CHAPTER IX
AT THE “SIGN OF THE FOOTBALL”
Alton expected a rather hard game with Banning High School, which shehad succeeded in beating last year by the small margin of two scoresto one. Banning, however, proved scarcely more formidable than AltonHigh had been, and on Saturday afternoon the Gray-and-Gold, playing afairly ragged game herself, romped off with the contest to the tuneof 27 to 6. Banning’s touchdown came to her as the result of a cleverquarter-back run from midfield to Alton’s thirty-four yards, followedby a forward pass that again gave her her distance and laid the pigskinon the twenty-two. Two attempts past tackle were foiled and Banningprepared for a try-at-goal, her left half-back, who performed suchfeats for her, retiring as far as the thirty-three yards. Alton read inthis a fear of having the kick blocked and was unprepared for the playthat followed. The Banning half, having received the ball from center,romped away toward the right side of the field, drawing the adversarywith him. Only Harmon, the opposing left half, refused to be takenin, and when, besieged by the enemy, the Banning runner side-stepped,poised the ball and threw hard and far diagonally across the gridiron,over the tangled lines of the players, it was Harmon who saw the dangerand raced to meet it. But a Banning end, who had sneaked unobservedwell toward the left side-line, caught the hurtling ball perfectly and,although challenged an instant later by Harmon and plunged at by NedRichards a few feet from the goal line, sped over for Banning’s score.The handful of Banning supporters cheered rapturously and even theAlton crowd clapped their applause for a very pretty stratagem.
That happened in the second quarter and practically brought the halfto its close. Banning missed the goal and left the score 13 to 6. Inthe second half Alton took revenge, adding two more touchdowns to herportion, both in the third quarter. Neither was spectacular, the Altonteam plunging again and again at the enemy line, satisfied with shortand certain gains. Once Moncks was banged through from the four yardsand once Browne went over from the two. Captain Proctor attempted threeof the goals and made each. The fourth, after Mart had given place toButler at left tackle, was missed by Mawson, though by a few inchesonly.
The game showed better team-play by the Gray-and-Gold and bettergeneralship by Ned Richards, but most of the faults which had been soapparent in the earlier game were still visible. Second and thirdsubstitutes had their inning in the fourth quarter and, at least, madethe game more interesting if less scientific. Jimmy Austen had twochances to show what he could do at punting, and whether it was becausehe didn’t like the ball as well as his precious “P. & F.” or whether hewas perturbed by the frantic efforts of the opponents to get through onhim, the fact remains that he sent off two of the poorest punts seen onAlton Field in many a day.
Russell wanted very much to witness that game, but Patterson, who hadbeen in a continual state of disgruntlement since the evening previous,made no offer to relieve him of duty at the store and Russell didn’tcare to make the request. So far as business was concerned, though,he might almost as well have gone to the field, for there were onlytwo customers and their combined expenditures amounted to but threedollars and forty cents. Russell was getting not a little alarmed overthe lack of trade. Of course, as he told himself frequently enough, ittook time to establish a business, but now the store had been open formore than a fortnight and the total of its sales--well, Russell didn’tlike to dwell on that! Stick was more than alarmed. There were timeswhen he showed absolute panic and loudly bewailed his connection withthe enterprise. Without putting it in so many words, he managed toconvey the impression that he held his partner to blame for enticinghim into the enterprise, that, indeed, Russell had somehow managed toblind his better judgment. Stick was vastly afraid that he was goingto lose his capital, and if he could have got out without impairmentof it he would have gladly done so. Russell frequently wished devoutlythat it was in his power to return Stick’s contribution to the fund,but that was quite out of the question. More than half of the capitalhad already disappeared. Stock, rent, advertising, half a hundredincidental expenses had eaten it up as a March sun consumes a snowbank.And sometimes, looking over the scanty stock on hand, encountering thedoleful, pessimistic countenance of Mr. J. Warren Pulsifer, Russellthought there was just about as much left to show! At such times he hadto go outside and look up at the gay cheerfulness of that sign abovethe door. Somehow that sign always restored his spirits.
