I'm just supposing a case. You know we have to suppose cases in our psychology class. I'm just taking one for the sake of argument."

"Oh," replied Sid sleepily. "If it's only a supposititious case, all right. I thought you meant you knew of some chap who was doing a dirty trick."

"Well, suppose I did know of one—or you did—what would you do? Would you tell the coach or the captain?"

"What good would it do?"

"That's not the point. Would you?"

"Well, you must have a reason for telling. Don't you learn that in psychology?"

"Of course. Well, my reason might be that I wanted to see the crew do good work and not lose on account of some fellow who couldn't last out a race because he broke training rules on the sly. Or it might be that I wanted to see the fellow himself take a brace."

"Both good reasons, son. Both good. As the Romans say, Mens sana in corpore sano. You would do it for his own physical good. Very nice. For his mental improvement also."