AN UNUSUAL COMPACT
"He'll do it--he is bound to do it!" cried Ben, as he and Phil hurried
down to the dining-room.
"I think so myself, Ben," answered the shipowner's son. But, for some
reason, he did not seem as joyful over the outcome of the interview as
might have been expected.
"He won't dare let this news become public property," went on the
other student. "He is too afraid of public opinion."
"Ben, he thinks we got that lawyer to take the case up."
"You told him we hadn't."
"But he didn't believe it--I could tell that by his manner. And, Ben,
do you know, after all, this looks to me as if we had, somehow, bribed
him to be easy on us," continued Phil, with added concern.
"Oh, don't bother your head about that, Phil. We only asked for what
is fair, didn't we?"
"Yes, but----" And then the shipowner's son did not finish, because
he did not know what to say. In some manner, Phil's conscience
troubled him, and he wondered what Dave and Roger would say when they
heard of what had occurred.
During the meal that followed but little was said by any of the boys.
Once or twice our hero looked at Phil, but the latter avoided his
gaze. As soon as the repast was over, Phil rushed outside, followed by
Ben; and that was the last seen of the pair until it was time to go to
bed.
"They have been up to something, that is certain," was the comment of
the senator's son.
"Well, we can only wait and see what turns up," answered Dave,
thoughtfully. "I don't think I care to ask them."
In the morning, when Dave got up he looked over to where Phil was in
the habit of sleeping. The bed was empty, and the shipowner's son was
gone.
"Dressed half an hour ago," said another of the dormitory inmates.
"Went off again with Ben, I'll wager," murmured Roger. Ben was in
another room, across the hallway, that term.
Dave and Roger had been hard at work the evening before, doing their
best to make up the lessons they had missed while away from the
school. They doubted if Phil and Ben had studied at all. With
considerable curiosity they awaited the opening of the morning
classes, to see what might happen. They felt that something was "in
the air."
Just before the last bell rang Phil and Ben appeared, their faces
wreathed in smiles.
"It's all right, fellows!" cried the shipowner's son, merrily. "It's
all right!"
"Now we can take our time making up those missed lessons," added Ben.
"You went to old Haskers?" queried Roger.
"We sure did," answered the shipowner's son.
"And told him about----" began our hero.
"Never mind what we told him, Dave," interrupted Phil. "We did tell
him that we wanted to make up the lessons but couldn't do it in the
time he had allotted. He argued it, at first, but now he has agreed to
give us the same time Mr. Dale did, three weeks."
"Good!" exclaimed Roger.
"You, or all of us?" asked our hero.
"All of us. I think he'll speak to you at recess--he said he would."
"What did he say when you--when you mentioned Mrs. Breen?" asked
Roger.
"Hush, somebody might hear you!" returned Phil, in a whisper. "We have
promised to keep that quiet."
"But the poor woman----" began Dave.
"Will get her money, never fear. A lawyer has already written about
it, and old Haskers says he will pay up. He claims it is all a
mistake. But he doesn't want anybody at Oak Hall to get wind of it."
There was no time to say more, and evidently neither Phil nor Ben felt
in the humor to discuss the affair. The early morning lesson proceeded
as usual, but it was noticed that Professor Haskers was much subdued
in his manner towards the students.
"Porter and Morr, I wish to speak to you at recess," said he, coming
down to where the two lads sat. "Kindly remain here."
When the other students had left the classroom the instructor came to
our hero and his chum and motioned for them to follow him to a private
room close by.
"I wish to speak to you about the lessons you are to make up," said
Job Haskers, after clearing his throat several times. "I understand
that you want more time."
"We would like to have more time, yes," answered Dave, briefly, and
looking the teacher full in the face.
"Can you do the lessons in three weeks?"
"Yes, Mr. Haskers," said Dave, and Roger nodded his head.
"Then you can take that much time. But, remember, I shall expect you
to--to--er--to make up the lessons."
"Yes, sir," came from both students.
"If you need more time--or any assistance--possibly I can arrange it,"
went on Job Haskers, eagerly.
"Thank you, if you give me three weeks I am sure I can make up the
lessons to your satisfaction, Mr. Haskers," came from our hero.
"And so can I," added the senator's son. "Anyway, I'll try my level
best."
"Very well, then, we will let it stand that way." There was a pause
and the instructor bit his lip several times. "By the way,
I--er--understand that there is a very unpleasant rumor going around
concerning me," he proceeded. "It is all a mistake which I shall try
to clear up without delay. I trust that you will not attempt
to--er--to circulate that rumor any further."
"Mr. Haskers, do you mean about that affair with Mrs. Breen?" demanded
Dave, bluntly.
"Yes. I have already explained to Lawrence and Basswood that it is a
mistake, and that the widow will be paid all that is due her. But if
this should--er--be mentioned here----" The teacher stopped short and
looked sharply at Dave and Roger.
