him lean forward to peer into his face. And in a minute he was conscious
that on the other side he was just as much of an object of attention. He
buried his face in his glass of milk; but when he took it out, they were
staring still the same.
"Ugh! stop your looking at me," growled Joel.
"What's the matter with you, anyway?" asked the other boy.
"Get away--nothing," said Joel crossly, and bestowing as much of a kick
as he dared on the other boy's shin.
"Ow! There is too."
"You're awfully funny," said the first boy, "you haven't spoken a word
since you sat down."
"Well, I ain't going to talk, if I don't want to," declared Joel. "Do
stop, Fletcher; everybody's looking."
But Fletcher wouldn't stop, and Joel had the satisfaction of seeing the
whole table, with the under-teacher, Mr. Harrow, at the head, making
him, between their mouthfuls, the centre of observation. The only
alleviation of this misery was that Percy was at another table, and with
his back to him.
David looked across in a worried way. "Are you sick, Joe?" he asked.
"No." Joel laughed, and began to eat busily. When he saw that, David
gave a sigh of relief.
Mr. Harrow was telling something just then that seemed of more than
common interest, and the boys, hearing Joel laugh once more, turned off
to listen. "Yes," said the under-teacher, "it was a dog that was--"
"Ugh!" cried Joel. "Oh, beg pardon," and his face grew dreadfully red,
as he tried to get as small as possible on his chair.
"It's a dog I used to own, Joel," said Mr. Harrow, smiling at him. "And
I taught him tricks, several quite remarkable ones."
"Yes, sir," mumbled Joel, taking a big bite of his biscuit; and for the
next quarter of an hour he was safe, as the funny stories lasted till
back went the chairs, and the evening meal was over.
To say that Joel's life was an easy one till bedtime, would be very far
from the truth. Strange to say, David did not go to the closet once. To
be sure, there was a narrow escape that made Joel's heart leap to his
mouth.
"Let's have Mamsie's cake, Joe, to-night," said David in an aside to
him. The room was full of boys; it was just before study hour, and how
to tell David of the dog, was racking Joe's powers of mind.
"Ugh!--no, not to-night, Dave." He was so very decided that although
David was puzzled at his manner, he gave it up without a question. And
then came study hour when all the boys must be down in "Long Hall," and
Joel lingered behind the others. "I'll be down in a minute." He flew
over to the closet, broke off another generous wedge of Mamsie's cake,
stifling a second sigh as he thought of the plums. "You haven't eaten my
half yet," he said as the dog swallowed it whole without winking. "Keep
still now." He slammed to the door again, and was off, his books under
his arm.
And after the two boys went up to bed, David was too tired and sleepy to
talk, and hopped into his bed so quickly that long before Joel was
undressed he was off to dreamland.
"That's good,--now I haven't got to tell him till morning." Joel went
over to the other bed in the corner, and listened to the regular
breathing, then tiptoed softly off to the closet, first putting out the
light. "I know what I'm going to do." He got down on all-fours, and put
his hand out softly over the pile of shoes, till he felt the dog's mangy
back. "I'm going to take you in my bed; you'll smother in here. Now,
sir!" The dog was ready enough to be quiet, only occupied in licking
Joel's hands. So Joel jumped into his bed, carrying his charge, and
huddled down under the clothes.
After being quite sure that he was really to remain in this paradise,
the dog began to turn around and around to find exactly the best
position in which to settle down for the night. This took him so long,
interrupted as the process was with so many lickings of Joel's brown
face, that it looked as if neither would get very much sleep that
night; Joel, not averse to this lengthy operation, hugging his dog and
patting him, to his complete demoralization just as he was about to
quiet down.
At last even Joel was tired, and his eyes drooped. "Now go to
sleep"--with a final pat--"I'm going to call you Sinbad." Joel, having
always been mightily taken with Sinbad the Sailor, felt that no other
name could be quite good enough for his new treasure. And Sinbad,
realizing that a call to repose had actually been given, curled up, in
as round a ball as he could, under Joel's chin, and both were soon sound
asleep.
It was near the middle of the night. Joel had been dreaming of his old
menagerie and circus he had once in the little brown house, in which
there were not only trained dogs who could do the most wonderful
things,--strange to say, now they were all of them yellow, and had
stumpy tails,--but animals and reptiles of the most delightful variety,
never seen in any other show on earth; when a noise, that at once
suggested a boy screaming "_Ow!_" struck upon his ear, and brought him
bolt upright in his bed. He pawed wildly around, but Sinbad was nowhere
to be found.
