CHAPTER III
THE STRANGE HISTORY OF RALPH
"If you don't mind, Frank, I'd like to go out of my way a fewsteps, so as to stop at the post-office. There's a late mail comesin after the last delivery by carrier," observed Ralph, after theyhad reached town.
"Why, certainly," returned the other, quickly, as he glanced atRalph, who smiled half sadly and nodded.
"I keep hoping to hear something from your Uncle Jim. It may comeany day now, unless the very worst has happened, and they're alllost over in that big wild country," said Ralph, drawing a longbreath.
"When did you hear from him last?" asked his friend, as theyturned the corner into the main street of Columbia.
"A month ago. You know, from England they had gone to India. Hewrote me from there that he had just missed Mr. Arnold Musgroveand his widowed sister, Mrs. John Langworthy, who had sailed forChina."
"Yes, I remember all that. The lady has always been a very greattraveler, and something of an explorer. You told me she wasintending to do something that few strong men had ever attempted,"remarked Frank, wonderfully interested in all that pertained tothe strange history of this boy friend.
Ralph had been brought up as the son of the Wests, living in thevillage of Paulding. Then there had come a letter by mail,accompanying bank notes to the extent of fifty dollars, andtelling him that a friend, knowing of his great ambition to get aneducation above what the little country school could afford,wished him to accept this gift, which would be duplicated everymonth.
Ralph, with the assistance of his good friend, Frank, had learnedthat the money came through a lawyer in New York, really an uncleof young Allen. Then, later on, it was found that Ralph was onlyan adopted son of the Wests, who had taken him from a poorhouse.
By degrees, it came out that the man who had left this sum withthe lawyer, Mr. Arnold Musgrove, must be an uncle of the boy, whowas, in all probability, a son of the rich widow.
Judge Jim had immediately set out for Europe, to confrontMusgrove, and tell the lady that her child was not dead, as shebelieved, but could be restored to her. And, as Ralph had justsaid, the legal gentleman soon found that he was going to have thetime of his life overtaking the energetic couple.
"Well," remarked Ralph, in answer to the inquiry of his chum, "sheand her brother actually started with a caravan overland acrossChina, skirting Thibet, and aiming to head northeast, so as topass through a portion of Siberia, and after that reach Russia.They have been gone a long time now, and I wonder if I will eversee her face. Sometimes it seems too good to be true."
There was no letter at the post-office for Ralph. He was gettingused to this daily disappointment. Still, Frank could see the lookof pain that flashed across Ralph's fine face, though he tried toconceal it with a little laugh.
Arrived at his boarding place, the boys entered. It did not takeRalph long to take a bath, and get into his ordinary clothes,after which they hurried to the Allen home, where Frank followedsuit.
Although Frank said nothing more about the strange actions ofMinnie, it was very plain to his friend that he felt the snubdeeply.
"If I thought he wouldn't be mad with me, I'd be tempted to tryand find out from Minnie what she meant," Ralph was saying tohimself, as he sat opposite his chum at the table, and noticed thelittle frown that occasionally came upon the open countenance ofthe one he had in mind.
But he knew Frank's ways, and that the other would not like anymeddling in his own private affairs.
"Better let him settle it in his own fashion," was the conclusionRalph reached. "But if Lef Seller has had anything to do with it,I'm sorry for him, that's all. Once Frank makes up his mind thatthese pranks of Lef have reached a limit, he's going to give himan _awful_ licking; and I know it."
Frank had been watching his sister Helen at supper. He knew thatthere was something worrying her, too, and the strange thoughtcame that perhaps it might be along the same lines as his ownvexation.
"I wonder, now, could that be possible?" was the question thatkept confronting him.
Having once given way to this suspicion, he could not refrain fromtrying to find out the truth. Helen had gone upstairs, on somesmall excuse. He was surprised to find her in her room, and withtraces of tears in her beautiful eyes.
"Why, what's the matter, sister mine? Has anyone been abusing you?I wonder if I could guess. Is it about Minnie?" he asked, gently,for Frank was very fond of his only sister, but two years youngerthan himself.
She looked at him in surprise.
"Why, Frank, however did you guess?" she exclaimed.
"Because," he replied, steadily, "she gave me the cut direct whenRalph and myself were heading home from the athletic field thisevening. She and Dottie Warren were in the carriage, and Minnielooked right through me when I bowed. Whew! it gave me a shock, Itell you."
"The mean thing, to carry it to you! I suppose I've said somethingor other to give her offense, although I tried in vain to rememberany cause; but since she chooses to include all my family in herresentment, I'm not going to do the least thing in the way of anapology," exclaimed Helen, warmly.
"I'm of the impression that it's me who's to blame, though I don'tknow what I've done," said Frank, immediately. "If I did, I'dapologize decently, and have it over with, whether she accepted itor not. But Ralph suggests that perhaps it's the work of someoutsider, who wants to make trouble between Minnie and theAllens."
"Oh, how mean! And from the way you talk, I can imagine who it isyou have in mind. That wouldn't be the first time Lef Seller hasbeen guilty of meddling!" exclaimed the girl, indignantly.
"It was Ralph who said that. He heard Lef laugh when she cut me,as if it tickled him. If I could only get proof that he's beentelling yarns about me, I'd soon settle old scores with him. Butyou won't try to make up, will you Helen?"
"Certainly not! I'm the innocent party. Minnie chose to give me tounderstand that she'd prefer to go out with Dottie this afternoon.I just turned away and came straight home. I think she called outafter me, but I wouldn't turn my head an inch. I shall decline toever speak to her again until the time comes when she apologizes.There!" and Helen stamped her little foot on the floor, foremphasis.
