CONSTERNATION
At the words that fell from Garry Grayson's lips Sandy Podder's face
became as white as ashes.
"Now, now--" he stammered, all his aggressiveness gone. "Just let that
drop. I don't want to talk about that."
"I thought not," replied Garry, with a touch of sarcasm. "Then if you
don't want me to spill the whole story, beat it out of here and keep
going. And more than that," he added, as Sandy turned hurriedly toward
the door, "if you try giving anybody else the same line of chatter
you've just handed me, I'll make Lenox a mighty uncomfortable place for
you. Just get that."
The door slammed after Sandy Podder, and Garry turned toward the
grinning storekeeper.
"I'll have that package now," he said, with an answering smile.
"You sure handed that young whippersnapper a hot one that time," said
the man, as he pushed Garry's package across to him and received his
money in exchange. "I must say, I was glad to see you do it. That
fellow needs taking down a peg or two. But say," he lowered his voice
to a confidential murmur and leaned eagerly across the counter, "what
did you mean about that money and Sandy Podder's old man? You let out
just enough to make me interested."
Garry shook his head, gathered the package under one arm, and turned to
go.
"How do you know that I wasn't just working a bluff?" he answered.
But after the door had closed behind the lad the storekeeper remained
in his place behind the counter for a long minute, perplexity written
on his face.
"Bluffing, eh?" he repeated, half aloud. "Well, all I've got to say
'twas a pretty good bluff to make Sandy Podder turn white in the face
and hurry out of the shop as though a ghost was at his heels. Looks
like Sandy Podder had some trouble with his father about money and that
Garry Grayson knows about it. It's no wonder, the way he runs with that
poolroom crowd. No boy of mine could keep company with that bunch and
live under the same roof with me. That poolroom ought to be closed up,
and I'd like to be the one to do it."
Meanwhile, Garry made his way homeward as quickly as he could.
He was irritated by his encounter with Sandy Podder, and half angry
with himself because of the slip of the tongue that had almost revealed
the shameful facts concerning that young reprobate and the missing
three thousand dollars.
Sandy had apparently gotten out of that scrape a good deal more easily
than he deserved. For a time after the occurrence he had seemed
subdued. But the improvement had lasted only a short time, and now he
was as bad--worse, some thought--as ever.
"He hates us fellows for the part we took in showing him up," murmured
Garry to himself, "and now that we're entering the same high school
where he's been studying, he'll do his best to get even with us. Well,
let him try," with an unconscious clenching of the fists. "I guess
we'll be a match for him. We've beaten him before, and we can probably
do it again."
It was not long before the great day came--great, at least, from
Garry's viewpoint--the day on which he was to enter Lenox High.
Mrs. Grayson had spent a few days before the opening in shopping for
Garry and Ella, for the latter was to enter the high school on the same
day as her twin brother.
There had been a spirited race during the years of grammar school
between the brother and sister.
When Garry skipped from 3A to 4A, Ella had put on her working cap and
skipped also. When in the higher grades Ella made a brilliant spurt and
skipped again, Garry had urged himself to greater effort and in the
next grade caught up to her.
Now, as they were about to step on a higher rung of the ladder of
learning, they were still side by side.
As they faced each other over the breakfast table, Ella radiant with
excitement and bubbling over with good spirits, Garry a bit sheepish
and acutely conscious of the handsome new suit that had been bought for
him to celebrate the occasion, it would have been hard to find in the
whole of Lenox a more wholesome or promising pair of youngsters.
At least Mrs. Grayson thought so, and it is safe to say that Mr.
Grayson agreed with her.
"My, how spick and span my famous brother looks!" remarked Ella, as
she helped herself to some omelet and a crisp slice of bacon. "You and
Tom Allison and that good-looking Pete Maddern will have the spotlight
turned upon you to-day, I reckon. The girls call you the 'Three
Captains,' and there's a lot of interest as to which of you will make
the Lenox football team first."
"So Tom and Maddern's boy are entering to-day too," observed Mr.
Grayson, eyeing his son thoughtfully. "They're fine fellows, both of
them."
"I'll say they are," Garry rejoined heartily. "Off the gridiron I like
them first-rate. But on the field," he added, with a grin, "they're
just a couple of fellows to lick."
