INZA AND PAULA.
Frank and Jack left the American House and turned toward Scollay Square.
"These tailors are rushers," said Merry. "They have made a reputation by
turning out work in short order. That is why we ordered the suits of
them. You know we sail to-morrow morning."
"What? Not to-morrow?"
"Sure."
"Well, they will not have time to make up a suit for me."
"Oh, yes, they will."
"Impossible."
"Not at all, old man. They will get the work out in a hurry, as I shall
pay them to do it."
"But I never heard of such a thing."
"Possibly not. You are in Boston now. In Virginia they require more time
to accomplish anything. Down in this part of the country things move."
Diamond could hardly believe that he could obtain a suit to order in
such a short time.
They came to Scollay Square, into which trolley cars were pouring from
various sections, and soon they reached the store of the Jew tailors. It
was a large store, and at least a dozen customers were looking over
samples, striking bargains or being measured. However, the boys were not
forced to wait, for one of the proprietors came forward, greeted Frank
by name, and said:
"Your order will be ready for you on time, Mr. Merriwell."
"We sail at nine o'clock to-morrow morning," said Frank. "Here is a
friend of mine who will require a suit like the others."
"That is crowding us somewhat, sir," smiled the tailor. "I hardly think
we can----"
"I will pay five dollars extra if the suit is delivered at the American
House at six o'clock in the morning," said Frank, quietly.
"Very well, sir. I think that will cover the extra expense of rushing it
through. If the gentleman will step back this way, his measure will be
taken."
So Jack was measured, and, ten minutes after entering the store, the
boys left it.
"He didn't even ask a deposit of you, Merry," said Jack, in surprise.
"No. Benjamin vouched for me, and that was all that was necessary. No
deposit was required under such circumstances."
"What if he fails to get the suits round on time?"
"He won't. He wouldn't want them left on his hands."
Frank's confidence reassured Jack, and they strolled over toward Tremont
Street and finally came out at the Common.
"I'd like to have a little time to look Boston over?" said Jack.
"You can do that when we come back. If you were to stop long enough to
take in all the interesting sights, we wouldn't get down into Maine this
summer. I want to spend a little more time in Boston, although I have
seen Faneuil Hall, the new Public Library Building, the Old South
Church, Bunker Hill Monument and a hundred other interesting things. The
business portion of Boston is not particularly attractive, but the
suburbs and the aristocratic dwelling sections are beautiful."
They walked across the Common to the Public Gardens, then turned round
and strolled back. From Tremont Row they went down Temple Street to
Washington, and just as they reached Jordan, Marsh & Co.'s store, two
girls stepped out upon the sidewalk and came face to face with them.
"Miss Burrage!" exclaimed Diamond, lifting his hat.
"Inza!" cried Frank, also lifting his hat. "Miss Benjamin, too! This is
an unexpected pleasure. Miss Benjamin, permit me to present a particular
friend of mine, Mr. Jack Diamond, of Virginia."
Paula Benjamin was a pretty girl. Her eyes met Jack's, and she showed
her pearly teeth in a most bewitching smile as she bowed, saying:
"I have heard of Mr. Diamond."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Jack. "I was not aware I was quite as famous."
"Yes. My brother mentioned you. Perhaps you know something of him--his
name is Jack. He plays on the Harvard eleven."
"And he spoke of me? That is surprising. Don't see what he could have
said about me."
"I don't believe I will tell," laughed the girl, and her manner aroused
all of the Virginian's curiosity.
"Please tell," he urged, smiling.
"Well," hesitated Paula, still laughing, "before the game on Jarvis
Field, he said you were fool enough to think Frank Merriwell could beat
the whole Harvard eleven. After the game he said you weren't half the
fool he took you for."
This caused them all to laugh, and, as the street was crowded, they
strolled on together.
"Oh, Frank!" exclaimed Inza; "you can't guess what we are going to do!"
"Then I will give it up without trying. What is it?"
"Paula and I are going to Bar Harbor."
"What?"
"It's true."
"I am astonished!"
"I knew you would be. We've been talking about it, you know--saying we'd
like to go. Yesterday Paula had a letter from her cousin, who is
spending the summer down there. Her cousin urged her to come. Paula's
mother said it was impossible, as two girls like us should not be
traveling about alone. Then Aunt Abigail said she'd like to spend a week
or two in Bar Harbor herself, and she volunteered to chaperone us. After
a while, Paula obtained her mother's consent, and we take the Bangor
boat for Rockland to-morrow night."
"By Jove, this is interesting! We'll have to run in to Bar Harbor and
see you on our cruise. I didn't suppose we would see much of each other
after leaving Fardale."
"I didn't know as you would care about that," said Inza, carelessly.
"Care!" exclaimed Frank. "You should know I would care. How can you say
anything like that! What made you imagine I wouldn't care?"
"Oh, something!"
"Something! What was it? Tell me, Inza."
"Sometime--perhaps."
"Tell me now," urged Frank, in his masterful way. "During the last of my
stay in Fardale I noticed a change in your treatment of me, Inza."
"Did you?" she murmured, lifting her eyebrows.
"Yes. You were cold toward me, and you seemed to shun me. If I tried to
be friendly, as in the old days, you would not give me the opportunity.
I did not understand it."
"That is singular. The reason was plain enough."
"If so, I must have been thick-witted."
"Elsie Bellwood was there."
"Yes."
"I read your secret. You made your choice between us."
Frank was astounded.
"Choice? What can you mean, Inza? I did not make any choice."
"Oh, but you did!"
"If you say so--but I--really----"
"You made your choice that time when the boat upset, and we were
struggling in the water, Elsie and I. You plunged in to her rescue. I
was quite as near to you as was Elsie--nearer, if anything."
