CHAPTER XXII
GORDON BRINGS GOOD NEWS
That was just about the busiest week for Dick that he ever rememberedspending. In the mornings there was usually Mr. Potter to be seen andMr. Potter's newest schemes to be considered. And, after that, fornearly three hours, he and Harold shut themselves up in the latter'sroom at the hotel and worked like a couple of galley slaves. All thehard work wasn't the younger boy's, either, for Dick had to do a lot ofstudying in order to maintain with dignity his role of teacher. It wouldnever have done to have allowed Harold to catch him napping! The youngerboy's capacity for study was a revelation to Dick, and his progress asource of great satisfaction. By the end of that busy week Dick could,and did, assure himself that the battle was won! That unless Harold hadan almost total lapse of memory when he was put through examinations hecould not fail to enter Rifle Point. Of course cramming is not the bestmeans of learning, and much of what Harold learned that summer he wasbound to forget later, but Dick hoped that the forgetting would not comeuntil he had passed examinations. Mrs. Townsend almost wept with joy andrelief when Dick told her that he firmly believed they had succeeded inwhat had seemed not many weeks ago an impossible task, and hergratitude, or the expression of it, embarrassed Dick horribly.
After he returned from the Point each day just in time for dinner at oneo'clock Dick had two hours to himself. Or he had unless theindefatigable Mr. Potter broke in upon him to breathlessly announceprogress or to present a problem to be solved. At four there waspractice at the field. In the evenings Dick very often had to go overthe next day's lessons, a task more often than not interrupted by thevisit of Gordon or Lanny or Fudge or, possibly, all three. Tuesdayevening not only that trio but Morris Brent as well descended upon him.Morris had at last discarded his crutches and walked with an almostimperceptible limp. The doctor assured him that the limp would leave himin a week or so, and Morris, an ardent football enthusiast, was alreadytalking punts and drop-kicks.
Since Logan had readily consented to play a game with Clearfield ateleven o'clock the next morning, and since Dick's services would beneeded at the field, the usual morning lesson at the Point had beenpostponed until Wednesday evening. Dick hadn't the heart to ask Haroldto give up seeing Logan and Rutter's Point play in the afternoon. And sowhen the visitors announced their presence that evening by a series ofloud whistles from the gate Dick closed his books regretfully, knowingthat he would have to sit up very late after his callers had gone.
They sat out on the porch and talked of many things while the cricketsand katydids chirped and fiddled in the darkness. It had been decidedthat Tom was to pitch only three innings of the morning's game and thatWay was to finish out. This was in order to keep Tom fresh for the biggame on Saturday. To equalize matters, Logan was to pitch her thirdbaseman against Clearfield so that she might save her regular box artistfor the afternoon contest. They discussed this and other features of themorrow's battle, and then, as they always did sooner or later, revertedto the Saturday's event. Fudge was filled with excitement these days andstuttered like an empty soda fountain whenever the subject was broached.
"Jordan and Fillmore's window is f-f-f-full of flags and p-p-pennants,"announced Fudge. "It looks s-s-s-swell!"
"It's sort of one-sided, though," said Lanny. "They ought to put up somePoint flags too."
"I don't suppose there are any," answered Gordon. "They haven't anyregular color over there, have they?"
"Sure; blue and yellow. It's a funny combination, but some of the girlsout at the Point have made some flags and they say they look mightywell."
"Mr. Potter told me to-day," remarked Dick, "that he's hired four kidsto sell flags at the field. He got Jordan and Fillmore to make up twohundred of them for him. He can certainly think of more things to do!"
"Those are probably the flags they have in their window," suggestedLanny. "What are they like, Fudge?"
"J-J-Just like the High School flags, only they have just a C instead ofC. H. S. on them. They're s-s-swell!"
"You told us that before," said Gordon. "I guess Potter will be stuckwith about a hundred and fifty of his two hundred."
"I don't believe he will. Say, why didn't we think of doing that,fellows? We might have made a lot of money." And Lanny looked almostaccusingly at Dick.
"I don't see that we need any more money," replied the manager. "We'llhave so much as it is that we'll have to open a bank account. I'm scaredto death to have it in the house."
"How much have we got now?" asked Lanny.
"Over a hundred, and all bills paid. Did Gordie tell you my scheme forusing it, Lanny?"
"Yes," was the unenthusiastic reply. "But I don't believe----"
"It's a dandy scheme," interrupted Gordon quickly. "We--we'll talk itover some day, after this game's over with. No use trying to think ofanything else right now. I say, Dick, have you studied that automobilebook any?"
"No, I haven't had a minute's time. No hurry, is there? I've aboutdecided to wait another month or so and get one of the next year'smodels. I've already got almost two dollars laid by toward it."
"Well, don't buy a cheap car," laughed Lanny. "Get--get one likeMorris's."
