A BLOW FOR FRANK.
"Eh? What's that?" exclaimed Miss Abigail, who entered the library just
in time to catch Inza's words.
"Frank Merriwell has had the impudence to call here to see me--as soon
as this!" flared Inza, her face flaming.
"Eh?" exclaimed Miss Abigail, once more. "Impudence?"
"Yes--insolence! After he did not keep his promise to me!"
Rob Marline was greatly interested, although he pretended not to notice
what was going on.
"Oh, well, dear," said the spinster, "you must not blame him."
"But I do!"
"You do not know the circumstances."
"I know he broke his promise, and I know I'll never speak to him again
as long as I live--never!"
"You think so now, but----"
"I shall think so always."
"Don't be foolish, child! Mr. Merriwell is a splendid young man, and
you----"
"I will not see him! That is all."
Then Inza again instructed the servant to tell Mr. Merriwell that she
would not see him.
"If you won't see him, I will," said Miss Abigail. "Is he in the parlor?
I'll go to him."
"Now, aunt!" cried Inza, catching her arm, "you need not try to fix
anything up. He broke his promise to me, and I said I'd never speak to
him again. I meant it! He may just stay away, for I don't want to see
him. Tell him so for me."
"All right, I will, but I'm going to tell him you're all fluttered, and
don't know what you're talking about."
So Miss Gale went to see Frank in the parlor, while Inza remained in the
library.
Paula was not hard-hearted, for all that she had declared she hated
Frank Merriwell, and, when she saw Inza was in earnest about not seeing
Frank, she drew her aside, and said:
"Perhaps you had better see him. I don't want to be the cause of a
misunderstanding between you."
"Don't let that worry you," said Inza, with affected lightness. "I don't
want anything to do with a fellow who cares so little for me that he
will break a pledge the way Mr. Merriwell did."
"But--but he was loyal to his colors and his college."
"Which shows he thinks more of his old college than he does of me. I
have said I'd never speak to him again, and you shall see that I can
keep my word."
Paula was distressed, for she began to think herself responsible for the
misunderstanding between Frank and Inza. She knew Inza well enough,
however, to realize it was useless to attempt to reason with her when
her mind was set on anything. The more one tried to reason, the more set
she became.
Rob Marline had taken in all that passed, although he pretended to be
interested in Jack Benjamin's talk about the football game.
Marline felt elated, for he saw Merriwell had done something to turn
against him this pretty girl, who was Paula's friend. At first glance,
this Yale student from South Carolina had been strongly impressed by
Inza's appearance, and there was something about her spirit and her
manners that impressed him more and more.
"If I could cut Merriwell out with her!" he thought. "Ah! that would be
a rich revenge! But Paula might object! Never mind; I've given Paula no
particular reason to think I am stuck on her. If she is stuck on me,
it's not my fault. There is no reason why I should not try to catch on
with Miss Burrage."
He compared Inza and Paula, and he saw that the former was far the
handsomer girl. She had a strikingly attractive face with large dark
eyes, red lips and perfect teeth, while the color that came and went in
her cheeks told the tale of perfect health. He could see that she was
destined to become the kind of a young lady who always creates a
sensation when she enters a drawing-room and causes men to turn and look
after her on the street.
The more Marline thought it over, the firmer became his determination to
do his best to win Inza from Frank Merriwell. He laughed to himself when
he thought what a revenge that would be upon the fellow he hated.
"What are you laughing at?" cried Benjamin, somewhat offended. "I tell
you Harvard would have won in a walk if it hadn't been for that fellow
Merriwell."
"Beg pardon," said Marline, quickly. "Did I laugh? Excuse me. Still, I
think you overestimate Merriwell."
"Not a bit of it. He's the best man on the Yale eleven. Besides that, he
is one of the best baseball pitchers who ever twirled a ball. He has
done more for Yale sports and athletics than any one man ever did before
in the same length of time."
"He had the opportunities to-day," said Marline. "That's how he happened
to do so much."
"He made the opportunities," declared Benjamin. "What kind of an
opportunity was it when three of our men piled upon him and he carried
them more than fifteen yards? That was something wonderful!"
"Don't speak so loud, Jack," cautioned Paula. "He is in the parlor, and
he might hear you."
"Well, I'm sure I'm not saying anything that could offend him."
"It might give him the swelled head," put in Marline.
Inza turned on him like a flash.
"It is evident you do not know him very well, Mr. Marline," she said,
severely. "Frank Merriwell never gets the swelled head."
Marline was somewhat embarrassed, but, with the utmost suavity, he bowed
to her, smoothly saying:
"It is possible I do not know him very well, as you say; but I am sure
almost any fellow might be in danger of getting a touch of swelled head
had he done the things Mr. Merriwell did to-day."
He said this so gracefully that Inza's threatened anger was averted, and
she fell to chatting with him, much to his satisfaction.
They were standing close together, talking earnestly, Marline supporting
himself by leaning on the back of a chair, when Frank left the parlor,
saying to Miss Gale that he must hasten to catch a train back to New
Haven.
The library door opened into the hall, and Frank saw Inza chatting with
Rob Marline in a manner that seemed very friendly and familiar. The
sight gave him a start, and the hot blood rushed to his cheeks.
Inza knew Frank had seen them, but she did not turn to look at him. She
began to laugh in her most bewitching manner, as if amused very much at
something Marline had said, and leaned a little nearer her companion.
Frank seemed dazed. The sight of Rob Marline in that house chatting thus
with Inza seemed a revelation to him. All at once, he fancied he
understood the situation--fancied he knew why Inza had not wished him to
play on the Yale football team.
"We shall be in New Haven the last of the week, Mr. Merriwell," said
Miss Abigail. "She'll get over it by that time, and we'll call. It's
nothing but a foolish whim."
She spoke the words just loud enough for Frank to hear, but he did not
seem to understand. Like one in a dream, he took his cap from the rack
and turned toward the door.
"Good-day, Mr. Merriwell," called the old maid.
"Eh? Oh! Good-day!"
Frank paused at the door and looked back; then he spoke, loudly enough
to be heard in the library:
"I shall be pleased to see you at any time, Miss Gale, but, if you call
on me, perhaps it would be well not to bring a certain person with you.
It might be embarrassing and unpleasant. Good-day."
Bounding down the steps, Frank walked swiftly away. There was a hard,
set look on his face, which had grown singularly pale.
"Yes," he muttered, "I understand it all now. She would not tell me why
she did not wish me to play on the eleven, but I know now. Somewhere she
has met Rob Marline, and she is stuck on him. He wanted to play
full-back for Yale, and she aided him all she could by inducing me to
promise that I would not play. I see through the whole game! She was
playing me for a fool! I did not think that of her, but it is as clear
as crystal."
And Marline had cut him out with Inza! He felt sure of that.
"Well," he grated, "I have been easy with that fellow. Now we are
enemies to the bitter end! Let him look out for me!"