A VOYAGE TO LONDON.
Ten days after the trials at Cambridge, Frank, with the Codfish at
his side, stood on the promenade deck of the great White Star liner
_Olympic_, and waved good-by to his friends on the dock as the big
boat moved slowly out into North River.
"Bring back their scalps, you Indians," shouted someone.
"Don't let the Johnny Bulls get your goats, you Yaleses!"
"Show them how they do it in Yankeeland, Harvard!"
To all of which the outgoing athletes, in a little group apart from
the rest of the passengers, smiled and waved hands in acknowledgment.
"Gee whiz," said the Codfish as the big ship slipped swiftly down the
bay, "I never thought of it before, but what if I should be seasick?"
"It doesn't make so much difference about you," said Frank
heartlessly, "but what if _I_ should? That's the question!"
Fortunately, the ocean was calm and none of the team suffered in the
slightest from the dreaded sickness. With the first meal on the ship
the athletes were seated together, and soon Yale and Harvard lines
were forgotten. The men from the two universities fraternized with
each other and the team was neither Harvard nor Yale, but an American
team with only one object in view,--victory from their English
cousins.
Training regulations were established at once, and while the routine
was not so strict as on land, the trainers saw to it that their
athletes retired not later than 10:30 and that they were up at 7 in
the morning for a jog around the decks before the passengers were
about. The long decks of the _Olympic_ made a surprisingly good
training ground. A training stunt which amused the passengers was
dancing, not in the ordinary sense of the word, but "standstill
sprinting" as the Codfish called it, on a cork mat, on which the
runners got practically the same leg action as they would running on
the open track. A large cork mat was spread on the boat deck, and
relays of men, four at a time, pranced merrily, rested and pranced
again. Then came a cold salt water shower and a rub-down. In the
afternoon the dancing exercise would be repeated. Skipping the rope
was another deck exercise which played a large part in keeping the
men in good condition.
"Where do you keep yourself nowadays?" said Frank one evening after
dinner. He had noticed that Gleason disappeared for long periods
during the day.
"O, just sitting about and thinking. Can't think where you athletes
are romping around. You make more noise than a bunch of magpies. I'm
sick of athletic chatter, that so-and-so ought to do 10 seconds, and
that Mr. Blinks of Harvard should win his half if he doesn't get too
fast a pace in the first quarter, that Mr. Jenks of Yale is likely to
pull a tendon, and so on and so on."
"So you sneak off and improve your mind?"
"Right-O, sonny. I'm doing that same."
But the next day Frank discovered the cause of the Codfish's long
absences. The Codfish did not have his meals at the athletes' table
but at a table nearby. Adjoining the table where he sat, Fate, in the
person of the steward's assistant, had placed Mr. and Mrs. Mortimore
Hasbrouck, their daughter Marjorie and son William. Fate went a step
farther than the location of the Hasbrouck family and undoubtedly had
a hand in the business of seating Marjorie at this table where her
bright face was in range of the Codfish's roving eyes.
Now, Marjorie was fair to look upon as the Codfish admitted to
himself when she made her appearance in the dining saloon the first
night at sea. "But she's only a kid," he said to himself, "just fresh
out of some boarding school if I dope that pin on her shoulder right."
The Codfish looked and looked, but the eyes of Marjorie were on
the athletes' table beyond him, and were not for him. Her gaze
continually traveled over his head, and now and then he could hear
the words "Harvard, Yale, track athletes----" for, of course,
everyone knew that the teams were aboard even before the ship left
the dock.
"She doesn't know I belong to the party," thought the Codfish,
gloomily, "or she wouldn't waste all her looks at the next table.
I've got to fix that!"
That night he made it a point to speak to Billie, while the latter
hung on the outskirts of the crowd of athletes, and Billie was, of
course, overjoyed to be spoken to by a college man, for he was only
in his third year in prep. school, and considered a collegian a kind
of demigod.
"Are you one of the athletes?" inquired Billie.