Frank sighed, and went back to the library, where Ralph waschatting with Mr. Allen, always deeply interested in the strangelife story of the boy from Paulding.
Three times that evening Frank went to the telephone and held alittle confab with some unknown parties. Each time when he cameback he would be smiling in a way that mystified his friend, whowondered what the particular business could be that took up somuch of his time.
But then, a captain of a school football eleven, on the eve of agreat struggle, must have no end of difficulties to straightenout; and doubtless Frank found much to talk about with the variousmembers of his team.
Helen had come down again, and showed nothing of the dreadfulshock her feelings had sustained when her one particular chum sobasely deserted her.
She sang for Ralph, and the three of them also joined their voicesin many of the school songs dear to the heart of all Columbiastudents.
"Ten o'clock, and time I was getting away to my little den,"remarked Ralph, at last; for even the best of evenings must cometo an end.
"Wait just a few minutes," said Frank, mysteriously.
"What's all this? You're up to something or other," laughed theother.
"I'm waiting, that's all," returned Frank, calmly.
"Waiting for what?"
"To hear the signal--there it is!" as three distinct knockssounded on the outside of the house.
"Why, whatever does it mean, Frank," asked the visitor, as hearose to get his cap: for they were again in the little den Frankcalled his sanctum, where he kept all his beloved traps connectedwith the sports he delighted in, most of them decorating thewalls.
"They're all on deck, thank goodness! And now it's safe for you togo home," was the rather startling remark of the other.
Ralph looked at the speaker a moment, and
then, as a light dawnedupon his comprehension, he burst out into a genuine, hearty,boyish laugh.
"Say, you don't mean to tell me you've gone and got a bodyguard toescort me to my own dear little home, do you, Frank? Well, of allthe pranks, this certainly takes the cake! What do you think, thatthey're already getting down to their fine little work, and meanto kidnap me?" he exclaimed, greatly amused.
"No, but I know that crowd better than you do. When two sneakslike Tony Gilpin and Asa Barnes make up their minds to gather abunch of skunks after their own stripe, and waylay a fellow theyhate, they lose no time about it. There's only one more daybetween now and Saturday, when we play Clifford; and I saw themturning to notice whether we kept on together. They know you arehere, sure."
"But I might slip out the back way, and give them the merry ha!ha!" suggested Ralph; "though I hate to crawl that way from suchcowards, not one of them willing to face me outright."
"But that isn't it. We have talked it over, and come to theconclusion that half of the fun would be lost unless those whelpswere treated to a dose of their own medicine. They need a goodsound licking, and I give you my word for it, they're due for oneif they try to tackle you on the road home to-night," and Frank,as he spoke, brought his fist down sharply on his knee.
"Who did you invite to the party?" inquired Ralph, still laughingat the absurdity of his requiring a bodyguard.
"Let me see," replied Frank. "There's Lanky Wallace, for one;Buster Billings, for the second, and Paul Bird, for the third."
"Three good men, and true. I see that I'll be well protected on myjourney of half a dozen blocks!" cried Ralph.
"Oh, that's only a beginning. Each one of them agreed to get twoother fellows belonging to the team, if possible; for they wantall the practice they can get. So there will be nine in the bunchthat follows after you; ten, counting myself!"
"Oh, splash! That's an army! Why so many, Frank, when I'd bewilling to go anywhere with just you along for company," demandedthe other.
"Thanks for the compliment; but, you see, everybody wanted to go,and bring others, and so I had to let 'em have their way. Now,you'll probably never see a sign of our crowd as you walk along,whistling and seeming to be unsuspicious. But at the first sign oftrouble, lift your sweet voice and sing out the rallying cry weall know, 'Columbiad!' That will fetch us on the jump, Ralph. Holdthem off as best you can for a dozen seconds, and then prepare tolaugh."
"All right, seeing that it's your joke. Honestly, I don't thinkthey'll pay any attention to poor me; but since Coach Willoughbybelieves I ought to play with the regulars, and any hurt to one isan injury to all, I'll accept the guard of honor; only _please_don't tell anyone about it to-morrow, unless you want me to be thebutt of ridicule for the whole school."
"Wait and see," was all Frank would say; and with this Ralph hadto be content.
The two friends separated at the door. Frank rather ostentatiouslybade his visitor good-night, and Ralph sauntered down the walk tothe gate, as the door closed.
Although he looked around once or twice, and thought he caught afleeting glimpse of several flitting figures, Ralph walked bravelyon his way, whistling merrily, as though he had not a care ortrouble in the wide world.
When he had gone a couple of blocks, he came to a portion of theroad when the shadows were densest. Here the trees grew close tothe thoroughfare, and this fact made it a splendid hiding placefor anyone so inclined. There was a legend told of a peddler whohad, once upon a time, been set upon by tramps at this point, androbbed and beaten, so that he died of his hurts.
Even bold people were wont to hurry their steps a trifle whenpassing this ill-omened place. Ralph, however, kept on at hiscustomary pace, still whistling one of the songs he had so latelysung with Frank and Helen Allen.
Just as he was half-way past the shadowy spot, he heard a suddenshrill sound, not unlike a referee's whistle on the footballgridiron. Dark figures immediately sprang up close by, and therush of many feet told that the danger anticipated by Frank wasabout to materialize.
Ralph at once threw himself into a position of self defense, andat the same time shouted out the call for assistance so well knownto all the sons of Columbia High.