LANKY’S PRIDE CONQUERS
Professor Parke asked the young fire-fighters to stay a while, after he
had given instructions that the rest of the students leave for home. As
far as possible he wished to soothe the excited condition of the crowds
that thronged around the building. And he also wished to personally
thank each and every one of those brave lads who had done such splendid
work in getting the fire under control.
The firemen of the town took matters in hand, and saw to it that there
was not the slightest chance of a stray spark being left undiscovered,
to play havoc, perhaps at night time.
They also wanted to investigate; for it seemed very queer how a blaze
could originate in the cellar when no fires were going at the time.
Some of the boys believed they could give a guess; and soon it was
being circulated far and wide that Bill Klemm and his two cronies had
been lighting matches in the basement at recess that very day, just to
provoke old Soggy.
But they seemed to have made themselves scarce. When Chief of Police
Hogg, dressed in his resplendent uniform, with a silver star gleaming
on his broad chest, called around at the several homes of the three
suspected ones late that afternoon, to make inquiries, they were not
to be found anywhere. And before long it was known that Bill, Asa
and Watkins must have run away from home, afraid that they would be
arrested. At any rate, they had been seen making fast time away, as
soon as they got out of the building, and before it was known that the
school could be saved.
The principal started making inquiries on his own account, and after
hearing what the janitor had to say, he could easily guess what had
caused the fire. Of course the three boys to blame had not intended
doing anything so terrible as to set fire to the school. They had
broken a strict rule laid down by the head, however, and must be
severely punished, when found.
“Frank,” said Professor Parke, as he joined the little group of waiting
boys, “and the rest of you, I hope you will pardon my keeping you here
so long; but I found it difficult to get away from some of the school
directors, who are bent on investigating, and taking action toward
securing the punishment of the offenders. And my dear boys, I could
not let you go without taking each one of you again by the hand and
telling you how proud I am of you all.”
There were really tears in his eyes while he spoke; and Frank knew that
if ever the principal were sincere in all his life it was just then.
Professor Parke was an almost universal favorite among the pupils of
Columbia High. Out of all the students but a small fraction found any
reason to dislike the head of the school; and, as a rule, they were
just such characters as Bill Klemm.
“Of course,” continued the head master, with a twinkle in his eye, “all
of you will be distressed, I know, to learn that we will be unable to
hold school to-morrow, because of the excitement; as well as the smoky
odor that has permeated every classroom in the building. The directors
think it would be too vivid a reminder of the thrill of to-day; and
they have instructed me to send out word that the building will not be
in use until Wednesday.”
The boys tried hard not to smile, but it was no use; for when did
the promise of an unexpected holiday bring gloom to the heart of the
average, youth, whether in the primary class, or the senior grade?
“And by the way, Soggy wishes you to come down and see him in the
basement before you go home,” the principal went on, as he dismissed
Frank and his corps of fire-fighters. “He is enthusiastic over the fact
that you mastered the blaze before the regular department arrived. Why,
he says the building would have gone, only for your prompt work. After
this you can ask Soggy anything, and he’ll grant it. He’s got you down
in his book as heroes, everyone.”
They found the cellar in a sad mess, for the water was inches deep on
the cement floor, the regulars meaning to have some fun out of it,
after being “called to the colors” by the alarm bell.
Soggy pounced upon the boys, and went around, shaking everyone by the
hand as though “he thought he had hold of a pump-handle, and was the
early morning milkman,” Lanky Wallace declared.
“Now that it’s all over, boys,” the pleased janitor declared, “sure I’m
believin’ ’twas worth all it cost to find out what sort of stuff you
young gentlemen had in you! I’ll never forget it, never! And Columbia
High is still on the map, I’m glad to say, thanks to you. Nine names
I’m going to write down in my book; and, boys, if Soggy can do anyone
of you a favor, just let him know. He’s willing to go to the extent of
his wages any time.”
“Let’s get out of this,” called Ben Allison.
“Yes, it’s getting too warm again, boys!” cried Bones Shadduck;
for some of the larger juniors were classed with the seniors as
fire-fighters.
And so they came trooping out of the basement, laughing heartily.
Soggy was a favorite with most of the boys. There could hardly have
been a more efficient janitor; and yet he bemoaned the fact for a long
time that he had not discovered some trace of the smouldering blaze
before he went on that errand for the principal, to find the building
endangered on his return.
But if Frank believed that he had run the gauntlet to its conclusion
when he got through with Soggy, he counted wrongly. Beyond the confines
of the campus a group of the girls waited, eager to greet the heroes
of the occasion, and perhaps secure to themselves just a little of the
glory that was apt to shine like a halo around the heads of those happy
fire-fighters.
Minnie was there, and Frank smiled to see the eager look she bent on
him as he joined her.