"I'm one of the Yale men," said the Codfish feeling his chest expand.
Billie jumped to the conclusion that he was one of the competitors,
and was duly elated at the fortunate acquaintance.
"Gee whiz, I'm glad to know you. I'm going down to Yale myself next
year if I get through my exams. Should have been there this year but
flub-dubbed the exams. Dad says if I don't make it next year it's
good-night for mine."
"Stick to it, stick to it, my boy! A college life is a great
thing,--training of the mind, associations, mental and physical
development and all that sort of thing." As he talked he led the way
up the deck in the direction of the Hasbrouck family chairs. The
Codfish shot a look out of his eye and observed the object of his
search, the fair Marjorie. But the expected didn't happen. Billie,
glorying in the companionship of a Yale man and a member of the
great team of athletes, led his new-found friend up and down the
deck half a dozen times to let the full weight of its significance
sink into the family.
Getting impatient at last, and tired of the walking, the Codfish
said: "Seems to me I've seen you and your sister before somewhere.
Perhaps it was down at the game last fall."
"Wish I had been there, but nothing doing! Just at that time I got
into trouble at school and the Pater shut down on me. Beastly luck.
But, say, Mr.-- Mr.----"
"Gleason."
"Mr. Gleason, won't you come and meet the family? Sis will be
delighted to know a Yale man."
Thus came the Codfish to the Hasbrouck family, where, being properly
presented, he bowed low and with supreme dignity. When Marjorie
offered him her hand he held it a trifle overtime and looked
unspeakable things.
"What is your specialty, Mr. Gleason?" inquired Mrs. Hasbrouck.
"O, a little of everything," said the Codfish noncommittally.
"O, isn't that lovely," cried Marjorie. "He does everything!"
"Well, I try a few things," struggling to produce a modest smile and
with indifferent success.
"Tell us about Yale, Mr. Gleason," said Mrs. Hasbrouck. "I'm so sorry
John isn't here because William is going down to Yale next year, I
hope. I went to a game there years ago, a football game I think it
was, in June----"
"Baseball, I think," corrected Billie. "They don't play football in
June."
"Well, baseball then. I thought it a wonderful place."
"O, it's a pretty good place," said Gleason, and then nothing loath
to talk, particularly when Marjorie made the inquiries, he launched
into a dazzling word picture of Yale and her glories. At the end of
ten minutes he had made such progress with Marjorie that she readily
accepted his invitation to take a promenade with him. From that
moment the affairs of the Yale-Harvard track team, and even the more
intimate concerns of his roommate began to decline from the zenith of
his attentions. Marjorie was in the ascendency.
It was on the second day out that Frank Armstrong, noticing the
Codfish's absence, had asked him where he kept himself, and was not
at all satisfied with the answer he got. "The Codfish sitting around,
thinking! Never!" said Frank to himself. And shortly after, Frank
had ocular demonstration as to the real trouble. He met Codfish and
Marjorie, and the former was so much absorbed that he didn't even see
his roommate.
"By Jove!" cried Frank. "Wait till I see him!"
When the Codfish turned up that night in the stateroom, Frank pounced
upon him.
"So you've been sitting around, thinking, have you?"
"Sure thing, thinking what I'd do next. I say, Frank, she's a pippin.
Billie's an awful bore, but his kid sister is a peach, believe me!"
"I thought you were an out-and-out woman-hater."
"I used to be in my younger days," said the Codfish, earnestly, "but
this Marjorie girl has certainly got me going. Some eyes, boy, some
eyes."
"So, that's why you've been neglecting your poor roommate, is it? I
thought you came over here to see that I had good attention and kept
in training. I might be at almost anything, even enjoying a pipe in
the smoking room with John Hasbrouck as far as you are concerned."
"I guess you will be all right looking after yourself. Now in
Marjorie's case--" he had reached the point already of calling her
"Marjorie," and he lingered a little over the name--"in Marjorie's
case, it is different. She needs a strong arm to lean on," and the
Codfish stretched his legs out luxuriously.
