Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
FRANK ROSCOE'S SECRET
Or, The Darewell Chums in the Woods
BY ALLEN CHAPMAN
AUTHOR OF "BART STIRLING'S ROAD TO SUCCESS," "WORKING HARD TO WIN,"
"BOUND TO SUCCEED," "THE YOUNG STOREKEEPER," "NAT BORDEN'S FIND," ETC.
1908
CONTENTS
I. PLANNING A DINNER
II. A CONSPIRACY REVEALED
III. NED IS CAPTURED
IV. NED HEARS STRANGE TALK
V. SUSPICIONS AROUSED
VI. FRANK GETS A LETTER
VII. BREAKING UP A DANCE
VIII. FRANK IS WARNED
IX. A STRANGER IN TOWN
X. MR. HARDMAN'S QUEER ACT
XI. NEWS FOR FRANK
XII. THE LAZY RACE
XIII. VACATION AT HAND
XIV. THE TELEPHONE WIRE
XV. SEARCHING FOR FRANK
XVI. WHERE FRANK WENT
XVII. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING
XVIII. A CANOE TRIP
XIX. AT THE SANITARIUM
XX. THE INTERVIEW
XXI. FRANK LEAVES AGAIN
XXII. FRANK IS EMPLOYED
XXIII. PLANNING A RESCUE
XXIV. FRANK LOSES HOPE
XXV. FRANK'S SECRET DISCLOSED
XXVI. ARRANGING AN ESCAPE
XXVII. THE RUNAWAY DONKEY
XXVIII. THE RESCUE
XXIX. THE CURE--CONCLUSION
FRANK ROSCOE'S SECRET
CHAPTER I
PLANNING A DINNER
"That's the way to line 'em out, Ned!"
"Go on now! Take another! You can get home!"
"Wow! That wins the game! Hurrah for Ned Wilding!"
Those were some of the shouts, amid a multitude of others, that came from
scores of boyish throats as they watched the baseball game between the
Darewell High School and the Lakeville Preparatory Academy. The occasion
was the annual championship struggle, and the cries resulted from Ned's
successful batting of the ball far over the center fielder's head.
It was a critical moment for the score was tie, it was the ending of the
ninth inning, and there were two men of the High School nine out. It all
depended on Ned.
But Ned was equal to the occasion. He had placed the ball well, and as
soon as he heard the crack, when his bat struck it, he had darted for
first. Then, running as he never had run before, he kept on to second.
The encouraging shouts of his friends induced him to advance toward
third, though by this time the center fielder had the ball and was
throwing it to the baseman.
"Come on, Ned! Come on! Take a chance!" yelled Bart Keene, captain of the
High School team.
Then Ned, from a baseball standpoint of safety, did what might be termed
a foolish thing. He reached third base just an instant before the ball
did. He heard it strike the baseman's glove with a loud "plunk!"
A second later, stooping to avoid being touched, Ned sprang up and ran
toward the home plate. It was a desperate chance in a desperate game, for
the Lakeville players were cool and experienced hands, and Ned was almost
certain to be put out. However, he had chanced it. It was too late to go
back now. He was running straight for home, as though there was no such
thing as a baseman with a ball close behind him, waiting for a good
chance to throw to the catcher and put him out.
Right at the catcher Ned ran. The third baseman drew back his arm to
throw the ball. The catcher put out his hands to grasp it. Then Ned
jumped up into the air, springing as high as he could.
This disconcerted the aim of the third baseman and he had to throw higher
than he intended, to get the ball over Ned's head.
It was what Ned intended that happened.
The catcher was obliged to jump to reach the whizzing ball. He just
missed it, the leather sphere grazing the tips of his fingers. Then it
flew over his head, while there sounded a groan from the Lakeville
supporters. The game was a High School victory.
An instant later Ned had passed the chagrined catcher and had touched the
home plate, while the High School boys stood up on the bleachers and made
themselves hoarse with cheers. Joining them came the shrill cries of the
girls of Darewell, quite a throng of whom had come to see the game.
"Good, Ned!" cried Bart, as he ran up to grasp his chum by the hand.
"That's the stuff!" exclaimed Fenn Masterson. "I knew you could do it,
Ned!"
"That's more than I knew myself," Ned answered, panting from his home
run.
"Three cheers for the Darewells!" called the captain of the preparatory
school nine.
The tribute to victory was paid with a will.
"Three cheers for the Lakevilles!" shouted Lem Gordon, pitcher on the
High School team.
The winners fairly outdid their rivals in cheering. Then the diamond was
thronged with girls and boys, all talking at once, and discussing the
various points of the game.