XI THE UNITED CLUBS
The whole dormitory was in an uproar. "_Ow!_ help--help!" Mr. Harrow,
having gone out after dinner, had retired late, and was now sound
asleep, so another instructor scaled the stairs, getting there long
before Mrs. Fox, the matron, could put in an appearance.
In the babel, it was somewhat difficult to locate the boy who had
screamed out. At last, "In there, Farnham's room," cried several voices
at once.
"Nightmare, I suppose," said the instructor to himself, dashing in.
But it was a real thing he soon saw, as a knot of boys huddled around
the bed, where the terrified occupant still sat, drawing up his knees to
his chin, and screaming all sorts of things, in which "wild beast" and
"cold nose" was all that could be distinguished.
[Illustration: JUST THEN SOMETHING SKIMMED OUT FROM THE CORNER.]
"Stop this noise!" commanded the instructor, who had none of Mr.
Harrow's pleasant but decided ways for quelling an incipient riot. So
they bawled on, the boy in bed yelling that he wouldn't be left alone.
Just then something skimmed out from the corner; the boys flew to one
side, showing a tendency to find the door. Even the instructor jumped.
Then he bethought himself to light the gas, which brought out the fact
that there certainly was an animal in the room, as they could hear it
now under the bed.
"Boys, be quiet. Mrs. Fox's cat has got up here, probably," said the
instructor. But the boy in the bed protested that it wasn't a cat that
had waked him up by thrusting a cold nose in his face, and jumping on
top of him. And he huddled worse than ever now that it was under him;
yet afraid to step out on the floor.
Even the instructor did not offer to look under the bed, when Joel
Pepper rushed in, his black eyes gleaming. "Oh, it's my dog!" he cried.
"It's Joe Pepper's dog!" cried the whole roomful, nearly tumbling over
each other.
"And when did you begin to keep a dog, Joel Pepper?" hurled the
instructor at him, too angry for anything, that he hadn't impressed the
boys with his courage.
But Joel was occupied in ramming his body under the bed as far as
possible. "Here, Sinbad," and he presently emerged with a very red face,
and Sinbad safely in his arms, who seemed perfectly delighted to get
into his old refuge again. David had now joined the group, as much
aghast as every other spectator.
"Do you hear me, Joel Pepper?" thundered the instructor again. "When did
you get that dog?" This brought Joel to.
"Oh, I haven't had him long, sir," he said, and trembling for Sinbad, as
he felt in every fibre of his being that the beast's fate was sealed,
unless he could win over the irritated teacher. "He's a poor dog I--I
found, sir," wishing he could think of the right words, and knowing that
every word he uttered only made matters worse.
"David," cried the instructor, catching Davie's eye, down by the door,
"do you know anything about this dog?"
"No, sir," said David, all in a tremble, and wishing he could say
something to help Joel out.
"Well, now, you wait a minute." The instructor, feeling that here was a
chance to impress the boys with his executive ability, looked about over
the table where Farnham's schoolbooks were thrown. "Got a bit of
string? No--oh, yes." He pounced on a piece, and came over to Joel and
the dog.
"What are you going to do, sir?" Joel hung to Sinbad with a tighter grip
than ever.
"Never mind; it's not for you to question me," said the instructor, with
great authority.
But Joel edged away. Visions of being expelled from Dr. Marks' school
swam before his eyes, and he turned very white.
David plunged through the crowd of boys, absolutely still with the
excitement. "Oh Joel," he begged hoarsely, "let Mr. Parr do as he wants
to. Mamsie would say so."
Joel turned at that. "Don't hurt him," he begged. "Don't, please, Mr.
Parr."
"I shall not hurt him," said Mr. Parr, putting the cord about the dog's
neck, and holding the other end, after it was knotted fast. "I am going
to tie him in the area till morning. Here you, sir," as Sinbad showed
lively intentions toward his captor's legs, with a backward glance at
his late master.
"Oh, if you'll let me keep him in my room, Mr. Parr," cried Joel,
tumbling over to the instructor, who was executing a series of
remarkable steps as he dragged Sinbad off, "I'll--I'll be just as
good--just till the morning, sir. Oh, _please_, Mr. Parr--I'll study,
and get my lessons better, I truly will," cried poor Joel, unable to
promise anything more difficult of performance.
"You'll have to study better anyway, Joel Pepper," said Mr. Parr grimly,
as he and Sinbad disappeared down the stairway. "Every boy get back to
his room," was the parting command.
