PHIL AND BEN MAKE A MOVE
So far Dave and Nat Poole had not met face to face. Our hero had seen
the money-lender's son a number of times, but Nat had always been with
some of his cronies and had, apparently, not taken any notice.
But on the morning following the conversation just recorded, the pair
came face to face in one of the narrow hallways.
"Good-morning, Nat," said Dave, pleasantly.
"Morning," grumbled the other student. He was about to pass Dave, but
suddenly changed his mind. "So you got back, eh?"
"Yes, I've been back several days."
"I heard that Link Merwell got away from you?"
"That is true."
"Humph! If I had the chance to nab him that you had, I'd not let him
get away."
"We held Jasniff."
"Maybe you let Merwell go on purpose," continued the money-lender's
son, shrewdly.
"Not at all, Nat. He gave us the slip, clean and clear."
"Humph!" Nat paused for a moment. "I got word from my dad that you
almost smashed him up on the road with your auto."
"Hardly as bad as that."
"He is going to make your uncle pay for the damage done."
"It wasn't much."
"It was enough. You want to be more careful with your car after this.
You auto fellows seem to think you own the whole road."
"What about your motor-boat, Nat?" asked Dave. He remembered how the
money-lender's son had played more than one mean trick while running
the craft.
"Oh, my boat is all right, Dave Porter!" sniffed Nat; and then he
moved on, with a scowl on his face.
"The same old Nat," soliloquized our hero. "Too bad that he can't make
himself a bit more agreeable."
That day was a particularly trying one in the classroom. The lessons
were unusually hard, and Dave had all he could do to pass, especially
in those studies presided over by Professor Haskers. Roger made one
miss in his Latin and poor Phil made several, while Ben Basswood's
recitation was a complete failure.
As was usual with him, Job Haskers was exceedingly dictatorial, and
said some cutting things that brought the blood to Dave's face.
"You must do much better than this, Porter and Morr," said the
professor. "Otherwise I shall have to place you in the next lower
class. You, Lawrence and Basswood, have failed so utterly that I will
have to take your cases under immediate consideration. The class is
dismissed."
"The old bear!" growled Ben, under his breath.
He looked inquiringly at Phil, and the latter nodded knowingly.
Dave did not know what to do. He did not wish Phil and Ben to get into
further trouble, yet he did not know how to interfere. Besides, he was
suffering himself and hardly knew what to do on his own account.
"This is the worst yet," cried Roger, as he and our hero came out of
the classroom side by side.
"There go Phil and Ben," returned Dave. "Roger, they have got some
plan up their sleeve."
"I believe you, Dave. I wish I knew what to do. Shall we go to Doctor
Clay?"
"I've been thinking of that, Roger. But I hate to do it. I'd rather
fight my own battles."
"So would I."
"Let us wait until to-morrow and see if things don't take a turn for
the better."
"All right, just as you say. But it's a shame, the way old Haskers
treats us," grumbled the senator's son.
In the meantime Phil and Ben had gone on ahead. Both were exceeding
angry and consequently not in a frame of mind to use their best
judgment.
"It's an outrage!" burst out the shipowner's son. "An outrage, Ben! I
am not going to stand for it!"
"Well, I am with you, Phil," returned Ben. "But what can we do?"
"You know what I spoke about last evening?"
"Yes."
"How about doing that?"
"I am with you, if you are game."
"Of course we may make old Haskers tearing mad."
"We'll only face him with the truth, won't we?"
"Yes."
"Then, let us do it. And the sooner the better."
"Yes, but we must see him alone."
"Of course. I think we can manage it just before supper--when he goes
up to his room to fix up for the evening."
The two chums talked the affair over for a long time.
"I don't suppose Dave will like this," ventured Ben, presently. "What
do you think?"
"He isn't hit as hard as we are," answered Phil, lamely. "If he
was--well, he might look at things in a different light."
"That's so," answered Ben. But deep down in his heart he was afraid
that our hero would not altogether approve of what he and Phil
proposed to do.
The boys took a walk, and purposely kept out of the way of Dave and
Roger. They did not return to the Hall until fifteen minutes before
the first bell for supper. Then they came in by a side entrance and
passed swiftly up the stairs and along the hallway to the room
occupied by Job Haskers.
"Who is it?" asked the teacher, sharply, when Phil had knocked.
"Mr. Haskers, it is Phil Lawrence," was the reply. "Ben Basswood is
with me. We wish to see you."
"Ah, indeed!" said the teacher, coldly. "You come to me at an unusual
hour. You may see me to-morrow, before class."
"Mr. Haskers, we wish very much to see you now," put in Ben.
"We have got to see you," added Phil, warmly.
There was no immediate reply to this. The boys heard Job Haskers
moving around the room and heard him shut a bureau. Then the door was
flung open.
"You insist upon seeing me, eh?" demanded the professor, harshly.
"We do, Mr. Haskers," returned Phil, boldly.
