LEON PROMISES TO REFORM
The startled boy struggled to get free, but Hugh had taken a firmer
grip upon his person, and saw to it that he could not squirm loose.
"Quit your kicking!" cried Thad, indignantly, when one of the
fellow's shoes came in rough contact with his own shins; "or we'll
start something along the same lines! We know you, Leon Disney, so
there's no use trying to hide your face."
Leaning over, Thad groped around until he managed to find the hand
that held the little electric torch. This latter article he tore
from the grasp of Leon, and immediately pressed the button that
caused the battery to work. The intense darkness around them was
dissipated to some degree. Thad threw the glow directly into the
face of the fellow Hugh was holding.
Leon stopped his desperate struggles. He realized that the game was
up so far as trying to keep his identity a secret; and, being a most
resourceful sort of chap, he now resorted to another little scheme
which he had undoubtedly thought out, to be used in case he was
discovered, and cornered, while on his night mission.
"Oh! is that you, Hugh?" he burst out, in a shaky voice. "Say, you
gave me an _aw_ful scare! I thought it must be some old tramp that
grabbed me, sure I did. It's all right now, Hugh, and I'm not
wanting to clear out, since I know who you are. That's Thad, too, I
reckon, holding my little flash-light. How you did startle me,
though. I never dreamed anybody was around here when I started to
come back after my watch."
"What's that you say?" gasped Thad; "your watch? Tell that to the
marines, Leon Disney!"
"But it's so, I tell you. Thad, it sure is," persisted the other
tenaciously, as though he had laid all his plans for just such an
"accident," whereby his attempt to rob Hugh's locker would be held
up. "I believe I must have forgotten to take it out of my locker
this evening when I was dressing, after hard work on the field,
running, and practising throwing the hammer. I never noticed it till
long after supper, and I was afraid of what my dad would say when he
asked me for it in the morning, to take back to the store where he
got it, to exchange for another. So, Hugh, don't you see, the idea
came to me that mebbe I might be able to get in the building out here
if a window happened to be unfastened; which turned out to be the
case, you know."
"Yes, the very _first_ window you tackled in the bargain, Leon; how
fortunate for you!" sneered the unbelieving Thad. "And say, you
ought to know that this isn't your locker, because the numbers are
painted big enough on the door for anybody with only one eye to see."
Even this did not appear to disconcert the other boy. He was a
slippery sort of customer, who always seemed able to find some sort
of ready excuse, or a way to "climb down a tree" when caught in the
act.
He turned, and stared at the number 16 plainly on the door. Then he
grinned at Thad as he hurriedly went on to explain further; for his
inventive faculties seemed without end when they were exercised in
order to get him out of any bad scrape:
"Well, that shows my first guess was the right one after all. You
see, Hugh, I knew my number was either 16 or 19, and, for the life of
me, I couldn't tell which. Of course, if the first belongs to you
when my number is 19, I was foolish to change my mind; though, of
course, even if the key opened your locker I'd have known my mistake
right away. No harm done, I hope, Hugh?"
Thad made a low, growling sound, as though he put not the slightest
faith in the story Leon was telling. He knew the other to be utterly
unprincipled, and a willing tool in the hands of Nick Lang; indeed,
there were some things about the sneaky Leon that blunt, honest Thad
hated worse than the bullying propensities of the other boy.
"So you really and truly left your watch in your locker, did you?" he
demanded, with a perceptible sneer in his tones.
"I think I did; in fact, I'm certainly hoping so," Leon hastily
replied; "because if it doesn't happen to be there I don't know where
I could have lost it; and I'll get a fine turning over from dad in
the morning when he asks me for the same to take back, and exchange
for one that keeps decent time."
"Oh!" continued the still skeptical Thad, thinking to corner Leon,
"then, perhaps, you'll prove your words by showing us the inside of
your locker right now? Number 19 it would be, you said; well, here
it is, on a direct line with Hugh's locker. Get busy with your key,
Leon, and open up!"
Possibly Thad was confident that the other would not venture to do as
he demanded. He may have expected him to invent some handy excuse
for not complying; but then the other had already laid the foundation
for a reasonable sense of disappointment in case no watch was
forthcoming when the locker was opened; since he said he _hoped_ he
might have forgotten it when dressing, and not lost it on the way
home that evening at dusk.
Leon started to obey with alacrity, as though he had no fears. His
key immediately opened the door, and this, upon being swung aside,
revealed a bundle of old athletic garments hastily thrown in without
regard to neatness.
These Leon commenced to eagerly take out, one at a time. He was
careful how he handled them, as though fearful lest he might toss the
silver watch out, to land on the floor with disastrous results.