Frank caught his breath, beginning to realize what she meant. Inza went
on:
"You swam to Elsie's rescue--you saved her. That was the test. I brought
it about, for I upset the boat intentionally to settle the point. I
wanted to know which one of us you cared the most for--and I found out!"
It was like her, Frank realized that. He knew she was telling the truth
when she said she upset the boat intentionally.
"But you--you could swim some, Inza. I knew it."
"Did you know Elsie could not swim?"
"N--no."
"She is the daughter of a sea captain, and she has been with him on many
voyages. There was every reason to suppose that she could swim quite as
well as I--or better. No, Frank, you made your choice between us that
day. It's all right," and she forced a laugh that was not very musical.
"I don't deny that, at one time, I did think more of you than any other
fellow. There was every reason why I should. You saved me from a mad
dog, saved me from death beneath a railroad engine, saved me from
drowning. But I am not a fool, if I am a girl! I have not been taking
stock in all the passionate love stories I have read. I got out of the
way. I remained Elsie's friend, for she is the sweetest girl I know. I
don't blame you for thinking more of her than you do of me."
"Inza!"
Frank uttered the word in protest; it was all he could say.
"You can't deny it, so don't try," came almost harshly from the girl.
"It's all right. We're still friends. We'll always be friends--nothing
more. Sometime I'll be bridesmaid at the wedding, and----"
But Frank had heard enough, and he stopped her.
"I am not likely to marry anyone very soon," he said. "Elsie knows that.
Let's talk about something else. How did it happen we met you?"
Inza seemed willing enough to permit the conversation to be turned into
another channel.
"We were out shopping, you know--making our last purchases before
starting for Bar Harbor. You must take us out on your yacht after we all
get down there."
"I'll do it. Your aunt----"
"Oh, she will not object. You know she thinks you the finest fellow in
all the world. She will come along."
At last the boys were forced to part from the girls, but Jack had made
such progress with Paula that she offered him her hand at parting,
saying laughingly:
"Next fall you will not pick the winner if you pick Yale, even if Mr.
Merriwell is on that eleven. If you want to keep your record for wisdom,
be careful."
"Jove!" exclaimed Jack, after they had seen the girls on board a car.
"She's a way-upper, Merry!"
"She's a good sample of the Boston girl."
"Eh? Where's her glasses?"
"You have been reading the comic papers."
"She didn't mention Emerson or Browning."
"And that surprised you?"
"Why, I didn't suppose the genuine Boston girl could talk ten minutes
without doing so."
"Boston girls are very much like other nice girls, old man. They are
well educated, refined and all that, but they are not always quoting
Emerson and Browning, they do not all wear glasses, they are not all
cold and freezing and they are handsome."
They came to Cornhill. A car was coming down from Scollay Square, and
they paused close to it to let it swing out upon Washington Street.
Just as the front of the car approached, Frank Merriwell received a push
from behind that sent him flat upon the track directly in front of the
car wheels!
That particular car did not have a fender, and it seemed that Frank must
be mangled beneath the wheels. The motorman saw the lad go down and put
on the brake hard, but he could not stop the car in time.
Frank realized that he had been pushed upon the track by some one whose
deliberate purpose it was to maim or murder him, but he could not save
himself. He struck the paving, and the iron wheels seemed right upon
him.
But Jack Diamond moved with marvelous quickness. He made a grasp at
Frank as the latter fell, almost caught him, then stooped, grasped his
coat and yanked Merry from the track.
The car brushed Frank as it passed, but he was not injured.
"Thank you, old man," said Merriwell, as he quickly rose to his feet.
"You saved me that time. But who pushed me?"
They looked about. A small crowd had witnessed Frank's peril and
gathered. In the crowd was a person slipping away. With a bound Frank
was after him, caught him by the shoulder, swung him to get a look at
his face.
"Get out!"
The fellow snarled the words and struck at Frank's face with his
clinched hand.
Frank dodged.
"Wat Snell!" he cried, astounded.
"Yes, Wat Snell!" grated the other, who was a boy well known to him--a
boy who had been his enemy years before at Fardale Academy, when they
both went to school.
"You pushed me!" accused Frank.
"You lie! I did not touch you! You fell."
"I felt you push me, you miserable dog!"
"Don't dare talk like that to me!" hissed Snell. "I'll have you----"
"What! You don't dare do anything that is cowardly and treacherous! You
did push me!"
"That's right!" exclaimed a boy. "I seen him do it!"
There was a murmur from the crowd that began to gather about. Black
looks were directed toward Snell.
"He ought to be lynched!" blustered a little old man.
Then there were threats, and Snell grew pale, looking around for some
means of escape. He saw accusing and angry faces on all sides, and he
quailed and trembled.
"It was an accident," he whined, humbly. "I ran against you by accident.
I'll swear I didn't recognize you, and I didn't mean you any harm."
"Call an officer!" cried the little old man. "It was an attempt at
murder! Have him taken care of!"
With a gasp, Snell plunged through the crowd and took to his heels. Some
tried to stop him, but he ran like a deer up Cornhill. There was a short
pursuit, but the fellow doubled and dodged, escaping his pursuers.
"Let him go," said Frank. "I wouldn't make a charge against him, for it
would detain me, and we must get away in the morning, wind and weather
permitting."
"He ought to be punished," said Diamond. "He tried to kill you."
"It isn't the first time he has tried to do something to me. We are old,
old foes."
"Why, I supposed him in Fardale."
"So did I."
"It's singular he's here in Boston."
"Rather."
"What is the meaning of it?"
"I can't tell. Don't ask me. He bobs up anywhere. Anyhow, we're not
liable to see him again for some time after we leave here to-morrow."
They returned to the hotel and told the others of their adventures. All
the boys were astonished to learn that Wat Snell was in the city.