OUT ON THE PIMLICO ROAD.
The following afternoon Frank and Bart took the girls out for a
carriage ride. Although Elsie enjoyed it greatly, she soon became
tired, and it was necessary to return with her.
On returning to the house they were greeted by Fillmore, who came out
at once as he saw the girls being assisted from the carriage.
“Well, I’m glad we struck you this way,” he said. “Been having a drive,
eh? Hope you enjoyed it.”
“It was delightful,” said Elsie; “but I spoiled it by getting tired so
soon.”
“We’re going to see ‘The School Girl’ to-night,” explained Inza; “so we
decided it was better not to weary Elsie too much.”
“Oh, you’ve made arrangements for to-night, have you, Merriwell?” cried
Fillmore. “I thought I might take you out to see some of the fellows
this evening.”
Immediately both girls expressed a willingness to give up the theatre,
but neither Frank nor Bart would listen to that.
“Then,” said Fillmore, “we can find Jack Branch this afternoon and fix
it up about that game. Branch is our manager, you know. What he says
will go, all right, all right. I know where to find him. He’s out at
Hastings’, on the Pimlico Road. Hastings runs a road house. What say if
we hike out there right away, Merriwell?”
“I’m willing,” nodded Frank. “How’ll we go?”
“Oh, any way. We can take a car, but, of course, it would be better to
drive.”
“Here’s the team,” smiled Merry. “We engaged it for the afternoon, and
the afternoon is not more than half over.”
“Good!” cried Fillmore. “Wait till I call Hackett. He’s here with me.”
Tom Hackett came out of the house when he was called. He was introduced
to Elsie and Inza and surveyed the girls keenly, but not offensively.
He shook hands with seeming warmth with Frank and Bart.
“Powerful glad to know you, gentlemen,” he said. “Fillmore told me
about your arrival last night. Of course I’ve heard more or less
concerning you at other times.”
He was told of the plan to drive out on the Pimlico Road and
immediately declared it would give him pleasure to go along.
“Wait a moment,” said Fillmore, “and I’ll be ready.”
He then ran into the house and did some telephoning.
Soon the quartette was ready to start. As they drove away they lifted
their hats to the girls, who had lingered on the steps outside the
door. Fillmore noticed that Hackett turned to look back and fancied he
did so to obtain another view of Inza.
It was a beautiful drive out along Mount Royal Avenue and through Druid
Hill Park to the Pimlico Road. They chatted freely, their talk being
mainly of such sports as must interest college men.
“What sort of a place is this road house we’re going to?” inquired
Frank.
“It’s all right,” answered Fillmore. “The fellows go out there often.
Hastings knows how to use us. Occasionally we pull off a little scrap
out there. He has a room fitted up for it, and I’ve seen some right
good fights in his place. Not regular prize fights, you know, but bouts
between amateurs. If you want the real thing, you’ll have to go to the
old Armory.”
“I’m not at all particular about the real thing,” confessed Merry.
“Prize fighting is a bit out of my line.”
“Seems to me I’ve heard that you were something of a boxer.”
“Oh, I know a little about it; but what I know I learned for the
purpose of being able to defend myself when necessary. I have a belief
that every fellow should be able to do that.”
“That’s right, too,” said Hackett. “Lots of fellows take lessons of
Galway, at Hastings’.”
“Who’s Galway?”
“He’s a boxing master, and a great fighter himself. He knocked out
Johnny Neil at the Armory two weeks ago, and Neil had ambitions to meet
Jeffries. When he gets mad he sometimes hammers a pupil. He hangs round
Hastings’ place the most of the time.”
“If he didn’t lush he’d be a wonder,” put in Fillmore. “He has an awful
wallop. Puts ’em all to sleep.”
“I don’t think Mr. Galway interests me,” laughed Merry. “I shall take
pains to keep clear of him.”
In due time they arrived at Hastings’ place. As soon as they appeared
they were hailed with shouts of welcome from several young fellows,
who were sitting on the broad veranda.