"Well, go in and lick them, son," said Mr. Grayson, with a smile.
"They're a pair of sporting enemies, all right, and if you beat them,
it will be in a fair fight."
"I've got more than Pete and Tom to lick, Dad," said Garry. "It's not
likely any of us freshmen will make the team. And it's going to be
pretty hard to stand on the outside and watch the regulars work."
"Hard on your sporting instincts, but perhaps good for your
scholarship," returned Mr. Grayson. "There's just one thing I want to
say to you, Garry, before you start out this morning. This goes for you
too, Ella, since your mother tells me you are going to try to make the
girls' hockey team."
Garry shot an inquiring glance at his sister, but Ella's merry eyes
were fixed demurely on her plate.
"All during your work in grammar school," went on Mr. Grayson, "you
have been governed by the rule that your studies must come before
anything else. You've both done well and we're proud of you. Aren't we,
Sadie?"
Mrs. Grayson nodded, smiling.
"We haven't anything to complain of," she agreed.
"And I just want you to remember," Mr. Grayson concluded his brief
lecture, "that the same rule holds good in high school. Studies first
and sports in what time you have left."
"Sure thing, Dad," assented Garry. He had just caught a glimpse through
the window of Nick, Bill, Rooster, and Ted coming up the street. He
pushed back his chair hastily, for the boys had promised to call for
him. On his way to the door he paused for a moment at his father's
side. "That rule is a pretty strict one at Lenox High," he said.
"You've got to reach a certain mark in scholarship before you're even
eligible to try for a team. I say, El," he added, as he playfully
tweaked his sister's ear in passing, "what's this I hear about hockey?"
Ella smiled, as she also pushed back her chair from the table.
"You didn't think I was going to let my brother carry off all the
sporting honors of the family, did you?" she returned. Then she ran off
for her hat as Garry called a good-bye from the door and joined his
friends on the porch.
"Gee, you sure look swell, Garry!" Rooster greeted him. "That is some
outfit."
Ted staggered as though he were about to swoon.
"Hold me up," he pleaded. "Am I seeing things?"
"Cut it," commanded Garry, as he made a pass at Ted. "What are you
trying to do, pull a fight?"
As they walked on toward the school, it was noticeable that Bill
Sherwood was unusually silent. When Garry finally commented on this,
Bill roused himself with an effort from his abstraction.
"There was a row at home about Frank's going with that poolroom crowd,"
he explained. "Gee, I wish I could find some way to sidetrack him!
They're sure a rough gang, and I never thought that a brother of mine
would be running around with them."
"Oh, don't worry!" Rooster tried to cheer his chum up. "Frank will
tumble to them himself if you give him time. Just leave him alone till
he comes to his senses."
"Yeah, that's just what I am doing," said Bill mournfully. "He won't
let me do anything else."
The chums reached the grounds of the high school a short time later,
and found the campus already crowded with students. As the boys
mingled with these on their way to the building they caught sight of
Sandy Podder talking to Lent Stewart.
As Sandy's eyes lighted on Garry, an angry look came into them. He said
something in a low voice to his companion, and then the boys saw him
slip off into the crowd.
"Up to some dirty scheme, you can bet," said Rooster Long, with a
contemptuous twirl of his books. "That Sandy Podder sure has it in for
us."
"And he was talking to Lent Stewart," remarked Garry thoughtfully. "The
two seem to be pals."
"Thick as thieves. They're two of a kind, from all I've seen of them,"
said Bill.
They entered the big building now and looked about them with interest
as they proceeded down the corridor.
The school was an old one, the ceilings high, the woodwork dark. But
despite the dingy aspect of the place there was an air of dignity, an
atmosphere of learning, that impressed the boys just admitted within
its portals.
They passed an open door and had the temerity to look in.
"Gee, that's an office!" breathed Ted, with a touch of awe.
"Where they send the naughty freshmen, maybe," put in Nick Danter, with
a chuckle. "Bet you'll be the first to make it, Ted, at that."
Ted's retort was cut short by an unexpected incident.
They had reached the end of the corridor and were about to turn the
corner to the room assigned to them when Garry leaped back suddenly,
almost knocking over Rooster and Bill, who were directly behind him.
A cup of dirty water thrown by an invisible hand had narrowly missed
landing squarely on the front of his new coat!