This Saturday afternoon, however, as he waited in the darkening storefor the hour of six to arrive and release him, his worries werecomplicated by that overnight conversation with Steve Gaston. Russellhad a rather highly developed conscience, and he wasn’t able to getaway from the idea that perhaps Gaston was right and that his duty tothe School ought to take precedence over everything else. The factthat it appeared to be a physical impossibility to play football onthe second team and conduct the business of the Sign of the Footballat one and the same time added to the complications. Even if he shouldreach the decision that it was his bounden duty to join the second, howwas he to do it? It would be useless to look to Stick for assistance.Stick had already and on four occasions assured him emphatically thathe didn’t propose to do all the work connected with the store andthat he’d be switched if he was going to sit around down there halfthe morning and all the afternoon while Russell went out and playedfootball. Stick wasn’t keen on football, anyway, and he didn’t hesitateto say so. Russell had spent a whole hour trying to work out a schedulethat would equalize their store duties and yet give him two hours eachafternoon between three and five, and had signally failed. It couldn’tbe done. The only alternative appeared to be the employment for a partof the day of a paid assistant, and Stick wouldn’t consider that fora moment. And Russell couldn’t blame him. With affairs as they werenow, paying out good money, even a little of it, to a clerk would berank absurdity. In fact, Russell didn’t seriously consider the planhimself. Faced squarely, the situation came to just this, he ruefullyconcluded. Either he must keep out of football or he must close thestore each afternoon between three and five, or even half-past five,a period during which trade, should it ever discover the Sign of theFootball, might well be expected to prove heaviest. Russell sighed andshook his head and kicked dolefully at the counter. Kicking at thecounter appeared to bring him no relief and seemed to prove irritatingto Mr. J. Warren Pulsifer, who glanced across reprovingly from wherehe was sadly making up a funeral wreath of wilted ferns and forlornwhite carnations. Russell desisted. He wished there was some one hemight talk it over with, some one with common-sense whose judgment hecould rely on. He had quite a number of friends and acquaintances, hadRussell, but, passing them before his mind’s eye, he found them allwanting. Ordinarily he could have thrashed the matter out with Stick,but as regards the present question Stick was badly prejudiced. Andthen, just as he was giving vent to another doleful sigh, there was ashrill and cheerful whistle at the open doorway and Jimmy breezed in.
Jimmy had a badly wrapped parcel under one arm from which protrudedthe label of what was, for all the world to know, a carton of biscuitsof a popular and well advertised brand. Jimmy whistled because hewas rather in the dumps, and it was for the same reason that, havinghurried himself into civilian clothes after the game, he had set forthalone for Bagdad and the bazaars thereof. It always cheered Jimmy upwonderfully to spend money, and to-day, being in need of cheeringafter his dismal fiasco as a punter, and having plenty of money onhand, he had fared from store to store and bought a number of thingsof which he stood in no immediate want--mostly edible! He dumped hisdisintegrating parcel on the counter and smiled brightly, gayly atRussell.
“Hello,” he greeted. “How’s the busy mart of trade, Emerson?” Heglanced across the store and then swung himself to a seat on thecounter. “Guess I’ll buy me one of those things,” he went on in a lowerand confidential tone, nodding toward the wreath. “Place it on my deadhopes, Emerson.”
“Dead hopes?” repeated Russell questioningly and smilingly.
“Ah,” replied Jimmy, “you
weren’t at the game, then. I see. If youhad been you wouldn’t have asked that question, Emerson. Yes, sir, mypoor dead hopes. You see, I had an idea that I could become a punter.I toiled and moiled-- Say, what is that? Anyway, I did it, and to-dayJohnny let me in in the last quarter and I tried twice to punt the balland each time I--well, the thing almost hit me on the head when it camedown!”
“Dropped the ball too late, probably,” offered Russell. “I guess ittakes a lot of practice, punting. You’ll probably bring it off allright the next time. By the way, what do you think of that ball youbought here?”
“That’s what I dropped in about,” said Jimmy, brightening again. “Cameover for a few eats”--he glanced unenthusiastically at the parcel--“andthought I’d drop in and tell you about that there ball, Emerson. It’sa corker! It’s a dream! It--it’s all right! Say, honest, if I’d hadthat ball in the game I’d have poked it fifty yards, Emerson. Honest,I would! I like it mighty well, and I’ve talked it up a lot. Showedit to Mart Proctor the other day; and Johnny Cade, too. I wouldn’t besurprised if you sold quite a few of them this fall. Well, how arethings going with you? Been busy to-day?”
“Fairly,” answered Russell. Then, encountering Jimmy’s straight andlevel gaze, he shrugged. “I guess there’s no use lying, Austen,” hecorrected. “Business has been rotten this afternoon, and every otherafternoon.”
“Thought so,” said Jimmy. His eyes roamed over the poorly lighted storeand came back to Russell. “I guessed the other day that a lot of thiswas just bluff.” He nodded backward at the shelves. Russell flushedslightly. “Not that it isn’t all right,” added Jimmy quickly. “Bluff’sa part of every game nowadays, I guess. And I like your nerve. Sobusiness isn’t rushing, eh?”
“It isn’t even crawling,” responded Russell wryly. “At least, it isn’tcrawling this way.”
“I wonder,” mused Jimmy, “if you didn’t make a mistake in locating overthis way instead of further down town. You’d ought to get the tradefrom the town folks, Emerson; high school and grammar school fellows,you know, and that crowd. I’m afraid there isn’t enough business amongthe Academy fellows to make it go. What do you think?”