“There’s Branch, Whisper, and the others,” said Fillmore. “I telephoned
before we started, and they’re looking for us.”
A colored man appeared and took charge of the horses as soon as they
drove up. A few moments later Frank and Bart were shaking hands with
the Hopkins men on the veranda, Fillmore introducing them.
Jack Branch, the manager of the lacrosse team, was a shrewd-faced,
freckled chap, sharp-voiced and gimlet-eyed. He was a Connecticut
Yankee, and had been appointed manager of the team on account of his
natural shrewdness.
While Frank and Bart were chatting with their new acquaintances
Fillmore and Hackett entered the house.
“It’s worked well thus far,” said Fillmore. “Now, if we can send Mr.
Merriwell and Mr. Hodge back to their ladies with a jag on, I’ll be
satisfied. I’d like to show Merriwell up to Inza. He’s going to take
her out to the theatre to-night. We’ll keep him and Hodge here for
dinner and fill them up. Then we can take them directly to my sister’s
house and show them off in all their glory.”
“You certainly have it in for Merriwell, all right,” grinned Hackett.
“I have. Didn’t I see him meet Inza Burrage and kiss her! She thinks
he’s perfection. She even told me he didn’t drink; but I know better.”
“Of course he takes something, but it’s plain he’s been telling her
different. Is she straight-laced?”
“She thinks drinking debasing.”
“A bit old-fashioned for a girl of to-day, eh?”
“It seems to be behind the times, but somehow I can’t help respecting
her for it.”
“Why, I’ve heard you laugh about blue stockings more than once. You’ve
told me you had no use for a girl who would not take a glass of wine
and be jolly.”
“I thought so; but Inza Burrage can be jolly without taking a glass of
wine. The girl who drinks a little is all right to fool with, but I’ve
concluded she isn’t the sort to get smashed on.”
“Then you are smashed on Inza Burrage? You admit it!”
“Between you and me, old man, something is the matter with me. When
I saw Merriwell kiss her last night I wanted to rush in and take him
by the throat. I got up to my room and decided to make him look like
thirty cents to her. That’s why I’m taking all this trouble. That’s why
I fixed it with Branch and the others to meet him out here. That’s why
I paid for the automobile that brought them out ahead of us. I had the
auto waiting to start when I gave the word. Didn’t you notice I wasn’t
in any hurry about driving here?”
“Sure.”
“I didn’t propose to arrive ahead of Branch.”
“Well, while we’re loading Mr. Merriwell let’s not neglect Mr. Hodge.”
“Hodge? Oh, of course not; but it doesn’t make so much difference about
him.”
“Yes, it does.”
“How’s that?”
“I want to show him up to Miss Bellwood.”
“Eh? Why——”
“You may have your dark-eyed peach—if you can get her; give me the
other girl. She’s the first blonde I ever saw who upset me, and she
gave me the solar-plexus blow the instant I saw her.”
Fillmore was astounded.
“What’s that?” he gasped. “You don’t mean to tell me that you consider
her prettier than Inza?”
“That’s just what I mean to tell you. She has the sweetest face of any
girl I ever saw. In perfect health, I know she would be a hundred times
prettier than Inza.”
“Well, I admire your taste!” But the tone in which he uttered the words
indicated that he did not admire it.
“That’s all right. We can’t all think the same. I’m sincere, old man.
Give me Elsie, and you may have Inza.”
The captain of the lacrosse team grasped his friend’s hand.
“My boy,” he breathed, “take her, with my blessing. Now we can work in
unison and harmony. I’m delighted! Let’s get those chaps filled to the
brim to-day. That will be a beginning. Then if we can just put it all
over them when we meet them at lacrosse—well, we’ll be progressing. In
the meantime, we may find still other ways of making them appear cheap
in the eyes of their admiring ladies. Good luck to us! Disgrace to
them!”