"And you are furnishing the arm?"
"Precisely."
"And how about her father and mother and even her brother? They have
no protecting arms, I suppose?"
"Frank, they don't understand her. She seems quite alone. This is in
confidence, Frank,--she's going to go on the stage as soon as she's
through school. She'd make a hit, I tell you! She has great ambition,
that girl has!"
"And what does her mother say about the stage?"
"O, just laughs at her, has no conception of the depths of that
girl's nature. I doped her out for myself soon as I saw her. Frank,
old chap, I love her!" At this astounding piece of intelligence Frank
howled with laughter.
"All right, go ahead and laugh, but I tell you this is serious. Say,
Frank, you wouldn't mind if I went on to Paris with the Hasbroucks,
would you? You won't need me for anything. I'll get back to London
for the meet maybe."
"You'll get lost snooping around Paris all by yourself," said Frank
as soon as he could regain the breath that Gleason's question had
knocked out of him.
"O, but I'll not be alone. I'll travel with the Hasbroucks. My heart
tells me to go."
"Very well then," said Frank. "If you have such an unreliable heart,
there's nothing for it but to go I suppose. You may change your mind
or your heart before we dock."
"Never!" said the Codfish. "This is a deep and lasting feeling I
have. It has changed the whole course of my life. I came onto this
boat a mere boy, now I feel I'm a man with all the responsibilities
of a man."
Codfish's infatuation was too good a story to keep, and Frank took
McGregor, the Harvard broad jumper, with whom he had struck up a
friendship, into his confidence. "That friend of mine, Gleason, has
a love attack and tells me he is going to desert and go on to Paris
with the fair charmer. How are we going to head him off?"
"Win his girl away from him," suggested McGregor.
"But he doesn't give anyone a chance," said Frank, laughing. "He
sticks around from morning till night. He certainly has a terrible
case."
"Get him up on the boat-deck for a game of shuffleboard," suggested
McGregor, "and then we'll get someone to talk to Marjorie. When that
fellow gets tired, we'll have someone else take up the relay and so
on."
"Great," said Frank. "Let's try."
That afternoon, the Codfish, all unsuspecting, was led off for a try
at the popular deck game, and in his absence one of the team, who was
in the plot, contrived to get an introduction to Marjorie, took the
vacant chair of her father, and began a lengthy conversation. When
the Codfish, who had been detained at the game as long as possible,
hurried back to his lady-love he found his place occupied. Back
and forth he paced, casting longing looks in the direction of the
Hasbrouck chairs, but Marjorie was deeply interested in the young man
alongside of her, and did not even look in the Codfish's direction.
After half an hour of agony, the Codfish observed with joy that his
rival was preparing to leave, but just at that moment, up strolled
another of the athletes to the coveted chair, and being asked to sit
down, did so and continued the conversation, while plotter No. 1 went
on his way. For two mortal hours the Codfish was held at bay, pacing
the decks and railing at his luck while the relays continued.
"How in the deuce did she come to know all these fellows?" growled
the Codfish to himself. "Next time I'll not go playing shuffleboard
and leaving her alone, so help me Bob!"
When finally the Codfish thought his inning was about to come,
Marjorie tripped gaily off with the last of her suitors, and after a
promenade around the deck, disappeared somewhere below to Gleason's
great distress of mind.
That evening Marjorie was again carried off, this time by the Yale
half-miler, and the only thing left for the Codfish was to occupy her
vacant chair, which he did, and proceeded to make himself agreeable
to Mrs. Hasbrouck, though his eyes followed Marjorie on her promenade
up and down the deck.
"Mighty attractive girl, that Miss Hasbrouck," said Frank that night
as the boys were preparing to retire. "She's made a great hit with
the team, did you notice it?"
"Did I notice it?" cried the Codfish petulantly. "Yes, I noticed it.
