STONE’S DEFIANCE.
It is almost impossible to describe the mental condition of Bernard
Hayden immediately after Roger’s departure. Resentful wrath nearly
choked him, and for a few moments he raged against Eliot like a
lunatic. Even when he grew calmer outwardly, the fierce tumult in his
heart continued.
“How dare that fellow come here and talk to me in such a fashion!” he
snarled, pacing the floor of his room; “how dare he! So he’s going to
stand by Stone at any cost! Judging by what I’ve heard about him, he’s
just mule enough to do it, too. I presume he’s right in believing he
has pull enough with the fellows to carry the thing through. I’ve got
to down Stone, and I will; but I can’t afford to hurt myself while I’m
about it, and, with Eliot taking the stand he vows he will take, it
will be necessary for me to try other tactics. I hate to give in a
whit, and I’ll only seem to do so, in order that I may adopt some other
plan—some plan that can’t possibly fail. Perhaps you think you have me
nipped, Mr. Eliot, but at any cost I’ll win eventually.”
The following morning, watched by Jimmy, Stone was mending a broken
swing in the orchard behind Mrs. Jones’ house when, looking up, he
discovered Bern Hayden standing not twenty feet away. Their glances met
and clashed, and, startled by the strange look on Ben’s face, Jimmy
glanced round, discovering the frowning, dark-faced intruder.
“Oh!” gasped the little chap nervously. “I didn’t hear nobody coming.”
Ben had straightened up to his full height. His stout shoulders were
squared, his feet planted firmly, and he fronted his foe without a
symptom of quailing. He had felt that this time must come, but now the
dread of it passed from him instantly, and he was almost frightened by
that feeling of eager fierceness and uncontrollable rage which had
possessed him in the hour when he was led to wreak physical violence on
Hayden for the destruction of little Jerry’s fiddle. Slowly and
unconsciously he lifted his hand and touched his mutilated ear.
Bern, seeing that movement, flushed until his face took on a purplish
tinge.
“It would have been a good thing,” he said in a harsh voice, “if in
self-defense I had struck more effectively.”
Every nerve in Stone’s body seemed to vibrate. Without looking at the
lame boy, who had begun to creep toward him, he said:
“Jimmy, you had better go into the house. I’ve some private business to
transact with this person.”
The little lad hesitated a few steps away. “Ben,” he whispered, “oh,
Ben, I’m afraid!”
“Go into the house, please,” urged Stone; and, with many fearful
backward glances, Jimmy limped away.
For yet some moments they continued to stare, those two who hated each
other with all the intensity of their natures. If stabbing eyes could
have killed, both would have sunk, mortally wounded, beneath the
orchard trees.
“What do you want?”
It was Stone who asked the question. With a start, Hayden advanced a
few steps, but he stopped while yet well beyond reach of the other
lad’s powerful hands. As he noted that Bern was disinclined to come
nearer, something like a hideous smile momentarily contorted Stone’s
uncomely face.
“As I was passing I saw you here,” said Bern, “and I decided to tell
you just what you’re doing. You’re ruining the Oakdale football team,
for there are a number of decent fellows who absolutely refuse to play
on the same eleven with you.”
“Decent fellows!” scoffed Ben. “Your friends! If they knew you for what
you are, as I do, the least decent among them would have nothing to do
with you.”
“Eliot is mulish, and, having taken a stand, he dislikes to turn back;
but I know—and others know—that he would rejoice to be rid of you. You
would realize it yourself if you were not so dull. Of course he tells
you he wants you to play, for since you protected his sister he feels
that he can’t do anything else. You saw last night that the fellows are
quitting the team. It’s because you’re on it, and besides those who
have already quit there will be others. I’m in a position to know just
how they all feel about it, and unless you take yourself off it won’t
be long before Eliot will have no team behind him. You can’t play
football, anyhow.”
It was this final taunt that brought Stone’s retort. “I can play as
well as you, Hayden, and I’ll prove it, too. In Hilton you always had
your own way, but you can’t in Oakdale. You helped break my mother’s
heart; you disfigured me for life, and you drove me, an outcast, from
Hilton. Here, assisted by your cold-blooded, heartless old father, you
tried your best to get me turned out of school and to force me in
disgrace from the town. You failed in that, just as henceforth you’ll
fail in all your vile schemes. I was compelled to run from you once,
but I’ll never do so again, Hayden. I’ll never turn my back on you;
I’ll fight you to the finish, and may the best man win.”
“By which, I presume, you mean that you’re going to stick on the team?”
“I’m going to stick on the team; I’m going to stick in the school; I’m
going to stick right here; and for all of you I’ll come out on top.”
It was a flat defiance, and at last Hayden realized that mere words
alone would be quite as potent to move a mountain.
“Very well,” cried Bern, “then you’ll have to take the consequences,
you—you son of a——”
“Stop! My father is dead—murdered—an innocent man. It will not be safe
for you ever again to utter a slur against him in my hearing.”
The threat in the speaker’s face was far more effective than in his
words, and Bern Hayden did not complete the interrupted sentence.
Turning, he walked swiftly away, followed by the eyes of the lad he had
failed to intimidate.
Spotty Davis, leaning on the orchard fence, had been watching them for
some moments. Hayden scarcely noticed Spotty as he passed, and Davis
grinned at Ben, to whom he called:
“Come on, Stoney, let’s toddle up to the acad. You’ll be late if you
don’t come along now.”
A strange calmness had come over Ben Stone. This had taken the place of
the wrath that had burned in his veins, and now he felt that he was
indeed master of himself. And whoever masters himself may likewise
master fate.
“You’n Bern are gittin’ kinder friendly, ain’t yer?” chuckled Spotty,
as Ben came out. “Sorter surprised me to see him makin’ a mornin’ call
on you.”
As he passed through the academy gate, Hayden glanced back and saw
Stone and Davis coming. A strange look flashed swiftly across his face,
and the words which he muttered no one save himself could have
understood had they heard them.
That night Roger Eliot noted with satisfaction that Fred Sage was
promptly on hand at the football field. Hunk Rollins likewise put in an
appearance; and, to complete Eliot’s triumph, both Barker and Hayden
arrived before practice began.
There were others who took notice of these things, and Sleuth Piper,
whispering mysteriously in Chub Tuttle’s ear, observed:
“My deduction is that Capt. Eliot has put on the screws and brought the
delinquents to time. The before-mentioned delinquents have come
trotting up to the dough dish as gentle as lambs, and——”
“Lambs don’t like dough,” said Chub. “Your figures of speech are
shocking, Sleuth.”
“Mebbe so,” said Piper. “Gimme a peanut, will you?”
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