No need to tell Joel. He dashed through the ranks, and flung himself
into his bed, dragged up the clothes well over his stubby head, and
cried as if his heart would break.
"Joel--Joel--oh, Joey!" begged David hoarsely, and running to
precipitate himself by his side. But Joel only burrowed deeper and
sobbed on.
And Davie, trying to keep awake, to give possible comfort, at last
tumbled asleep, when Joel with a flood of fresh sorrow rolled over as
near to the wall as he could get, and tried to hold in his sobs.
As soon as he dared the next morning, Joel hopped over David still
asleep, and out of bed; jumped into his clothes, and ran softly
downstairs. There in the area was Sinbad, who had evidently concluded
to make the best of it, and accept the situation, for he was curled up
in as small a compass as possible, and was even attempting a little
sleep.
"I won't let him see me," said Joel to himself, "but as soon as Dr.
Marks is up"--and he glanced over at the master's house for any sign of
things beginning to move for the day--"and dressed, why, I'll go and ask
him--" what, he didn't dare to say, for Joel hadn't been able, with all
his thinking, to devise any plan whereby Sinbad could be saved.
"But perhaps Dr. Marks will know," he kept thinking; and after a while
the shades were drawn up at the red brick house across the yard, the
housemaid came out to brush off the steps, and various other indications
showed that the master was beginning to think of the new day and its
duties.
Joel plunged across the yard. It was awful, he knew, to intrude at the
master's house before breakfast. But by that time--oh, dreadful!--Sinbad
would probably be beyond the help of any rescuing hand, for Mr. Parr
would, without a doubt, deliver him to the garbage man to be hauled
off. And Joel, with no thought of consequences to himself, plunged
recklessly on.
"Is Dr. Marks up?" he demanded of the housemaid, who only stared at him,
and went on with her work of sweeping off the steps. "Is Dr. Marks up?"
cried Joel, his black eyes flashing, and going halfway up.
"Yes; but what of it?" cried the housemaid airily, leaning on her broom
a minute.
"Oh, I must see him," cried Joel, bounding into the hall. It was such a
cry of distress that it penetrated far within the house.
"Oh my! you outrageous boy!" exclaimed the housemaid, shaking her broom
at him. "You come right out."
Meantime a voice said, "What is it?" And there was Dr. Marks in dressing
gown and slippers looking over the railing at the head of the stairs.
"Oh Dr. Marks, Dr. Marks!" Joel, not giving himself time to think,
dashed over the stairs, to look up into the face under the iron-gray
hair.
The master could scarcely conceal his amazement, but he made a brave
effort at self-control.
"Why, Pepper!" he exclaimed, and there was a good deal of displeasure in
face and manner; so much so that Joel's knees knocked smartly together,
and everything swam before his eyes.
"Well, what did you want to see me for, Pepper?" Dr. Marks was
inquiring, so Joel blurted out, "A dog, sir."
"A _dog_?" repeated Dr. Marks, and now he showed his amazement and
displeasure as well. "And is this what you have interrupted me to say,
at this unseasonable hour, Joel Pepper?"
"Oh!" cried Joel, and then he broke right down, and went flat on the
stairs, crying as if his heart would break. And Mrs. Marks threw on her
pretty blue wrapper in a dreadful tremor, and rushed out with
restoratives; and the housemaid who shook her broom at Joel, ran on
remorseful feet for a glass of water, and the master's whole house was
in a ferment. But Dr. Marks waved them all aside. "The boy needs
nothing," he said. "Come, Joel." He took his hand, all grimy and
streaked, and looked at his poor, swollen eyelids and nose, over which
the tears were still falling, and in a minute he had him in his own
private study, with the door shut.
When he emerged a quarter-hour after, Joel was actually smiling. He had
hold of the master's hand, and clutched in his other fist was a note,
somewhat changed in appearance from its immaculate condition when
delivered by Dr. Marks to the bearer.
"Yes, sir," Joel was saying, "I'll do it all just as you say, sir." And
he ran like lightning across the yard.
The note put into the instructor's hand, made him change countenance
more than once in the course of its reading. It simply said, for it was
very short, that the dog was to be delivered to Joel Pepper, who was to
bring it to the master's house; and although there wasn't a line or even
a word to show any disapproval of his course, Mr. Parr felt, as he set
about obeying it, as if somehow he had made a little mistake somewhere.
All Joel thought of, however, was to get possession of Sinbad. And when
once he had the cord in his hand, he untied it with trembling fingers,
Sinbad, in his transport, hampering the operation dreadfully by bobbing
his head about in his violent efforts to lick Joel's face and hands, for
he had about given up in despair the idea of ever seeing him again.