“Well, I wanted the Academy trade first,” said Russell. “I can get theother trade, I believe, if I can wait long enough. But the question is,can I wait? I--we’ve advertised in the High School paper, and we’rerunning a small ad. in the town paper three times a week. They gave usa pretty good reading notice last Saturday. Something ought to come ofthose ads.”
“Sure to,” agreed Jimmy comfortingly. “Later on, now, when fellowsstart baseball, you’d ought to do better, too. Fellows buy baseballstuff more than they do football. Take the dormitory teams, forinstance. They’ll be starting up this week, I guess. Well, mostevery fellow will have a shirt and a sweater and a pair of breeches,and that’s about all they’ll need. Maybe they’ll be along to buy anose-guard or a pair of stockings, and that’s their limit. They get anold football from the first team, one that’s been through ten wars, andthat fixes them. Baseball, though, is different. Every chap wants toown a ball and a bat and, maybe, a glove--”
“It’s a long time till spring,” interrupted Russell. “Look here,Austen, do you know any good reason why the football managementshouldn’t buy their stuff here instead of sending to New York for it?”
Jimmy looked startled for a moment. Then: “Why, n-no, I can’t say I do,Emerson. Of course, they always have bought their truck in New York,but--” Jimmy stopped and viewed the other with dawning suspicion. “Say,is that what you’re after?” he asked incredulously.
Russell hesitated, looked away and finally nodded. “Yes,” he said,“it is. I haven’t told any one else, Austen, but that’s what I had inmind. If we can get the job of supplying the school teams we’re fixed.We can do it, too, just as well and just as reasonably as any place inNew York. That’s what I’m working for. It will take time, though, andmeanwhile we’ve got to keep going. And that’s going to be the toughpart. It’s harder than I thought it would be.”
Jimmy was staring reflectively at the floor. At last: “Do you know SidGreenwood?” he asked.
“No. He’s basket ball captain, isn’t he?”
“Yes. You’d better meet him. Coolidge, too. Bob’s hockey captain.And--yes, by jove, Stan ought to be able to help you. You know my chum,Stan Hassell, don’t you?”
“Just to speak to,” replied Russell, doubtfully. “I don’t think heknows me, though.”
“Yes, he does. We were speaking of you just the other day. Now I tellyou what you do, Emerson. You drop in at our room some night; sayto-morrow; to-morrow’s Sunday, isn’t it? Thought so. Yes, you comearound and we’ll talk this over. I don’t see why Stan shouldn’t havesomething to say about where baseball stuff is bought. He’s captain.And I’ll try to get either Bob Coolidge or Greenwood there; maybeboth. If you could get the job to supply the basket ball team and thehockey team it would be a help, eh? And then, maybe, we can wangle thebaseball situation, too, later. Gordon, the manager, is sort of a pill,but Stan can put something over on him, I guess.”
Jimmy was quite radiant, and his infectious grin met a ready responsefrom Russell. “That’s mighty fine of you,” stammered the latter. “Itwould be a dandy start just to get one of the teams, Austen. Don’t knowwhy you should take all that trouble, though. But I’m--”
Russell’s further and somewhat incoherent remarks were interrupted byMr. J. Warren Pulsifer, who, having deposited the funeral wreath inthe refrigerator at the back of the store, now paused nearby. “I’ll begoing along, Mr. Emerson,” he announced sadly. “Please be sure that thedoor is locked when you leave. Good night.”
“Good night,” answered Russell. “I’ll look after everything, sir. Byjove, it’s six o’clock!”
“Right-o! I must toddle. You coming over?”
A few minutes later, having put out the lights and securely locked thedoor, Russell fell in beside Jimmy and the two went briskly off towardthe Green. Jimmy was whistling again, but now he had quite forgottenhis great sorrow and the sounds he made no longer disguised a crushedspirit and a broken heart. At the corner of State street Russell brokein on the melody.
“Austen, I wish you’d do something for me,” he said.
“Name it,” answered Jimmy promptly. “Hang you, keep still!”
The latter part of the remark was addressed to the parcel he carried,which was earnestly striving to distribute its contents along the way.
“I want to--I want some advice,” continued Russell.
“In that case you’ve come to the right person, Emerson. I’m famous formy advice. What’s the problem?”
Thereupon Russell told about Steve Gaston’s visit and the resultingcomplications. “Now,” ended Russell, “do you think I ought to go backto the team, Austen?”
“Hm,” said Jimmy. “Well, I don’t just see how you can, you know!”
“But that isn’t it. _Ought_ I to? Is it my duty to--to the School?”
Jimmy was silent for nearly half the block. Then: “Well, if you wantmy perfectly honest opinion, Emerson,” he said, “I think it’s everyfellow’s duty to do what he can for the old A. A. If you can playa fair line of football and Steve needs you--” He stopped. “Still,there’s this store. I don’t believe any fellow could find fault withyou if--well, if you didn’t play, Emerson. At least--” Then his voicedwindled again.