"It was a close chance you took, Ned," remarked a tall, quiet youth,
coming up to the winner of the game.
"I had to, Frank. I didn't risk much in being put out, but it meant a lot
if I could get home, and I took the chance."
"Oh, Ned's always willing to take chances," said Bart Keene.
"Yes, and sometimes it isn't a good thing," replied Frank.
"Oh, you're too particular," came from Fenn Masterson. "What's the use of
doing the safe thing all the while?"
"That's right, Stumpy my boy," commented Ned, "Stumpy" being Fenn's
nickname because of his short, stout figure.
"Oh, I believe in taking chances once in a while," went on Frank, "but
of course--"
He did not finish his sentence, and his three chums looked at one
another, for Frank seemed to be dreaming of something far removed from
the ball game.
"He's getting stranger than ever," remarked Bart to Ned in a low tone.
"We'll have to get his mind off of whatever it is that's troubling him."
"That's right," agreed Ned.
"We ought to celebrate this victory in some way," suggested Fenn, as
a crowd of boys, including several members of the ball team, joined
the chums. "We ought to get up a dinner and have speeches and things
like that."
"Nothing to eat, of course," said Ned.
"Oh, sure; lots to eat," Fenn hastened to add.
"Where could we have it?" asked Lem.
"In our barn," replied Fenn. "There's lots of room, and we don't keep
horses any more. It's nice and clean. We could put some boards over
saw-horses to make tables, and have a fine time. We can make all the
noise we want, and no one would say a word."
"That's the stuff!" cried Bart. "The very thing! Stumpy, you're a
committee of one to see about it."
"I'm not going to do all the work!" objected Stumpy.
"I'll help," put in Ned. "Where'll we get the stuff?"
"I guess there's enough in the club treasury for a little spread," said
Bart. "This is the last game of the summer season, and we might as well
spend some of our cash. We don't want to get too rich."
By this time most of the High School pupils had left the ball grounds and
were on their various ways home. It was a Saturday afternoon early in
June, and the fine weather had brought a big crowd to see the game, which
was played on the Lakeville grounds. The members of the High School nine,
including a few substitutes, rode home in a big stage, but trolley cars
took the other Darewell boys and girls back.
On the way home the dinner was discussed in its various details, and it
was voted to have it a week from that Saturday night.
"Better not talk too much about it," suggested Bart
"Why not?" asked Stumpy.
"I've got an idea that if too much is known about it there may be
trouble."
"Trouble? What do you mean?"
"Well, you know the first-year boys have formed a sort of secret
society. They call themselves the Upside Down Club."
"What has that got to do with our dinner?"
"Nothing, maybe, and again it may have."
"Have they any grudge against us?" asked Ned.
"No, nothing special, but it's part of their game to play tricks on all
the other school societies, from the athletic teams to the debating club.
Archie Smith, a cousin of mine, belongs, and I got that much out of him
before he knew what I was after. Then he wouldn't tell me any more. So
that's why I think the Upside Down boys may make trouble for us."
"Well, if they wish to make trouble we'll give them all they want,"
put in Fenn.
"Yes, but we don't want the dinner spoiled," said Bart. "There's a big
class of first-year boys this term, and they could make a 'rough-house'
of our spread in short order. That's why I think it would be better to
keep quiet about the affair, at least as to the place where we're going
to hold it."
After some discussion Bart's suggestion was agreed to. Further details of
the dinner were arranged, and it was planned that Ned should be
toastmaster, an honor which he would gladly have declined.
"No, sir, you won the game for us, and you've got to preside at the
dinner!" declared Bart, to which all the others on the nine gave their
approval with a shout.
"Mind now," Bart added, as the team was about to disperse, having reached
Darewell, "no talking about the dinner. Everyone keep mum or there may be
no spread at all. If any one hears of the Upside Down boys getting wind
of the affair, tell me and we'll arrange to fool 'em."
The club members left their uniforms and outfits in the basement of the
High School, where they had improvised dressing rooms, and then the boys
started for their homes. Frank, Bart, Ned and Stumpy, four chums who were
seldom separated, went down the street together. As they were passing the
drug store they saw two girls going in.
"There's your sister Alice, Bart," called Ned.
"Yes, and Jennie Smith is with her," added Bart. "Hi, Stumpy! There's a
chance for you. Jennie looked back as if she wanted you."
At this the other chums laughed, for Fenn was rather "sweet" on the
girls, and Jennie was an especial favorite with him. But Fenn did not
like to have his failing commented on.
"You let up!" he called to Bart. "You're so afraid of the girls you
don't dare speak to 'em!"
"You do enough of that for the four of us put together," joked Ned. "But
come on. Let's hurry, it's almost supper time."