Where in the name of the Great Horn Spoon did she meet all those
fellows?"
"Mutual attraction, I s'pose," said Frank. "I saw you holding forth
with her mother most of the evening. Charming lady, eh?"
"O, yes, all right. Interested in philanthropy and all that sort
of thing. Wanted me to help her raise something for the Widows and
Orphans Fund for Sailors; subscription papers, and all that sort of
thing."
"And you're for it?"
"O, yes, Marjorie's mother you see. Couldn't do anything else. I've
got to stand in right with her mother."
"Noble youth," said Frank. "First catch the mother and the daughter
will come easy. Is that it?"
"You have a glimmer of intelligence, Armstrong, a rare thing in your
case."
"We have him on the run," said McGregor the next morning at
breakfast. "I suggest a round-robin letter to the young lady. How
would this suit?" He hauled a letter from his pocket and handed it to
Frank, who read it while a smile stole over his face.
"Will she take it all right, do you think?" said Frank as he handed
the letter back to the conspirator.
"Sure thing. The Codfish cuts no figure now since she's had a taste
of bigger game. I'll write it out and get everyone to sign it."
"Go to it," said Frank. "We must save our little Codfish."
That afternoon while Miss Hasbrouck was curled up in her deck chair
with the Codfish in attendance, a deck steward handed a letter to
her. A long list of signatures followed.
"A wireless?" inquired the Codfish, much interested.
"Too funny for anything," said the girl. "I wonder if I had better
let you read it? It concerns you."
"Me?" said the Codfish in astonishment, reaching out for the letter.
"Promise not to get mad if I let you see it?"
"Cross my heart, hope to die if I do."
"All right, then, but remember your promise." She passed the letter
over to him, and this is what he read:
"Dear Miss Hasbrouck:--
"We have observed with growing anxiety the attention which one of
our party has been paying to you. While we do not wish to alarm you,
we feel you ought to know that this young man is afflicted with
mental aberration. In other words, he is slightly off his head. As
far as we know he has never had a dangerous spell, but you can never
tell. Please pardon us for seeming to intrude, but we thought you
ought to know."
Then followed a long list of signatures of practically every man on
either team.
Gleason was just finishing the perusal of the note when McGregor
pranced up to Miss Hasbrouck. "Take a walk around the deck?" he
queried, and that young lady hastily jumped up without even excusing
herself to the Codfish, and started off at a brisk pace with the
young Harvard man.
"Nutty, am I?" said the Codfish. "I'll show them," gritting his
teeth, "I'll show them. They're trying to queer me," and then to
Mrs. Hasbrouck who had just come up from her stateroom: "O, Mrs.
Hasbrouck, I'm going to help you with that fund. Guess pretty nearly
everyone of the two teams will subscribe to it."
"That's very sweet of you, indeed. It is a noble thing to do to
help such a good cause to provide for the widows and orphans of the
sailors who go down in the great deep."
"Sure thing," said the Codfish, enthusiastically. "All our fellows
are very generous on such a thing as that. I never saw such a noble
bunch of fellows as we have with us."
Mrs. Hasbrouck beamed over her spectacles. "I think we ought to
collect as much of the fund as we can to-day; only a little more of
our sea voyage is left, you know."
"'A bird in the hand is said to be worth two in the bushes!'"
returned the Codfish. "I'll be back in a minute," he added. On
the way down to the bulletin board in the companionway where were
inscribed the signatures of those who were willing to help along
the fund with contributions, he came upon Marjorie and McGregor,
their heads together in deep conversation. Neither saw him or they
pretended not to see him as he passed, and the fires of revenge
burned the deeper in his heart. Five minutes later he was back at
Mrs. Hasbrouck's chair.
"The names of pretty nearly every one of our fellows are down under
that subscription paper," he informed her. "I've made a copy of them
all and the amounts opposite each name."