“Just the same,” persisted Russell, “you _do_ think it’s my duty to,don’t you?”
“Except for the store--”
“Leave the store out of it, please, Austen.”
“Oh, well, in that case,” said Jimmy relievedly, “absolutely yes.Maybe I’m a little nutty on the subject, Emerson, but I never couldstand fellows who weren’t willing to pitch in and do their blamedestfor their school or their college or--or their country. Maybe I’m sortof sentimental, but that’s the way I feel. I hate a quitter. Not thatyou’d be that, of course, under the circumstances--”
“I guess,
though, I would be,” said Russell thoughtfully. “Well, that’ssettled then.”
“Meaning you’ll go back on the second? What about the store, though.Hang it, Emerson, you’d better not take my say-so. Leave it to some oneelse. Put it up to--to--I tell you! Have a talk with Mr. Kincaid. He’sa good old scout and has a fine bean on him!”
But Russell shook his head. “I’d rather have your idea than any of thefaculty’s, Austen. I mean, it’s the way the fellows look at it thatinterests me. You’re right, and Gaston was right, and I’m sure of it.”Then he smiled ruefully in the twilight. “I wish, though,” he added, “Ididn’t have to convince Stick!”
“Stick? Oh, Patterson: yes, I see. He won’t like it, eh? Look here,Emerson, why shouldn’t he take over the store afternoons? He’s got hismoney in it, the silly ass. Doesn’t want to lose it, does he? Well, itseems to me it would be just common horse sense for him to--to leapinto the breeches--I should say breach, eh?”
“He won’t though. He’s--well, he’s pretty fairly obstinate. He doesn’twant to lose his money, no, but he says he won’t keep store afternoonsand I know him well enough by this time to be mighty certain that hewon’t!”
“Silly ass!” commented Jimmy as they reached the front of Academy Halland the parting of their ways.
“I’m awfully much obliged to you,” said Russell. “You’ve been mightyfriendly, Austen. I’ll be around to-morrow night if you’re quitecertain you want to go to all that--”
“Wait a second!” interrupted the other, hunching the dilapidated parcelfurther under his arm with a thoughtful frown. “Look here, old son,I’ve got an idea. At least, I think I have. I’ve got something, anyhow.Would this Stick fellow be willing to stay in the store afternoons ifhe didn’t have to go there at all in the mornings?”
“Why, yes, I think he would. I’m sure he would. But, you see, thetrouble is that he has to be there mornings, too. I have recitations--”
“_A bas les_ recitations!” exclaimed Jimmy. “Listen! Suppose you couldget some one to stick around the shop in the morning when you couldn’t.Wouldn’t old Stick be willing to put in the afternoon there?”
“Yes, but we’d have to pay some one, and--just now--”
“Not necessarily. At least, not much. Say--say twenty-five cents aweek. Would twenty-five cents a week seem unreasonable? Then let us sayfifteen--ten--five!”
“We might pay that much,” laughed Russell mirthlessly, “but just wherecould we find any one who’d come for that?”
“Where?” Jimmy struck an attitude intended to be heroic but which wassomewhat marred by the sudden collapse of the parcel under one arm. Acarton of crackers, a box of caramels, six oranges and two unidentifiedarticles descended to the flagging. When the oranges had been chaseddown and recovered and the wreckage stowed into various of Jimmy’spockets the latter took up the conversation where it had been so rudelyinterrupted.
“You asked where you were to find this--this paragon of industry,Emerson. In response I say to you: Look! Behold! He is before you!”
“Eh?” faltered Russell. “You? You mean--”
“Who else? Here am I with most of my mornings wasted. Of course, I kickthe jovial football into the empyrean, but there are other times forthat. Besides, I am convinced that I shall never cause Charley Brickleyto faint with envy! When Mart picked me to become a punter he picked amost acidulous lime! But that aside and, as it were, apart, Emerson. Ihave always had a sneaking desire to sell things over a counter, andhere’s my opportunity. You wouldn’t want me to do it for nothing. Yourpride would rebel. So I insist on a salary, a salary of, shall we say,ten cents a week.”
“You’re--you’re fooling,” said Russell dubiously.
“Nary a fool! Come on, do I get the job? Let me remind you, Emerson,that time is fleeting and my inner man cries for sustenance. Also,doubtless, Stan is pacing the room like a caged lion. If the salaryasked is too steep, why, I’ll compromise. We’ll say five cents; but Iwon’t come down another nickel!”
“Why--why--” stammered Russell.
“Agreed then! I’m a wage-earner at last! I’ll drop around later andwe’ll sign the contract. So long!”
And Jimmy waved gayly and sprinted for Lykes.