The succeeding silence was broken hurriedly by Morris. "Yes, but don'tbreak a leg with it," he exclaimed. Lanny and Gordon and Fudge laughedloudly and Dick stared at them through the half-darkness of the porchwith a puzzled look on his face. He had seen Gordon reach out and aim akick at Lanny's shin and, judging from Lanny's pained contortionsimmediately afterward, Dick fancied that Gordon's aim had been true. Forover a week now Dick had been aware that some project was under way bythe others that he was purposely excluded from. What it was he couldn'timagine, but that it had to do with automobiles seemed certain. Morethan once he had seen warning glances sent from one fellow to anotherand quite often a remark had been cut short at his approach. That themystery concerned him particularly Dick did not suspect, however. Andjust now he had too many things on his mind to allow of muchconsideration of it.
"You really ought to read that book, though," said Gordon. "Oughtn't he,Morris?"
Morris agreed emphatically, and Fudge said, "You really ought, Dick!"and Lanny murmured something about it being well to know such things.
"Look here," exclaimed Dick, half laughing, half in earnest, "if youfellows don't quit nagging me to read that book I'll--I'll pitch it outthe window! What the dickens do I want to learn about running anautomobile for? Are you fellows dippy?"
There was complete silence until Lanny said: "You never can tell, Dick,when you might be called on to--to profit by the--er----"
"Oh, certainly," responded Dick with sarcasm. "Most any old day I mightget the offer of a chauffeur's job! Or maybe you fellows are going tosave up for Christmas and buy me a taxicab!"
"Ha, ha!" said Lanny weakly. Fudge giggled. Gordon had a fit ofcoughing. Morris became intensely interested in the stars seen throughthe vines.
"You'd make a peach of a chauffeur, Dick," laughed Gordon finally.
"Why?"
"Why--er--just because," replied Gordon flatly. "Say, I've got to begoing home, fellows. You coming my way?"
The others displayed a most uncomplimentary enthusiasm for departure,and after they had clicked the little gate behind them Dick could hearthem talking in low and excited tones as they passed up the street. Heshook his head as he moved his crutches toward the doorway.
"Either they're all crazy," he murmured, "or they're trying to work somesort of a game on me. I wonder what it is."
But he didn't wonder long, for the morrow's lessons awaited him upstairsand when he had finished with them he was too tired and sleepy to wonderabout anything.
Clearfield and Logan played only six innings the next forenoon. Thevisitors arrived nearly twenty minutes late and the game dragged. Therewas a lot of hitting and each team seemed determined to make more errorsthan its opponent. Curtis Wayland and the rival pitcher were prettyevenly matched and it was only because Clearfield, in spite of herendeavors, fai
led to tally as many errors as Logan that the home teamstood three runs ahead when the contest was called to allow the visitorsto snatch some dinner before going over to the Point. Dick couldn'tderive much satisfaction from that game, and was inclined to be downcastuntil, just before supper time, Harold telephoned over to him that thePoint team had won by only two runs. After that Dick cheered up and sawthings more brightly. And then, scarcely two minutes later, came Gordonwith his news.
"We've got the field, Dick!" he cried from the sidewalk even before hereached the gate. "Mr. Brent is going to give it to the school! It isn'tgoing to be cut up!"
"Give it to the school!" echoed Dick amazedly.
"Yes! Isn't that fine and dandy?" Gordon sprawled into a chair on theporch and fanned himself vigorously with his straw hat. "He's having adeed made out and just as soon as Mr. Grayson comes back it will beours. Morris is giving it."
"Morris! How can he give it?"
"Well, I mean Mr. Brent is giving it in Morris's name. It's to be calledBrent Field. And he almost as much as promised to build us a big newgrandstand some day! Isn't he--isn't he a corker?"
"But--but what--how----"
Gordon laughed excitedly. "I guess it was seeing us play the other daythat did it. He said he guessed as we got so much enjoyment out of thefield we ought to have it. He didn't get home until nearly half-pastfour and I called at the office three times before I found him. Ithought the first time that I'd sneak off and not come back. But I'mglad I did, though. I was scared to death when I went in. But he was asnice as pie. He asked a lot of questions about baseball and football andthe Athletic Committee and the field we talked of getting, andthen--then--well, then he asked me if I thought the fellows would liketo keep the field. And I said of course they would. And then he said hehad decided to make the school a present of it if--if I wanted him to."
"If you wanted him to!" exclaimed his hearer.
Gordon nodded. "You know he told me the time I--the time I was withMorris when he got hurt that if I wanted anything I was to ask him forit. So the other day when Mullin was going to plow up the field I--Isort of reminded him of what he had said and told him I'd like him tolet us use the field that day. I didn't tell you, but that was how wegot it. Well, to-day he said I hadn't made the most of my opportunity,or something like that. He said I should have asked for the fieldoutright if I wanted it. 'Why didn't you?' he asked. Gee, I didn't knowwhat to say, so I just looked silly, I guess, and grinned. Then he saidhow grateful he and Mrs. Brent were for what I did for Morris that dayand that if I'd asked him then for the field he'd have given it to me; Imean to the school. So I said, 'Yes, sir, if you please,' and he laughedand said: 'All right, Merrick. I'll have the deed made out to-morrow.But I want you to understand that it is Morris who is giving the fieldand not me. He's one of you and the gift will come better from him.' Andthen he shook hands with me and walked 'way out to the stairs with me!And--and say, Dick, isn't it _great_?"