"He's glad to go, isn't he, Joel?" observed the instructor, to break the
ice, and make conversation.
But no such effort was necessary, for Joel looked up brightly. "Isn't
he, sir? Now say good-bye." At last the string was loose, and dangling
to the hook in the area wall, and Joel held the dog up, and stuck out
his paw.
"Good-bye," said Mr. Parr, laughing as he took it, and quite relieved to
find that relations were not strained after all, as Joel, hugging his
dog, sped hastily across the yard again to the master's house.
Dr. Marks never told how very ugly he found the dog, but, summoning the
man who kept his garden and lawn in order, he consigned Sinbad to his
care, with another note.
"Now, Joel," he said, "you know this payment comes every week out of
your allowance for this dog's keeping, eh? It is clearly understood,
Joel?"
"Oh, yes, sir--yes!" shouted Joel.
"Perhaps we'll be able to find a good home for him. Well, good-bye,
Sinbad," said the master, as Sinbad, with the gardener's hand over his
eyes, so that he could not see Joel, was marched off, Dr. Marks from the
veranda charging that the note be delivered and read before leaving the
dog.
"Oh, I'm going to take him home at vacation," announced Joel decidedly.
"Indeed! Well, now, perhaps your grandfather won't care for him; you
must not count too much upon it, my boy." All the control in the world
could not keep the master from smiling now.
"Oh, I guess he will." Joel was in no wise disturbed by the doubt.
"Well, run along to breakfast with you, Pepper," cried Dr. Marks
good-humoredly, "and the next time you come over to see me, don't bring
any more dogs."
So Joel, in high good spirits, and thinking how he would soon run down
to the little old cobbler's where the master had sent the dog, chased
off across the yard once more, and slipped in to breakfast with a
terrible appetite, and a manner as if nothing especial had happened the
preceding night.
And all the boys rubbed their eyes, particularly as Joel and Mr. Parr
seemed to be on the best of terms. And once when something was said
about a dog by Mr. Harrow, who hadn't heard anything of the midnight
tumult in the dormitory, and was for continuing the account of his
trained pet, the other under-teacher and Joel Pepper indulged in smiles
and nods perfectly mystifying to all the other people at the table,
David included.
David, when he woke up, which was quite late, to find Joel gone, had
been terribly frightened. But chancing to look out of the window, he saw
him racing across the yard, and watching closely, he discovered that he
had something in his arms, and that he turned in to the master's house.
"I can't do anything now," said Davie to himself in the greatest
distress; yet somehow when he came to think of it, it seemed to be with
a great deal of hope since Dr. Marks was to be appealed to. And when
breakfast-time came, and with it Joel so blithe and hungry, David fell
to on his own breakfast with a fine appetite.
* * * * *
All the boys of the club, not one to be reported absent, presented
themselves at Mr. King's on club night. And all the members of the
"Salisbury School Club" came promptly together, with one new member,
Cathie Harrison, who, at Polly's suggestion, had been voted in at the
last meeting.
Alexia still had her arm in a sling; and indeed she was quite willing it
should remain so, for she was in constant terror that her aunt, who had
been persuaded to leave her, would insist on the return home. So Alexia
begged off at every mention of the subject, as Grandpapa King and Mother
Fisher were very glad to have the visit lengthened. She was as gay as
ever, and to-night was quite in her element; it had been so long since
she had had a good time.
"Oh, Jasper," she cried, "can we all get into your den?"
"I think so," said Jasper, who had already settled all that with Polly,
counting every member as coming, in order to make no mistake, "we're to
have the business-meeting in there, Alexia; and after that, father has
invited us in to the drawing-room."
"What richness!" exclaimed Alexia, sinking into one of the library
chairs to pull out her skirts and play with her rings. "Oh, Jasper King,
I shouldn't think you'd ever in all this world get used to living in
this perfectly exquisite house."
"Well, I've always lived here, Alexia," said Jasper with a laugh, "so I
suppose that is the reason I'm not overwhelmed now. Oh, here comes
Clare. All right, old fellow, glad you've come. Now I'll call the
meeting to order." For Clare was the secretary.
And the rest of the boys and girls assembling, the business-meeting was
soon begun in the "den," Jasper who was the president of the boys' club,
flourishing his gavel in great style.
"Now we've come together," announced the president after the regular
business was disposed of, "to get up a plan by which we can accomplish
something more than merely to have a good time."
"Nonsense!" interrupted Clare, "we want a good time."
