CHAPTER VII.
ANNOYING ATTENTIONS.
Sleuth Piper seemed to develop a sudden remarkable fondness for FredSage, upon whom he persisted in thrusting himself whenever possible,although he endeavored to make his actions seem natural andunpremeditated. At the academy he hung around a great deal in Fred’svicinity, usually near enough to hear and understand anything Sage mightsay. Time after time he engaged Fred in conversation, which he usuallybrought about by speaking of school matters or sports in which the mostof the boys were interested.
Monday morning, as he was making his way to the academy, Fred had been abit surprised to encounter Sleuth in the vicinity of the Methodistchurch, for Piper, if also bound for school, had come a considerabledistance out of his way. This action seemed to be explained, however,when the queer fellow betrayed a certain amount of anxiety lest Sage hadbroken his promise to maintain secrecy regarding the Saturday nightinterview at Fred’s house.
“What do you take me for, Piper?” exclaimed Fred, annoyed. “When I getready to tell about that, I’ll let you know in advance.”
“No offence, old fellow,” said Sleuth hastily. “You understand anyonecan let such things leak unintentionally.”
That night, after the shower in the gym following practice on the field,Sleuth was waiting to join Fred and persisted in walking all the wayhome with him, maintaining a confidential atmosphere, which seemed toinvite confidence and trust on the part of the other. This effort was sopalpably apparent that, although inwardly annoyed, Sage could not helplaughing over it when Sleuth finally set off for his own home.
“The chump!” he muttered. “He thinks he’s clever, but it’s easy enoughto see through him.”
But when, on the following morning, Sleuth again joined Fred on the wayto school, Sage could scarcely restrain his annoyance. Succeeding,however, he tried the effect of joshing and banter.
“Say, Sleuth,” he laughed, “you’ve certainly taken a sudden pronouncedliking for my society. I never dreamed you entertained such deepaffection for me.”
“Oh,” returned Piper, with pretended carelessness, “I’ve always likedyou, Fred, ever since you came here from—from—. Let me see, where didyou come from? I’ve forgotten.”
“Perhaps you never knew.”
“That’s right, perhaps I didn’t. Seems to me, though, I’ve heard it wassomewhere in New York State. Is that right?”
“Let it go at that; it’s near enough.”
“Oh, if there’s any reason why you don’t care to tell, of course you’vea right to decline to answer.”
“Do you know, Sleuth, I always feel a natural disinclination to gratifythe unwarranted curiosity of people who try to pry into affairs that areof no concern to them.”
“Oh, piffle, Fred! I’m not prying. What’s the matter with you? I wasjust thinking that probably before coming here you attended a school ofmore importance than Oakdale Academy. You knew as much about football asany fellow in this town when you appeared here, and that’s how youhappened to get on the team as quarterback last year. Eliot said youwere the fellow best adapted for the position, and you proved that hewas right by the way you filled it.”
“Thanks for the taffy. Your generosity in handing it out has got megoing. What do you want to know next? Ask and ye shall _not_ receive.Rubber and you’ll get it in the neck.”
“Oh, all right, if you’re going to take it that way,” muttered Pipersourly. “Still, I don’t see why you should be so thundering suspicious.That is, I don’t see unless——”
“Unless I’ve some dark and terrible secret to conceal. You’re stillmaking a jack of yourself trying to connect the Sages with yourdesperate jailbird, Gentleman Jim. It doesn’t seem to me, my astutedetective friend, that you’re making much progress on your latest case.Apparently that reward is keeping well beyond the reach of your graspingfingers.”
“Even Sherlock Holmes required a certain amount of time to solve hisproblems,” reminded Piper, causing his companion to laugh loudly.
“As an imitator of the great Sherlock, you’re a merry jest, Pipe. Goahead and amuse yourself playing your little farce, but don’t botherme.”
It was difficult, however, to escape Piper, who again persisted inhovering about in Fred’s vicinity throughout the day.
That night, shortly after four o’clock, Mrs. Sage, at work in herkitchen, was surprised and a little startled when Billy Piper camewalking in through the door, which chanced to be standing open, as theday had been unusually warm for the season.