"This is wonderful," said Mrs. Hasbrouck, enthusiastically as she
ran through the list. "Mr. McGregor $25; Mr. Armstrong $25; Mr.
Wallace $10; Mr. Burrows $10; why, this is really wonderful. You will
certainly get your reward for your kindness. I'll call the steward's
attention to this, and suggest that he ought to collect to-day, for
to-morrow will be our last day on shipboard, you know."
"Yes, I think he ought to get after them to-day. So much hurry and
scurry on the last day that he might miss some of the contributions."
A little later consternation was thrown into the "contributors" to
the Widows and Orphans Fund. A very businesslike young steward armed
with a list, began his collections. Two or three of the collegians
paid up without protest for they supposed such collections were the
regular thing, but when the collector reached McGregor, who was still
holding the fort with Marjorie in the shade of one of the lifeboats,
he met a refusal.
"Twenty-five dollars for the Widows and Orphans Fund! I never heard
of it before!" protested the "contributor."
"There must be a mistake, sir," said the steward, "you must have
forgotten, your name is one of those on the subscription paper in the
companionway bulletin board."
"My name on the paper? Quit your kidding."
"O, but it is, sir. I made a careful copy myself, sir, of all the
names, and I'm sure I'm right."
"Then I must have done it in my sleep," exclaimed the puzzled
McGregor. "Where is the bulletin board?"
"I'll show you, sir," and the steward led the way to the saloon deck.
Shortly they stood before the board in question. There were a number
of notices on the board, but the steward pointed out the one in
question. "There it is, sir, and there's your name," triumphantly.
"We, the Undersigned, subscribe to the Widows and Orphans Fund the
amount set after each of our names:"
McGregor's jaw dropped as he read the notice. Then in amazement his
eye traveled down the long list of signatures till it fell on his
own.
"It is sure enough my signature and no forgery. But when in the name
of Mike did I do it?" He gazed in helpless wonder at Marjorie who had
accompanied him to the companionway.
"Seems to me I've seen that list before," said Miss Hasbrouck. "It
looks like one that was attached to a letter I received to-day."
McGregor stepped up to the board, scrutinized the subscription paper
closely, then took out the thumb tacks which secured it to the board
itself. "Look," he said, displaying the back of the paper. "The
Codfish has put one over on us. This list has been very neatly pasted
onto the bottom of the Widows and Orphans Fund subscription paper,
and as both were written on ship's paper the deception was a clever
one."
"O, my, the wretch!" said Marjorie.
"The young runt," quoth McGregor in high dudgeon, "wait till I get at
him!"
But he did not get at the Codfish just then for that individual kept
himself out of sight until the next morning. The story went the
rounds of the ship as might naturally be expected, and not a few of
the team members, seeing that the Codfish had made a neat shift of
the joke onto their own heads, paid up their alleged subscriptions
so that the Fund was a gainer in the end.
Sad to relate, however, the standing of the Codfish with the
Hasbrouck family was gone, never to return. His best efforts next
morning failed to draw even a look of recognition from Marjorie's
bright eyes as she passed and repassed him during the deck promenade,
tripping along gaily between two members of the team. Once he thought
he caught the expression as she passed: "That horrid boy." From Mrs.
Hasbrouck he could only draw a frigid nod.
"And that's all the thanks I get for boosting the old fund," said the
Codfish to himself. "Well, never mind, women are fickle. I'll have no
more of them in my whole life," and he went his way whistling a merry
tune.
That afternoon as the ship was passing up Southampton Water the
Codfish found Frank leaning on the rail watching the beautiful and
ever-shifting panorama opening before him.
"Say, Frank, I guess I'll not go on to Paris."
"Changed your mind?" There was a hint of laughter in Frank's voice.
"Yes, I think I ought to stick around for the practice and the
games, don't you? Doesn't seem quite right to desert now."
"Good boy," said Frank. "I think you'll find England more congenial
than Paris. It wouldn't be right to leave us anyway."
"That's what I think, too. I'll stick with the bunch."