"For shame!" Jasper pounded his gavel to restore order. "And to begin
with, it is as well to announce at once that all unruly members will be
put out," with a stern glance at the secretary.
"Oh, dear me!" exclaimed Clare, huddling down into his big chair.
"Go along, Prex," said Pickering, coming over from the other side of the
room, "I'll sit on that old secretary if he makes any more trouble."
"Get away!" laughed Clare; "that's worse than being put out."
"Oh, I'll sit on you first, and then I'll carry out the pieces
afterward. Sail on, Prexy, they all want the plan."
"Well"--the president cleared his throat--"hem! And in order to do good
work, why we had to ask the girls' club to come to this meeting, and--"
"Not necessarily," put in Clare.
Pickering pounced for him, but instead of sitting on him, his long
figure doubled up in the big chair, while the secretary slipped neatly
out.
"Ha, ha! did you ever get left?" giggled Clare, at a safe distance.
"Many a time, my dear child," said Pickering coolly, leaning back
restfully, "but never in such a good seat. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
Proceed, Prexy."
"Good for you, Pickering," cried Alexia, while the laugh went around.
"Order!" cried Jasper, pounding away. "Now that our troublesome
secretary is quieted, I will proceed to say that as we want the plan to
succeed, we invited the Salisbury Club this evening."
"Thank you, Mr. President," the girls clapped vigorously.
"So now after I tell you of the object, I want you to express your
minds about the various plans that will be laid before you." Then Jasper
told the story of Jim, the brakeman; and how Grandpapa and Polly and he
had gone to the poor home, thanks to the little clerk; and how the three
boys who were waiting for education and the girl who was crazy to take
music-lessons, to say nothing of the two mites of children toddling
around, made the poor widow almost frantic as she thought of their
support; until some of the girls were sniffling and hunting for their
handkerchiefs, and the boys considerately turned away and wouldn't look
at them.
"Now you tell the rest, Polly," cried Jasper, quite tired out.
"Oh, no, you tell," said Polly, who dearly loved to hear Jasper talk.
"Do, Polly," and he pushed the hair off from his forehead. So, as she
saw he really wanted her to, Polly began with shining eyes, and glowing
cheeks, to finish the story.
And she told how Grandpapa had ordered provisions and coal for the poor
widow enough for many months to come; and how--oh, wasn't that perfectly
splendid in dear Grandpapa?--he had promised that the little girl
(Arethusa was her name) should take music-lessons from one of the
teachers in the city. And Polly clasped her hands and sighed, quite
unable to do more.
"And what do you want us to do?" cried the secretary forgetting all
about losing his seat, to crowd up to the table. "Say, if that family
has got all that richness, what do you want the club to do?"
"Oh," said Polly turning her shining eyes on him, "there are ever and
ever so many things the boys and that girl will need, and Grandpapa says
that they'll think a great deal more of help, if some young people take
hold of it. And so I'm sure I should," she added.
"It strikes me that I should, too," declared Pickering, all his laziness
gone. And getting his long figure out of the chair, he cried, "I move,
Mr. President, that we,"--here he waved his hands in a sweeping
gesture,--"the Salisbury Club and our club, unite in a plan to do
something for that family."
"I second the motion," the secretary cried out, much to everybody's
surprise, for Polly was all ready to do it if no one else offered to. So
the vote was carried unanimously amid the greatest enthusiasm.
"Now what shall we do?" cried the president, jumping to his feet. "Let
us strike while the iron is hot. What shall we do to raise money?"
"You said you had plans," cried one of the girls.
"Yes--tell on," cried several boys.
"Well, one is, that we have a play," began Jasper.
"Oh--oh!"
Old Mr. King, over his evening paper off in the library, laid it down,
and smiled at the merry din that reached him even at such a distance.
"And another," cried the president, doing his best to make himself
heard.
"Oh, we don't want another," cried Clare, in which the united clubs
joined.
"Don't you want to hear any other plans?" shouted the president.
"No, no--the play! Put it to vote, do, Jasper--I mean, Mr. President,"
cried Alexia.
So the vote was taken, and everybody said, "Aye," and as there wasn't a
single "No," why the "ayes" had it of course. And after that they talked
so long over the general plan, that old Mr. King at last had to send a
very special invitation to come out to the dining-room. And there was
Mother Fisher and Mrs. Whitney and the little doctor and a most splendid
collation! And then off to the big drawing-room to top off with a dance,
with one or two musicians tucked up by the grand piano, and Grandpapa
smiling in great satisfaction upon them all.