“Good evening,” said the boy. “I just ran up to see Fred a minute. Is hearound?”
“No, indeed,” was the answer. “He never gets home now until after dark.Football practice keeps him. Don’t you play on the team?”
“Oh, yes,” answered Pipe easily; “but I don’t have to practice all thetime. You see, I’m pretty well up on the game. If you don’t mind, I’llwait for Fred.”
“Of course I don’t mind, though it’s likely he’ll not be home for morethan an hour.”
“Oh, well, I’ll just make myself comfortable till he comes. Thoughtperhaps he might have a book for me to read. I’m a great reader.”
“There are some magazines on the sitting-room table.”
“Thanks,” said Sleuth, entering the room indicated. “I reckon they willdo first-rate. Don’t mind about me, Mrs. Sage. Here’s a nice,comfortable chair, and I’ll be all right.”
Although she wondered that he should have come there expecting to findFred at that time, Mrs. Sage attributed it to the boy’s eccentricity,though occasionally she glanced into the sitting-room when passing theopen door. Sleuth seemed to be interested for a time in the magazines,but presently she discovered him gazing around the room, although heremained seated near the table. A few moments later she saw his facebrighten up as his eyes discovered an old-fashioned family photographalbum within reach of his hand. In a moment he was looking through thealbum, apparently deeply engrossed in the pictures it contained, and forsome time he remained thus occupied. Mrs. Sage had almost forgotten thevisitor when he reappeared in the kitchen.
“I don’t believe I’ll wait for Fred after all,” said Sleuth. “I thinkI’ll go home. Tell him when he comes that I was looking for a good book,but I don’t believe he has anything of the kind that would suit me.”
It was verging on twilight when Sleuth departed, and something like halfan hour later Fred reached home. On being told by his mother of Piper’svisit, the boy betrayed some surprise and a singular amount ofannoyance.
“Confound that fellow!” he exclaimed. “I’d like to know what he means.Did he try to pump you, mother?”
“Pump me? Why, no, I don’t think——”
“Didn’t ask you a whole lot of foolish questions, did he?”
“I don’t think he asked me any questions at all.”
“Well, what did he do while he was here?”
“Entertained himself by looking at some magazines in the sitting-room.”
“He didn’t go prowling around over the house?”
“He went no further than that room.”
“Still, he had no business around here.”
“He said that he came for a book. He wanted something to read.”
“Bluff. He knows the stories I read wouldn’t interest him at all.Furthermore, he knew when he came that I wasn’t here. He got excusedfrom practice to-night by saying that he had a cracking headache andfelt ill.”
“He didn’t mention anything of the sort to me, and I’m sure he did notappear ill. I’m afraid there’s something wrong with that boy, Fred. Youadmitted yourself that some people thought him queer.”
“I’ll queer him, if he doesn’t behave,” muttered Fred.
On Wednesday morning Piper was not waiting for Sage on the way toschool, but Fred found him with some other fellows at the academy.Straightway Sleuth was called aside by the vexed youth.
“Look here, Piper,” said
Fred grimly, “I want to know why you showed upat my house last night and asked for me, when you knew I was at practiceon the field?”
“Why, didn’t your mother tell you I wanted to borrow a book?” askedSleuth innocently.
“Now don’t try any of that on me,” advised the other boy. “You knew Iwouldn’t have anything you’d care to read. Besides that, you pretendedthat you expected to find me home.”
“Who said so?”
“My mother.”
“Oh, she misunderstood me.”
“But _I_ don’t misunderstand you, and I’ll tell you now to keep awayfrom me and my home in future. I mean it, too. This business of playingthe detective may be amusing and interesting to you, but it’s infernallyannoying to anyone you happen to pester. I’ve had enough of it, and Iwon’t stand any more. Get that?”
“Of course I get it,” replied Sleuth sulkily. “I’m no fool.”
“Then don’t act like one. That’s all I have to say.” With which Fredturned sharply and walked away.
“Those who have guilty secrets,” muttered Piper to himself, “are alwaysannoyed by too much attention.”