FRANK MERRIWELL’S DILEMMA.
When Starbright and Dashleigh appeared on the campus they were greeted
with a sensation. Dion Santenel was no longer a prisoner. He had escaped
from the jail the previous evening.
Merriwell, Browning, and Hodge were talking about it over by the senior
fence; and though the mass of the students had no knowledge that Dade
Morgan was in any way connected with the man who had been placed in jail
by Merriwell, the escape of the prisoner was being discussed by little
knots of Yale men gathered here and there.
“Will it interfere with the hockey-match this afternoon?” Bert asked.
“I don’t see why it should,” was the answer of the student of whom Bert
had inquired.
“On account of Merriwell.”
“Oh, yes; I forgot that you’re one of the fellows who think the sun
can’t rise of mornings unless Frank Merriwell pries it up with a lever.
That hockey-match can be played without Merriwell!”
“You’re joining the Chickering set!” said Bert.
“Oh, no! Only I happen not to be insane over Merriwell!”
There were others who asked themselves and their acquaintances that
question, but all conjecture was set at rest by an announcement from
Frank that the game would be played.
When Frank returned to his room he found Dade Morgan awaiting him in the
corridor.
“I thought I’d like to have a few words with you,” said Morgan.
Frank showed him into his apartments.
“I didn’t know how you might feel?” Morgan queried.
“I don’t know that I understand you?”
“About the hockey-match.”
“It is to be played this afternoon on Lake Whitney. The ice is being
cleared of the snow now for the game.”
“Yes, I knew that. But I wanted to know if you’d be willing for me to
play. I’m down as one of the opposition players, you know, and after
what has happened I didn’t know how you might feel. I’d like to play in
that match, but——”
Morgan’s manner was subdued and almost penitent.
“I have had no thought of objecting to your playing in that match,
Morgan. I’ve been wondering, though, how much you know about that escape
of Santenel.”
“No more than you do,” Morgan declared. “I was afraid you might think I
had a hand in that, though you’ll see that I couldn’t.”
“Some one got a file to him, and he cut through the bars,” said Frank,
watching Dade closely. “He escaped early last evening. No one seems to
know how he secured the file, and some of the prison officials affect to
believe that he had it concealed about him when he was put in jail. Any
way, he is out. If he’ll steer clear of New Haven and let me and my
father alone hereafter, I shall not care much. You don’t know anything
about it?”
“Not a thing.”
“You’ve asked me about the hockey-match. I’ll say this: It won’t be
healthy for you to attempt any underhanded work in that game. I shall
discover it if you do.”
Morgan began a protest.
“Ever since I’ve known that you and Santenel were connected, I’ve been
in a dilemma,” Frank went on. “You understand what I mean.”
“I’ve cut loose from all that, Merriwell. I don’t expect you to believe
me until you’ve had the proof. But I’ve cut loose from work of the kind
you complain against.”
“If you had any hand in helping Santenel to escape, I shall discover it
by and by. I’m talking plain to you, Morgan. It’s not my style to beat
around the bush in a matter like this. You have tried your best to
injure me here at Yale. I haven’t forgotten it, and I’m not likely to. I
have, as I told you, proofs enough to force you out of Yale. Perhaps I
shall use them. If I find that you had a hand in that escape, I shall
certainly use them.”
“Just give me time to show you that I’m all right,” Dade begged. “I’m
going to play fair hereafter. By that I don’t mean that I’ve any notion
of joining your flock.”
“No one joins that who isn’t invited.”
Dade flushed.
“What I meant was that I can’t expect to become your warm friend and
supporter right off. I shall retain the privilege of kicking against
things you do, and of working against you in an honorable manner. But I
have cut loose from everything else. I’ll prove it in time; and as for
that game this afternoon, I’ll promise you that you won’t have a man on
your team who will fight harder to win.”
“You’re a star in athletics, Morgan. For that reason alone I have put
you on various teams. But I have never trusted you, and I do not trust
you now. So you may look out, for I shall be watching you.”
Dade was rather pale as he went down from Vanderbilt. He realized that
he had never been in quite so close and ticklish a place. One false step
might hurl him out of Yale in disgrace.
“You bet I’ll play fair this afternoon,” he thought. “It stands me in
hand to play fair just now, and I’m the boy to do it when it’s
necessary. But I wonder how Santenel got out and what’s become of him?
He’ll hang round New Haven, no doubt.”
So strong was this feeling on Dade that he almost expected to see
Santenel crouching over the fire in the grate when he returned to his
room, but the hypnotist was not there.
Hodge passed Morgan on the stairs as the latter was descending, and
entered Frank’s room with a displeased look.
“I wouldn’t trust that fellow an inch!” he growled.
“I’m not trusting him,” said Frank. “I’m merely watching him.”
“Of course. I’ve protested so much that you’re not likely to listen to
anything I say,” Hodge grumbled. “But I wouldn’t even permit the
scoundrel to come into these rooms. He’d do anything. When I come in
here and know that he has just left you I find myself looking round in
search of an infernal machine or something of the kind. That fellow has
no more honor than a rattlesnake.”
“I’m not trusting him,” Frank repeated quietly.
“Yet you will let him play on that opposition team this afternoon. You
haven’t said so to me, but I know that you will do it, simply because he
is a good player.”
“I have no right to say who shall be on the other team. Then, I’ve
another reason, Bart,” Frank explained. “I can watch him better while he
is there than if he were somewhere else. I am sure he will not try to do
anything risky, for he knows that he dare not. I’ve told him just how
the land lays, and, understanding that, he will hold himself in. I shall
take steps which I hope will bring about the recapture of Santenel. Dirk
is working on the case. The police officials feel chagrined, and they
will do all they can.”
“And of course you’ll let Morgan remain in Yale?” said Bart, with
curling lips.
“I don’t know. I’m in a dilemma about it. You see, it is this way:
Morgan is such a capable fellow that if he could be brought round right,
he would make a man worthy of Yale. With, possibly, the exception of
Starbright, he is the most promising freshman here. If I’m lenient with
him, it may bring him to realize just how he stands. He may turn short
about and make a man of himself. While, on the other hand, if I should
brand him with the disgrace of an expulsion from the college, he might
go headlong to the bad. That’s what makes me hesitate. I’d like to give
him a chance to become something more than a brilliant villain.”
“Well, he will never be anything else.”
Hodge had been quite mild in his protest against Morgan, but he said
this last very positively. When he was gone Merriwell sat for a long
time thinking. Usually he could not agree with Hodge in such matters;
but he was not sure that in this instance Hodge was not right.
“I’ll give Morgan a chance, any way!” was his conclusion. “I’ll let him
play in that match, and I’ll watch him.”
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