Page:The spirit of the leader (IA spiritofleader00heyl).pdf/233

 swift fingers he fell to banding legal looking documents into neat packets that he arranged orderly on his desk.

Praska had a momentary chance to study once more this man to whom he had long given a boy's half-hidden allegiance. Carlos Dix's build was still as rangy as when he had shrilled his signals to the Northfield eleven. His forehead was high, his hair was crisp and brown, his gray eyes looked at you openly and directly, and the ghost of a smile seemed to tug constantly at one corner of his wide, generous mouth. He had that vague something that men call magnetism. Lincoln had it. So, too, had Roosevelt.

The young lawyer snapped on the last rubber band and turned to Praska with friendly alertness. "Well, what is it?"

"It's about the election," said Praska. "We're going to try to put through the referendum for an athletic field, and we've come to you for help. Northfield hasn't forgotten you."

"I haven't forgotten Northfield," said Carlos Dix.

He walked to the wall, and stood looking at the framed picture of a football team. When he came back to his desk, it was plain from the expression on his face that his thoughts were in the past. Abruptly he aroused himself.