STORY OF TOM DARE AT THE MARBLE TOURNEY

By HOWARD STEPHENSON

SYNOPSIS: Tom Dare, eighth grader at Lincoln School, is disciplined by --

Principal Stryker, for playing marbles for keeps with --

Tom promises Mr. Stryker he will not gamble with marbles.

Skinny Noble, Tom's true friend, introduces him to Skinny’s --

Uncle Jim, a World War hero, who tells the boys how the game of marbles has been played for many centuries. Tom also learns that a --

Marble tournament is to be held at his school, and that the city champion is to have a free trip to--

Atlantic City.

At the Lincoln School tournament, Tom and Skinny face each other for the final ring to decide the school championship. Tom bets Skinny, who shows his sportsmanship by volunteering to coach the school champ for district and city finals. Tom also comes out, a victor in his district.

But Tom sprains his wrist and is worried he won’t be able to play.

At the finals, Tom plays in spite of his injury, and reaches the final ring. The decision hangs on one mib. When the referee glances from the ring, his opponent throws another mib in. Tom spends his last ounce of nerve in shooting it out. Tom is the undisputed marble champion of the city.

Tom gets a brand new aggie from his father and Skinny gives him a real beauty of an aggie too – these become Tom’s lucky aggies.

Mr. Earl, newspaper correspondent, accompanies Tom first to Philadelphia, where they are taken for a visit to Valley Forge, where Washington's army spent the bitter winter of 1777. Then, on a special train, they reach Atlantic City, where the National tournament is ready to begin. Tom is lodged at a palatial hotel, the most luxurious he has ever seen.

In the first days of the tournament, Tom is tied for championship of his section league. On the next day's play his hope for victory depends.

That night the champs gather in Tom's room for practice. When Tom retires, he lends his precious agates to another lad, who promises to return them next morning. But when he meets this boy, he is told that the agates were given to another boy. Tom tells Mr. Earl about his missing lucky aggies. Mr. Ear orders him to stay at the marble ring while he investigates. But Tom panics and rushes off to find his lucky aggies. The boy who had Tom’s lucky aggies is frantically looking for Tom to give him his aggies back.

Tom is finally reunited with his agates. Tom trots toward the marble rings for the all important semifinal games.

But a boy who has spent the morning in a panic is in no shape to play to win. The supreme victor is always someone who believes in themselves, there hard work and focus – not luck. Tom loses the national tournament.

Troubles are forgotten, however, in the fun and entertainment in Atlantic City and then as the glorious week at the seaside comes to a close, Tom begins to think of home.

NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY

* * *

TOM DARE had learned many things at Atlantic City. Now he was on his way home. Altho he was not taking the national marble title back with him, his boyish optimism told him that in his next and final chance, the tournament next year, he would go back to Atlantic City. Would he win?

Tom looked out of the train window and wondered. But there was little time indeed that morning for such thoughts. The marble champs of America were a jubilant and joyous bunch of boys. Somebody had a big rubber ball, and before Tom could see it, it came hurtling down the length of the coach and bounced on his head, then sent it along. This last big romp was rare sport for the congenial youngsters and the no less playful newspaper correspondents.

Soon they were again in Philadelphia. There new treats awaited them. They were escorted to the City Hall, where the mayor of the great city gave them kindly official greeting. Thence to a waiting fleet of autos they went, and they rode for three hours on a 50 or 80-mile trip thru the city.

Fairmount Park, one of the largest and most beautiful in the world, stretched out its great swaths of green, its rolling hills and lovely scenery before them. The house where William Penn founder of Pennsylvania, lived, the grave of Benjamin Franklin, the house on Archer st. where Betsy Ross made the first flag of free America -- all these they saw on their ride.

* * *

THEN, hats off, standing in reverence on this sacred ground, the champions were admitted to Independence Hall. The spot where John Hancock, first signor of the Declaration of Independence, had stood when a little group of daring patriots offered defiance to a tyrant on July 4,.1776, was shown them: They stood a moment, silent, in the room where this declaration, which has meant so much to all mankind, was signed. Then in another room they edged up to a railing which surrounded the Liberty Bell.

Tom thought of the history lessons in school, when he had learned the story of how the Liberty Bell rang out the windings of freedom from the old belfry of Independence Hall. He wished that every boy and girl might see this symbol of America. Thru his mind flashed the words: "The land of the free and the home of the brave."

Instinctively Tom reached up to take off his hat. But of course he had already removed it when he entered the door of the building.

A Philadelphia millionaire entertained the marble champions at a regal dinner, and then Tom in his turn stepped up to the microphone of one, of the country's biggest radio stations and spoke to the boys and girls back home.

Just what he said in his speech, Tom never could remember, but Skinny Noble, sitting at home with a headset clamped to his ears, heard every word distinctly.

* * *

LATE that afternoon, a rather tired lad climbed aboard a west-bound train with Mr. Earl. The last farewells had been spoken. Tom had exchanged home addresses with a dozen or so champions. He was thoughtful during dinner and. promptly at 9 he was glad to see the porter appear to make up hit berth.

What would the home folks say when they saw him? Tom had no doubt of their loyalty. Father, mother, Dorris, Miss Robbins and Mr. Stryker were at the station, ready to welcome him. Tom was surprised just as they were piling into Mr. Earl's big car, which had been ordered to meet the correspondent and the champion at the train to see a young man come running down the platform. It was Skinny's Uncle Jim.

"Well done. Tommy, lad," Uncle Jim said. "Now who's going to win next year's championship?” He looked teasingly from Tom to Skinny and back again. Both boys grinned.

"I dunno," said Tom.

"I dunno," said Skinny.

"We'll have to decide that when marble season rolls around again," said Mr. Earl smilingly. And so the matter of next year's victory was left at that.

THE END