AN UNEXPECTED DEFENSE
There wasn't much said in the room of the chums after Sid had "gone
off the handle," as Tom expressed it later. In fact there was not much
that could be said. Phil shrugged his shoulders and glanced at Tom
in a significant manner, and the captain of the nine shook his head
discouragedly. Matters were getting worse, he thought, and he began to
fear for the effect of Sid's trouble on the second baseman's ability as
a player. But what could be done?
Though he did not refer to the scene of the previous evening, when he
greeted his chums next morning, Sid, by his manner showed that he
realized it. There was a tender gruffness in his words and actions, and
he seemed so contrite, and so anxious to make amends that Phil and Tom
did not have it in their hearts to stand out against him.
"A fine day for practice," observed Tom, as he sprang out of bed, at the
first summons of the alarm clock.
"Cæsar's battle-axe! What's going to happen?" demanded Phil, lazily
turning over. "You're up, Tom."
"Sure. I'm behind in my psychology work, and I've got to attend a stiff
lecture this morning and stand for a quizz afterward. I'm afraid I'll
slump."
"I'll help you," came unexpectedly from Sid. "I've been all over that
stuff, and I know what Pitchfork will try to stick you on. Get something
on, and I'll help you bone."
This was unexpected on Sid's part, but Tom was none the less grateful,
and soon the two were delving deep into problems of mind and matter,
while Phil protested that it was against all rules, and that he wanted
to sleep.
Tom did well in the "quizz," and this made him more than ever anxious to
help Sid in his trouble. But the second baseman made no reference to it,
and in practice that afternoon he did better than in several previous
days at his stick work.
"We'll eat up Dodville," prophesied Tom exultantly. "That's the way to
lambast 'em, Sid!"
But Randall didn't "eat up" Dodville. They beat the preparatory school
nine, as indeed they should have done, but the score was no great
showing of the abilities of Randall.
For the smaller lads hit Tom rather too frequently, and their fielding
was a joy to the heart of their coach and captain. Even Mr. Leighton
complimented them on it, and he did not say much to his own men, who, to
say the least, were a bit ragged.
"Dodville shouldn't have gotten more than one run," declared the coach
as the nine was returning, "yet you fellows let them get six."
"Yes," added Tom bitterly. "I can see a large, gold-framed picture of us
winning that loving cup, when we go up against Boxer Hall and Fairview
again."
"You needn't talk," declared Sid, somewhat bitterly. "You issued plenty
of walking papers to-day, and they found you several times, in spite of
your curves."
"I didn't muff a ball, and let a man get away from me on second,
though," retorted Tom.
"Oh, come on, fellows, let's sing," proposed Holly Cross, as a way out
of the difficulty, and when some of the old college lays had been
rendered the team was in better humor.
That evening, when Tom was putting a new toe-plate on his shoe, and
Sid was pretending to study in one corner of the room, but scarcely
glancing at his book, there came a summons at the door. Sid jumped up
at the knock, and there was a look of apprehension on his face, which
vanished, however, when Wallops, the messenger, came with word that Phil
was wanted on the telephone. The first baseman returned presently, to
announce:
"My sister wants to see me, over at Fairview."
"Anything the matter?" asked Tom quickly, and with suspicious interest.
"No, she has a letter from dad, with something in about vacation plans,
and she wants to talk to me about it. I'll be back soon. Don't sit up
for me--ta-ta," and Phil was gone.
It was not quite as difficult for him to gain admission to the young
ladies' side of the Fairview institution as it had been for Tom, on one
memorable occasion, when he had called to tell Ruth that her brother had
been hurt in a football game. Then Miss Philock, the preceptress, seemed
to think Tom was going to carry off some of her charges out of hand.
"What is it, sis?" asked Phil, when his sister had come down to talk to
him.
"Oh, it's about where we're going this summer. Dad and Momsey have left
it to me. I want to go to Europe awfully, Phil, and if you and I both
ask, maybe they'll take us. Will you? That's what I wanted to see you
about, and I couldn't wait to write, so I telephoned. Don't you want to
go to Europe?"
"Not much! I'm going camping with Sid and Tom. No Europe for me! We're
going to do Yellowstone Park, and----"
"Oh, Phil, and I was so counting on Europe," and Ruth began to argue
with her brother. In the midst of it the door of the little reception
room opened, and in came Madge and Miss Harrison.
"Oh, excuse us, dear," exclaimed Madge. "We didn't know you were here."
"Do stay," urged Ruth. "It's only Phil. Perhaps you can help me persuade
him to join with me in begging the folks to take us to Europe," and
Phil's sister looked knowingly at Madge.
"Oh, wouldn't that be fine!" exclaimed Miss Tyler. "I heard mamma and
papa talking about making a tour this year, and of course if they went
I'd go too. Then we might see each other, Ruth. I don't see why you're
so opposed to Europe, Mr. Clinton."
"Oh, I'm not," answered Phil quickly, doing some hard thinking before he
reversed himself. "In fact I rather like it. Perhaps we will postpone
the camping trip and--er--well, I don't care, sis. If you can work the
folks for a trip across the pond I'm with you."
"Oh, thank you so much!" exclaimed Ruth, and she made a motion as though
to kiss her brother, only Phil ducked.
"How fortunate you people are to go abroad," spoke Miss Harrison. "I've
been longing to go," and they began to talk of many things they wished
to see. From that the talk switched to baseball, and before she thought
Ruth remarked:
"Is Mr. Henderson batting as well as ever?"
"Not as well as he might," declared Phil, and he spoke not to disparage
Sid, but merely as a lover of his team. "There's something wrong with
Sid," he went on, scarcely aware of what he was saying. "He's going
down, somehow. I'm afraid he's gotten in with a bad crowd. That sporty
chap we met him with isn't doing him any good, and Sid will slump, if he
isn't careful. He used to be a steady chap, but I'm afraid he's going to
the bad."
"Oh, what a shame!" remarked Ruth.
"Yes, and he was so steady," added Madge.
Miss Harrison was biting her lips. Her face had first flushed, but now
was white.
"I think it's very mean of you to say such things about him when he
isn't here," she burst out. "Sid--I mean Mr. Henderson--doesn't--I
mean--I'm sure he wouldn't--anyhow, why don't you be fair to him?" and,
before any of the others could answer, she burst into tears and fled
from the room.