As he picked up such various articles of wearing apparel as used by
an athlete in training, Leon continued to air his grievances, as
though he meant Hugh to understand how utterly impossible it was for
him to have intended any mean thing by breaking open a locker other
than his own:
"It was silly of me getting those numbers mixed in my head, of
course; but then a figure nine is only a six turned upside down, you
see. I was so worked up over missing my clock that I just couldn't
think straight at all. Well, it isn't under that jersey, anyhow; nor
yet covered by those trunks. I remember now I pushed it away back,
so I couldn't drag it out. There's an old sweater I use when I'm
overheated, and afraid of taking cold; mebbe now it's under that."
Reaching further in, Leon caught hold of the article in question, and
carefully drew it toward him. Then he as cautiously lifted the torn
sweater; and, as Thad turned the glow of the flash-light directly
into the box they all saw the watch reposing in the corner, just as
the boy had left it.
Leon made a clutch for his property. He over-did the matter, Hugh
thought, acting in an exuberant fashion.
"Oh! mebbe I'm not joyful over getting my hands on you again, you
poor old time-keeper!" he exclaimed, as he snatched the silver watch
up and shook it, as though any fault could be attached to the article
in question. "A fine chase you've given me to-night; and playing the
part of sneak-thief in the bargain; but then, of course, you believe
what I told you, now, Hugh, since you've seen that the watch was in
my locker?"
Hugh did not care to fully commit himself, it seemed, judging from
the way in which he went on to say:
"We've seen you recover your watch all right, Leon; and it was in
your locker just as you said; but whether you forgot it, or left it
there on purpose, is a question I'm not prepared to settle."
Of course there was no further excuse for Hugh keeping that grip on
Leon's shoulder, so he released his hold, and the other gave a sigh
as of relief at this evidence of a change in policy on the part of
his captor.
"Say, I wish you'd do me a great favor, Hugh," Leon went on to say,
as though he believed in the old maxim that it is wise to "strike
while the iron is hot."
"As to what?" demanded the one addressed in this whining way.
"What's the use of saying anything about this business?" Leon went on
eagerly. "It certainly wouldn't do any good, and I proved to you
that I did enter here just to recover my watch, didn't I? But mebbe
it might get to my dad's ears, how I'd gone and been so careless
about looking after my property. You see, he told me that if I lost
this birthday present he'd not get me another watch till I graduated
from high school; and say, I'm beginning to lose all hope of that
ever happening in my case. But you will keep mum about it, won't
you, Hugh; just to save me from getting up against it rough with my
strict dad?"
It sounded like a reasonable request, Hugh must have thought.
Besides, no matter what the intentions of Leon may have been, there
had really been no harm done, owing to the fact of their being drawn
to the spot by discovering his skulking figure dimly outlined in the
moonlight.
Hugh considered before committing himself to making any reply. He
did not believe most of what the other so glibly declared, partly
because he knew very well that Mr. Disney was not a strict parent at
all, but a most indifferent one, or he would never have allowed his
young hopeful to go in the company of Nick Lang, and take part in
many of the other's practical jokes. Some of these had bordered on a
serious nature, like the time the electric current was shut off
abruptly when the graduation exercises were going on at night-time in
the big auditorium in the high-school building; and the ensuing utter
darkness almost created a panic among the audience, composed
principally of women and young people, the wires having been severed,
it was later discovered, at a point where they entered the building.
"I'll say this, Leon," he finally told the waiting boy; "I'll keep
quiet about this little thing for three days, and then feel free to
mention it, if the necessity arises. I'll make a further bargain
with you to this effect; you fight shy of the company of Nick Lang
after this, and I'll hold my tongue as long as I understand that
you've cut his acquaintance; otherwise, I'll feel free to speak; and
there are lots of people in this town who'll believe you had some
dark motive back of your breaking into this building to-night. Your
reputation is against you, Leon, you understand. Another fellow
might enter here, and everybody would believe what he said; but
you've long ago lost the confidence of everybody worth while in
Scranton. Is it a bargain, then?"
Leon replied with alacrity; but then that was no sign that he meant
to keep his word. He had been caught in a downright lie on many
another occasion; so Hugh did not place much reliance on his promise
to reform.
"Oh! as to that, Hugh," said the crafty Leon, "I've been figuring on
cutting away from Nick for a long time now, and I guess I'll do it.
He's got me in lots of nasty scrapes, you understand, and then just
laughs at me. I'd have given him the shake long since, only he
threatened to whip me black and blue if I ever did. But this would
be a good chance to try it out. Yes, I'll promise you to try and
break away from Nick; and I hope you'll keep mum about my coming here
to-night. If you don't mind, Thad, I'd like to have my flashlight
now. And I ought to be going back home in the bargain, because dad
doesn't like me to be out nights unless he knows where I'm at."
Thad chuckled as though he considered this last remark in the light
of a joke; for Leon roamed the streets until a late hour every night
he chose; but, as there was no need of their staying longer, they
passed out of the window, and headed toward their respective homes.