"Very well, young gentlemen; step in." And Job Haskers glared at the
boys as he stood aside for them to enter.
"We came to see you, sir, about those Latin lessons," went on Phil,
finding it just then difficult to speak. He realized that Job Haskers
was in no humor for being lenient.
"Well?" shot out the professor.
"We feel that we are not being treated fairly," put in Ben, believing
he should not make Phil do all the talking.
"Not treated fairly? I believe I am the best judge of that,
Basswood."
"Mr. Haskers, I hate to say it, but you are a hard-hearted man!" cried
out Phil, the door being closed, so that no outsider might hear. "You
are not giving us a fair chance. The other teachers have given me and
Dave Porter and Roger Morr several weeks in which to make up those
lessons we missed while we were away. You wish to give us only a
week."
"And you didn't give me a fair chance to make up," added Ben.
"See here, who is master here, you or I?" demanded Job Haskers,
drawing himself up. "Boys, you are impudent! I will not stand it!"
"Yes, you will stand it," cried Phil, throwing caution to the winds.
"All we ask is a fair deal, and you have got to give it to us. We'll
make up those lessons, if you'll give us a fair amount of time. I
don't intend to be put in a lower class for nothing."
"And I'm not going to stand it either," came from Ben.
"Ha! this to me?" snarled Job Haskers. "Take care, or I'll have you
dismissed from the Hall!"
"If you try it, it will be the worst day's work you ever did, Mr.
Haskers," warned the shipowner's son.
"What, you threaten me?"
"We are going to make you give us a fair chance, that is all. And if
you'll do that, we'll give you a fair chance."
"Why, why--you--you----" The irate instructor knew not for the moment
how to proceed.
"Mr. Haskers, I think you had better listen to me," pursued Phil.
"I have listened to all I care to hear."
"Oh, no, you haven't. There is much more--and you had better listen
closely--if you care at all for your reputation here at Oak Hall."
The professor stared at the boy and grew a trifle pale.
"Wha--what do you--er--mean by that, Lawrence?"
"I hate very much to bring this subject up, Mr. Haskers, but you
practically compel me to do it. If you will only promise to give us a
fair chance to make up our lessons, I won't say a word about it."
"Just what do you mean?" faltered the teacher.
"I know something about your doings in the past--doings which are of
no credit to you. If you disgrace Ben and me by degrading us in
classes, we'll disgrace you by telling all we know."
"And what do you know?" demanded Job Haskers, hastily.
"We know a good deal," put in Ben.
"All about your dealing with the poor widow, Mrs. Breen," added the
shipowner's son. "How you still owe her for board, and how you
borrowed money to publish a book that was never issued."
"Who told you that?" cried Job Haskers, stepping back in
consternation. "Who told you that I had borrowed money from her, and
that I owed her for board?"
"Never mind who told us," said Ben. "We know it is true."
"And you went to that lawyer, eh?" stormed Professor Haskers. "You
got him to threaten a suit, didn't you? I got his letter only this
afternoon."
"We went to no lawyer," answered Phil.
"I know better! I see it all now! You want to get me into trouble--to
disgrace me here!" Job Haskers began to pace the floor. "It is--er--a
mistake. I meant to pay that lady but it--er--slipped my mind. And the
book has been issued, but the publishers have not--er--seen fit to
push it, that is why you and the world at large have not heard of
it."
"Mr. Haskers, we haven't told anybody about this," went on Phil,
pointedly. "You can settle with that lawyer, whoever he may be,--and
we'll not say a word to anybody--that is, providing you'll give us a
fair chance in our lessons."
"Ha! maybe you wish me to pass you without an examination," cried the
teacher, cunningly.
"No, sir!" answered Phil, stoutly.
"We simply ask for more time, that is all," added Ben. "We don't ask
any favor. We can make up the lessons if you will give us as much time
as the other teachers would give us."
"You have not told anybody of this--this--er--affair of Mrs. Breen?"
"No."
"It is all a mistake, but I should not like it to get abroad. It would
hurt my reputation a great deal. I shall settle the matter in the
near future. I do not owe that lady as much as the lawyer says I
do,--but that is not your affair." Job Haskers continued to pace the
floor. "Now about your lessons," he continued, after a pause. "If
I--er--thought that I had really been too hard on you----" He paused.
"You certainly have been hard," said Phil.
"And if you really need more time----"
"Give us two weeks more and we'll be all right," put in Ben.
"And if--er--if I should decide to do that, you will--er----"
"We'll make good--and keep our mouths shut," finished Phil.
"Very well. I will think it over, young gentlemen, and let you know
to-morrow morning, before class. And in the meantime----"
"We won't say a word to anybody," said Ben, with a little grin.
"So be it;" and Job Haskers bowed. "There is the supper-bell. You may
go now. Come to me just before class to-morrow," he added; and then
the two students passed out of the room, and the teacher shut the door
after them.