“Oh, Frank! how do you feel?” she asked, anxiously. “All that horrid
smoke you must have swallowed, I should think would make you sick. You
do look pale right now; and you ought to go home and lie down.”
“Well, what sort of sissy do you take me for, Minnie?” asked the
amused Frank. “A boy ought to be used to smoke. Lots of them seem to
get a lot of pleasure out of soaking themselves in it, when they go
to college, you know. Why, I’m feeling as fit as ever, I guess; and I
expect to go on that long run this afternoon, just to keep in trim for
the trial heats Saturday next.”
“Of course I’m glad to hear you say that, Frank; but it did frighten us
when we saw you lead the way into the cellar, with all that black smoke
pouring out.”
“It wasn’t so very black, you know, Minnie,” interrupted Frank,
teasingly.
“Well, anyway,” she went on, “Helen and I just fell into each other’s
arms; and we stood that way, hugging tight, all the time you were in
there. We’re both proud of you; and Helen would be here to say the same
if she wasn’t so busy telling Paul Bird something like that right now.”
Lanky Wallace was hovering around, as though he wanted to speak to
Frank; and the latter could give a pretty good guess what it might be.
“Just wait for me a minute while I speak to Lanky, Minnie,” he
remarked; “and then I’d like to walk home with you. I’ve got something
to say about that little boat-ride we planned to take to-night, because
the moon is full, and it’s going to be a glorious night. Can you wait
for me a minute or two, Minnie?”
“I suppose so, seeing that I’ve already waited an hour almost; but be
as quick as you can, Frank, for I’m almost famished, I confess to you,”
was the reply; as the girl gave him one of her most roguish smiles, for
which almost any sensible fellow would feel like going through fire and
water, if he could feel that it was meant as a reward for his daring.
“Say, I didn’t like to call you away,” remarked Lanky, as Frank joined
him. “But I wanted to say that as we have that run this afternoon, and
there’s going to be no session to-morrow, perhaps we’d better postpone
our trip to Budd’s Corners, till the morning. How does that suit you,
Frank?”
“All right,” replied the other, briskly; “I couldn’t go to-night
anyhow, for Minnie made a date with me to take her out boat-riding in
the full of the moon. Is that all you wanted to say, Lanky?”
“Yes; and now return to your pleasant little chat with Minnie,” the
other said, with a long-drawn sigh that Frank understood very well.
“By the way, Lanky,” he remarked, “seems to me I saw you talking with
Dora just a little while ago. Have you made up again?”
“Not that I’ve heard about,” replied Lanky, gloomily. “Of course, I
want to treat her civilly, as a fellow always ought a girl he used to
think a heap of; but I can’t forget how she gave me the cold shake that
night we had the class dance in the barn. If she’d only ask me to
forget that, I’d quit feeling like thirty cents, and perk up again.”
“But she was talking to you; wasn’t she?” persisted Frank.
“Why, yes, she said she was glad I got out of that cellar O. K.; that
she was _so_ proud to think that she and I _used_ to be such very good
friends; and a lot more of the same kind; but not a peep about bein’
sorry because she cut me that night. And, Frank, I guess I showed her
that I wasn’t carin’ a cent. I was as cool as you please; and thanked
her just like you might the mayor of Columbia, if he came to tell you
the town fathers had voted a medal for your work to-day.”
Frank looked at him curiously. He knew the state of Lanky’s feelings,
and that the tall chap cared more for fickle little Dora than he was
willing to acknowledge. And then and there Frank determined to enlist
the services of Minnie Cuthbert in trying to heal the breach between
the two estranged ones; though, of course, he would not think of
hinting about this to proud Lanky.
“I guess you must have, Lanky,” he said, shortly; “because I saw her
turn, and walk away with her head held high in the air. You didn’t
notice her hand when she held it out to you, I suppose?”
“Well,” replied the other, with a flush of what might be regret, “you
see that smoke it was fierce, and I’ve been about half blind ever
since.”
He turned abruptly and walked away. Perhaps it may have been the smoke
caused his eyes to water then, for Frank was positive he saw them
glisten with some suspicious moisture.
“The poor old chap does feel it more than he’ll admit,” he said to
himself as he started to rejoin the impatient Minnie. “But if anybody
can fix things, Minnie will. Takes a girl like her to handle a delicate
subject. She’ll get chummy-like with Dora, and draw her out. Then
she’ll tell her how bad Lanky feels, and what she ought to do as the
right thing, after cutting him dead that night. Oh! it’ll be all right
soon, I reckon.”
And as Frank walked home with Minnie Cuthbert they had their heads
close together in a way that made more than one old gossip smile and
look wise; not knowing that they were discussing the carrying-out of a
generous act.