SID DESPAIRS
"Wasn't it great!" demanded Dutch Housenlager, as he waltzed up to Tom,
and tried to lead him out into a dance on the diamond. "Immense, eh?
Pulling it out of the fire that way?"
"Yes, that's what we did--pulled it out of the fire," agreed Tom, with a
smile. "We needed this victory, and I'm glad we won, but we've got to
play better--and that includes me--if we're to have the loving cup this
year. Our batting and fielding could be improved a whole lot."
"Oh, of course," agreed Dutch, "but aren't you a bit proud of us,
captain?"
"Oh, sure--of course," answered the pitcher heartily. "Let joy be
unconfined," and with a yell of pure enjoyment he joined in the
impromptu dance.
Fairview was glum, but not cast down. They had cheered the winning team,
and Ted Puder, the captain, came up to Tom.
"You certainly beat us fair and square," he acknowledged. "I hope you
don't think we had anything to do with Langridge using that mirror to
dazzle the eyes of your second baseman."
"Never thought of such a thing," declared Tom with emphasis. "The cad
worked that trick up all by his lonesome. I guess he thought maybe Sid
was playing there, and he has a grudge against Henderson--yet that
couldn't have been it either, for Langridge knows Sid is suspended, and
anyhow, Sid was sitting directly back of the sneak, where Langridge
could have seen him."
"Yes, it's a good thing Sid detected him. Well, we'll beat you next
time."
"Forget it," advised Tom with a laugh.
"Come on, cap," called Phil to him a moment later. "Let's look up Sid,
and, incidentally, the girls."
"Sure," agreed the pitcher, and a moment later he and Phil were greeting
Madge, Ruth and Mabel. But Sid had hurried away.
The little group strolled past the grand stand, Tom and Phil excusing
themselves while they went in to get on their street garments, the girls
promising to wait for them.
"Wonder where Sid went?" asked Tom.
"Give it up," replied Phil. "Langridge lit out, too; the cad! What a
chump he must be to think he could get away with a game like that!"
"Yes, it was almost as good to have Sid discover him trying it, as if
our old chum had held down the second bag," declared the captain. "A
flash at the right moment would have confused Pete, and might have cost
us the game."
"That's right. Come on, hurry up, or the girls will get tired of
waiting."
The two went out, in time to see Langridge approaching the three young
ladies. The Boxer Hall pitcher was striding over the grass toward Miss
Harrison, who stood a little apart from her two friends.
"I'm awfully sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss Mabel," began
Langridge. "The truth was, I had an important engagement, that I came
near forgetting."
"You haven't kept me waiting," was the cool answer.
"No? Well, I'm glad of it. Now, if you're ready we'll trot along. I met
a friend of mine, Mr. Bascome, of Randall, and he will take us back to
Fairview in his auto."
"Thank you, I don't care to go," replied Miss Harrison.
"What? Don't you like rides in the gasolene gig?" asked Langridge, with
a forced laugh.
"Oh, I didn't exactly mean that," went on Miss Harrison. "It's the
company I object to."
"You mean Bascome? Why he's all right. Maybe he's a little too----"
"I mean you!" burst out the girl, flashing a look of scorn on him from
her blue eyes. "I don't care to ride with a person who seeks to take
unfair advantage of another in a ball game."
"You mean that mirror? That was all an accident--I assure you it was. I
didn't intend anything--honestly."
"You will favor me by not speaking to me again!" came in snapping tones
from the indignant girl. "I shall refuse to recognize you after this,
Mr. Langridge."
"Oh, but I say now----" protested the bully, as he took a step forward.
But Mabel linked her arm in that of Ruth, and, as Tom and Phil came
along just then, Langridge, who was aware that they had heard the
foregoing conversation, slipped hastily away, with a very red face.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting," began Tom, unconsciously repeating the
remark of Langridge. Miss Harrison seemed a little ill at ease, and Phil
blurted out:
"Oh, come on! Let's hurry, or there won't be any ice cream left at
Anderson's. It's a hot day and the crowd must be dry as a bone. I know I
am. Come on, girls."
They had a merry little time, until it was necessary for the girls to
return to Fairview, whither Tom and Phil escorted them.
"Did you say any more to Langridge, old man?" asked Tom of Sid, that
night in the room of the "inseparables."
"No, it wasn't necessary."
"You should have heard Miss Harrison lay him out," exulted Phil. "She
certainly put it all over him!"
"How?" demanded Sid eagerly, and his chums took turns telling him how
the blue-eyed girl had given Langridge his "walking papers" in a manner
very distasteful to that individual.
"No! You don't mean it!" exclaimed Sid joyfully. Then, as a look came
into his eyes that his chums had not seen there since the first happy
days he had experienced with Mabel Harrison, Sid went on:
"Say, what's the date of the Junior racket? I've mislaid my tickets."
"Why?" asked Tom mischievously, though he well knew.
"None of your affair," retorted Sid, but there was no sting in his
answer.
"It's next Friday," put in Phil.
Sid tossed aside the things on his desk, and made a great fuss about
writing a letter, while Phil and Tom casually looked on, well knowing
to whom the epistle was addressed. Sid made several false starts, and
destroyed enough paper to have enabled him to compute several problems
and tore up a lot of envelopes before he finished something that met
with his approval, and then he went out to post it.
"He's asked Miss Harrison to go to the Junior affair with him," said
Phil.
"Of course," agreed Tom. "I hope she goes."
Sid lived in an atmosphere of rosy hope for several days, but, when no
reply came, he began to get uneasy. He eagerly accepted an invitation
extended to him a few days later, to accompany Phil and Tom on a trip to
Fairview, Ruth again having asked her brother to call to talk about the
proposed trip to Europe. The three chums found the three girls in the
reception room, and Miss Harrison showed some embarrassment when Sid
entered. With a view to dispelling it Ruth, with a rapid signal to her
brother, Tom and Madge, left the room, they following, leaving Miss
Harrison and Sid alone there.
"Lovely weather," remarked Sid desperately.
"Very," answered Miss Harrison, uncertain whether to be amused or angry
at the trick played on her by her chums.
"Are you going to the Junior dance Friday night?" went on Sid. "I wrote
and asked you--you got my letter, didn't you?"
"Yes, Mr. Henderson, and I should have answered before, but I was
uncertain----"
"Won't you let me take you?" pleaded Sid.
"I would like--won't you--can you explain a certain matter which I wish
to know about?" she asked. "You know what I mean. Believe me, I'm not
prudish, or anything like that, but--if you only knew how I feel about
it--won't you tell me about that--that item in the paper accusing you?"
she stammered. "If you weren't there, why can't you say so?" and she
leaned eagerly forward, looking Sid full in the face.
He scarcely seemed to breathe. There was a great struggle going on
within him. He looked into the blue eyes of the girl.
"I--I can't tell you--yet," he said brokenly.
"Then I can't go with you to the dance," she replied in a low voice, and
she turned and left the room, going back to the den she shared with Ruth
and Madge, while Sid went out the front door, and across the campus; nor
would he stay, though Phil and Tom called to him, but walked off, black
despair in his heart.