BY FAIR MEANS OR FOUL.
It was a hard game to lose, and the Fardale boys felt pretty sore over
it. Not a few blamed Dick for not putting Arlington out earlier in the
fatal seventh. It was generally admitted that Fardale would have won had
Flint heard Dick’s cry to Jolliby as he was running after that long fly.
Among the cadets, there were a few fellows who seemed to feel well
satisfied over the result, although they took care not to let this be
generally known.
Hector Marsh found it difficult to repress his pleasure and pretend to
be regretful. To Preston he secretly said:
“If I had planned that game it couldn’t have pleased me better.
Arlington got his bumps and was taken out by Merriwell, and then
Merriwell lost the game. Two mighty idols have tottered a little this
day. You bet your life Arlington is sore!”
“I know he is,” nodded Preston. “Any one could see that when he went to
the bench.”
“He will hate Merriwell for taking him out.”
“I don’t think Merriwell did it on his own responsibility. I saw Day
speak to him.”
“That won’t make any difference to Arlington; he will be just as sore
with Dick.”
In truth Chester was in bad humor. Having pulled on his sweater, he
refused to accompany the rest of the team to the gymnasium when they
retired there to bathe and change their clothes. He watched for his
sister and her companions as they came down from the grand stand, and
joined them.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked, with a sneering smile on his face.
“Wasn’t that a fine game?”
“Oh, Chester, I am awfully sorry!” exclaimed June. “It was too bad!”
“Well, I am not sorry. I am glad of it! If those fellows had supported
me right through the game the way they started off we might have won in
a walk.”
“Just what I said,” agreed Zona. “I knew I was right about it!”
Seeing the mood her brother was in, June said nothing to arouse him
further. As they left the grounds they found Mrs. Arlington’s carriage,
with a driver on the seat, waiting outside.
“Come, girls,” said June; “there is room for all of us.”
Doris, however, who was on the verge of shedding tears over the game,
was anxious to get away by herself, and declared she meant to make a
short cut to Lakeside Academy.
“I will go with you,” said Zona. And they started off while Chester was
helping his sister into the carriage.
Arlington did not permit them to go far alone, for he hastened to
overtake them, expressing his desire to accompany them.
“We don’t need any one,” said Doris, immediately feeling sorry she had
not accepted June’s invitation.
“You can’t be sure about that,” said Chet. “You have to go through the
woods, and there are tramps in this vicinity.”
“I am glad you’re going along with us,” said Zona. “I told the girls you
were not being supported. They couldn’t seem to see it that way, but I
knew it.”
“Oh! June doesn’t know much about baseball, anyway,” said Chet. “She
couldn’t tell whether I was getting proper support or not. But I think
even Miss Templeton will acknowledge that Merriwell wasn’t supported.
Look how those two chumps ran into each other and lost that fly.”
“That was too bad,” confessed Doris, in a low tone. “I think Dick would
have saved the game but for that.”
Arlington laughed.
“Why didn’t he leave me in the box?” he cried. “It would have been just
as well, and it might have been better. I could have stopped that streak
just as well as he did. After putting me in to pitch this kind of a
game, it was up to him to let me finish it.”
“Did he ask you to pitch?” inquired Doris.
“Of course he did! I didn’t want to pitch that game. I knew what I was
going against. He didn’t want to pitch it, either, and that’s why he put
me in.”
“You can’t mean that he was afraid to pitch this game?”
Chet shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know what you call it. If he wasn’t afraid, why didn’t he pitch
it? He’s ready enough to pitch a game he thinks he can win.”
“Now, that’s just what I said,” cried Zona. “I thought it strange he
should put you in to pitch such a game, when he thinks himself the
greatest pitcher in the school.”
“Well, you know he is a fine pitcher!” flashed Doris. “Every one knows
that.”
“Oh, of course, of course!” laughed Chester. “But he’s got brains enough
to know when he is outclassed. Those chaps are professionals. What makes
me tired is the fact that every one seems to think Mr. Merriwell perfect
in every respect. I don’t pretend to be perfect myself. I have one or
two faults, and he has his. For one thing, he talks too much to fellows
he is friendly with. I could tell you something that would interest you,
Doris.”
“Me?”
“Yes, indeed!”
“Why, what could you tell me?”
“Oh, never mind,” said Chet tantalizingly. “You think he is all right. I
won’t say anything about it.”
Doris flushed.
“Do you mean to insinuate that he has been talking about me?” she asked.
“I won’t say another word,” declared Arlington, shaking his head. “I
didn’t mean to say that much.”
At the same time he winked slyly at Zona.
They walked on in silence, Doris having grown pale. After a time she
suddenly turned to Chester, saying:
“I don’t think it right for you to insinuate anything without making an
explanation. You ought to tell me what you meant.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” he declared. “Forget it!”
But it was not easy for Doris to forget, and when they came to the
rustic bridge over Ripple Brook she paused there, looking down into the
water.
Behind Doris’ back Chet made a signal to Zona, who did not understand it
at first; but she finally drew aside.
Arlington leaned his elbows on the rail close beside Doris, speaking in
a low tone.
“Do you want me to tell you the truth?” he asked. “Do you want me to
tell you just what Dick Merriwell said?”
“I don’t believe he said anything.”
“All right; we will let it drop.”
But, girllike, Doris’ curiosity was aroused, and she felt a strong
desire to hear what Arlington seemed willing to tell.
“If he did say anything, go ahead and tell me,” she finally urged. “But
don’t tell me anything save the truth.”
“No danger that I will do that,” he asserted, with an air of apparent
sincerity. “Of course, you met Dick first and were friends with him
before my sister came to Fardale. I have heard all about it. I know the
whole business. I know, too, that you and Hal Darrell were pretty good
friends before Dick interfered between you.”
“He never interfered.”
“Well, that’s what I have heard. Why, a fellow at school told me that
Merriwell himself said he cut Darrell out with you.”
Again the girl’s cheeks blazed.
“I don’t believe he said it,” she indignantly declared.
“Well, that’s the talk at school. They say he brags about it to his
friends. He claims he can get any girl stuck on him if he tries.”
“Somebody has been lying about him.”
“If that is true, how do the boys know that your father and Hal’s
father, who were great chums, put it up to make a match between you when
you were old enough? Who told that? Isn’t that one of the secrets you
told Dick Merriwell yourself?”
Doris refused to answer. Her heart was beating furiously and she felt
herself trembling a little.
“Miss Templeton,” Chet went on, “I don’t like to see you deceived by any
fellow. You ought to know by this time that Dick Merriwell thinks more
of my sister than he does of any one else. I will tell you what I have
heard that he has said about this affair. He has told his friends that
he hoped you would let him alone and take up with Darrell again.”
Quick as a flash, Doris straightened up, her eyes full of fire.
“Whoever has said such a thing, Chester Arlington, has lied,” she
blazed.
Again he shrugged his shoulders.
“Perhaps they have,” he admitted. “I am only repeating the gossip of the
school.”
“Well, I wish to hear no more of it. I wish you to let me alone. Come,
Zona!”
Doris stamped her foot.
“You will leave us this minute!” she cried. “You pretend to be a
gentleman. If you are you will not force yourself on us any more!”
“Oh, very well,” smiled Chester. “Sometime you won’t feel this way
toward me. Good day!”
He lingered on the bridge and watched the girls as they climbed the path
and disappeared into the budding woods. Zona turned to look back and
waved her hand at him, to which he replied in like manner. When they had
vanished, he muttered:
“The seed is planted; we will see what it grows into. I will win by fair
means or foul!”