"Mr. Haskers, let us understand each other," answered Dave, quickly.
"I have no desire whatever to get you or anybody else into trouble.
Nor do I want to ask you for any favors. I think we are justly
entitled to more time in which to make up those lessons, and now that
you have granted that time, I shall do my best to make good. As for
that Mrs. Breen affair, I think that poor old lady ought to have her
money. I understand some lawyer is going to try to collect it for her.
Well, if you settle the matter I shall feel very glad; and you can
rest assured that I will not say a word about the matter to anybody in
this school, or anywhere else."
"You--er--you give me your word on that, Porter?" demanded the
instructor, eagerly.
"I do."
"And you, Morr?"
"Yes, sir," answered the senator's son.
"Who else is there who knows about this--er--unpleasant affair?"
"Phil Lawrence and Ben Basswood," answered Roger.
"No other students?"
"Not that I know of."
"Very well, then." Job Haskers drew a breath of relief. "See that you
keep your word. And about the lessons--if three weeks are not long
enough, I may--er--be able to give you a little more time."
"That time will be enough," replied Dave.
"We'll make it with ease," added Roger.
"Then that is settled, and you may go," and so speaking, Job Haskers
left the room. The two boys followed him, and went out on the campus.
"How did you make out?" questioned Phil, as he ran up to them.
"We got our time," answered Roger.
"But let me tell you one thing," said Dave. "After this Haskers is
going to hate us worse than ever."
"I don't see why," declared the shipowner's son. "I think we are
letting him off mighty easy."
"He feels as if he had been forced into doing what we want," went on
Dave. "I think he looks at it as if you had used that Mrs. Breen
incident as a club over him."
"Well, it was a club in one sense, Dave."
"I know it, Phil, and, although I am glad we have won out and gotten
that extra time, still I am sorry that you and Ben went to him as you
did."
"Humph! did you think I was going to sit still and be put back into a
lower class?"
"Maybe it might have been better if you had gone to Doctor Clay."
"I don't think so," replied Phil, shortly; and then the school-bell
rang again and all the boys had to go to their next classes.
In spite of the cloud that thus hung over the affair, every one of
the chums was glad of the extra time in which to make up the lost
lessons. Not one of them had to grind away as hard as before, and Dave
took a little time off, in which to send a letter to his father and
another to Jessie.
The next day was warm and pleasant and, after school-hours, Roger
proposed to Dave that they take a walk up the woods road back of the
school.
"All right, a walk in the woods will do us good," was the answer.
"Shall we ask some of the others?"
"If you wish," and in the end Phil went along, and also Buster Beggs
and Gus Plum.
"My, but I had a run-in with old Haskers this afternoon," said the
stout youth. "I came close to carrying the matter to the doctor."
"What was it about?" questioned Dave.
"Oh, nothing at all, to my way of thinking. I went to the library to
get a book and he accused me of wasting my class time. He was very
ugly. I won't stand for much more of it," grumbled Buster.
Dave said no more, but he and Roger exchanged glances. Evidently the
irate instructor was going to "take it out of somebody," as the saying
goes.
The boys walked on and on, along the road, until Oak Hall was left far
behind. Soon Buster forgot his troubles, and the crowd were chatting
gayly of many things.
"Call for candidates for the baseball team next Saturday," announced
Gus Plum. "I hope we get up a team this year that knocks the spots out
of Rockville Military Academy and all the other institutions we cross
bats with."
"Are you going to try for the nine this term, Gus?" questioned Dave.
"Sure! Why not? You'll try, won't you?" went on the big youth, in
surprise.
"No, I've decided not to go into athletics this term, Gus. I want to
give all my time to my studies."
"Yes, but the nine needs you, Dave!" put in Buster. "I heard some of
the fellows talking about it only yesterday. They had you slated for
your old position."
"Well, if Gus wants to play, he can fill the box," answered Dave.
"But we need more than one pitcher," insisted Buster.
"There are plenty of new students coming along. I hear Thomas is a
good one, and so is Ennis."
"I'm not going to play, either," said Roger. "I want to graduate with
all the honors possible."
"How about you, Phil?"
"I--I think I'll play," answered the shipowner's son, rather lamely.
"I'll see about it later."
"Well, I don't want to neglect my studies," said Gus Plum. "But I have
done some hard work this winter and so I am pretty well ahead. I
didn't lose time going to Cave Island, you know," he added, with a
smile.
"Well, it was worth it--losing that time," answered Dave. "It saved
Mr. Wadsworth from ruin, and that's a good deal."
"If the baseball nine----" commenced Buster, and then broke off short.
"What was that?" he demanded, as a cry from a distance broke on the
ears of all.
"It's a woman's voice!" cried Dave, quickly. "She is calling for help!
Come on and see what is the matter!" And he started off on a run, with
his school chums at his heels.