CHAPTER XI
ANTHONY MAKES A STATEMENT
The morning after Jack's departure Anthony turned in through thelittle gate at Mrs. Dorlon's and strode quickly up the short path.The time was but a quarter before eight. The sun was out, but washidden behind a low-lying bank of mist, through which it glowedwanly. In the elms along the street the sparrows were chattering andscolding until one would have thought that every family circle was inthe midst of domestic strife, possible because of overlate worms orunderdone beetles. It was a tepid sort of morning; the bricks in thepavement were wet with the fog and the air was warm. Anthony wore hiscoat-collar turned up, not to protect his throat, but to hide the factthat there was no other collar beneath. In his hand he carried a canof condensed milk and a little paper bag of coffee. He had been upsetby the events of the preceding day and had neglected to replenish hisprovision cupboard; hence a postprandial journey to Main Street.
As he climbed the stairs and caught sight of the half-opened door ofJack's room, recollection of that youth returned to him and he sighedas he crossed the little hall and thrust his own door open. Thenhe stopped short and gave vent to an exclamation of surprise. Thecondensed milk dropped with a thud and rolled under the cot-bed. Jack,nodding drowsily in the rocker, opened his eyes and jumped to his feet.Then he grinned sheepishly.
"I--I've come back," he muttered.
He partly extended his hand, thinking Anthony would take it. But thelatter, after a moment of silent surprise, only said:
"Well! I'm glad to see you." He crawled awkwardly under the cot andrecovered the milk. "Changed your mind, eh?" he asked, as he emerged.
His voice was hearty enough, and he smiled behind his spectacles asthough pleased, yet Jack felt a chill of disappointment and answeredsoberly:
"Yes, I changed my mind. I came back on an early train. You weren't inand so I sat down to wait for you; I guess I must have come pretty nearto falling asleep. Well, I must go to breakfast."
Anthony fought for a moment against the restraint which gripped him.When he spoke his tones held the old warmth.
"Nonsense, Jack, stay here and have some with me. I haven't any fattedcalf to kill for you, but I can fry a couple of eggs and give you somegood coffee, and----"
"I can't drink coffee," Jack answered, "but if you really want me tostay, I'll be glad to. I--I'd rather not go to training-table thismorning."
"Course I want you to," answered Anthony. "Why can't you drink coffee,though?"
"Training."
"What? Why, coffee never hurt any one; best thing in the world, coffee;strengthening, elevating, enlarging; good for body and brain. But tellme all about your vacation."
And while Anthony bustled about over his little stove, handling potsand pans with a deftness remarkable in a person usually so awkward,Jack recounted his experiences rather shamefacedly.
"Right about the professor, wasn't I?" interrupted Anthony once.
"Yes, you were. He's mighty good, Anthony. He treated me as though Iwas the President; and so did his mother and sister. I had a bullylittle room with an open fireplace in it and blue roses all over thewalls and all sorts of easy chairs made out of rattan stuff; and thesun just flooded in the window this morning. My, but I wish I livedthere all the time!"
"Sounds fine," answered Anthony. "All aboard, now; draw up to the tableand wade in. Guess you'll have to use the rocker, unless you'd ratherhave this. Here's the sugar. How about-- Pshaw, you're not going todrink coffee, are you? Have some water in the toothbrush mug? No? Allright. Have an egg; that's right, just slide it off. These rolls aregood; I sprinkle the tops with water and heat 'em up on the stove.Sorry I haven't more to offer you, though. Well, Jack, I'm glad you ranacross White and came back. You'd been sorry--afterward--if you'd gonehome; and so would I. And, by the way, what was it that set you going?What happened at the table yesterday morning? Your note was lacking indetails."
Jack told about Gilberth's behavior and Anthony's eyes darkened behindhis spectacles.
"Ugly brute!" he muttered. "Ought to be spanked. But-- Look here, don'tmind him, Jack; I don't think he's going to trouble you much afterthis. Just keep out of his way."
"I'll try to. If--if he was a freshman, or even a soph, I'd fight him;but I can't fight a senior!"
"Huh! You won't have to; he's going to behave himself after this," saidAnthony grimly.
"Well, I don't know; anyhow, I'm going to stick it out now, no matterwhat happens," Jack said stoutly. "That's my last try at running away.If it hadn't been for forgetting my money, I guess I'd have gone. Funnyhow it happened, wasn't it? The worst of it is, I thought I'd left themoney in my trunk, but I've looked and it isn't there; I can't find itanywhere. It was about all I had. I guess dad will be madder than ahatter when I write home for more."
"That's too bad," said Anthony. "If you want a little--a dollar or two,you know--to go on until you hear from home, I can let you have it aswell as not."
"You're awfully good," answered Jack gratefully. "But it would be anice thing for me to borrow from you, wouldn't it? Don't you think Iknow how hard up you are?"
"Oh, well, you could pay it back, you know. If you'd rather, you couldgive me a mortgage on your clothes," he added, smiling.
"Then, if my money didn't come, you might for-clothes," laughed Jack.
"Running away from school seems to sharpen your wits," said Anthony."Have another egg? Won't take a minute. Good; I like my guests to haveappetites."
"You'd have one yourself if you'd been hauled out of a nice, soft bedat half-past six!"
"Guess I would; but I wouldn't make bad puns."
Presently, while the egg was sputtering in the pan, Jack asked, with atrace of embarrassment:
"Did you--get that watch-charm?"
"Yes; much obliged," was the answer. "Guess I'd better give it backnow. Won't need it to remember you by if you're in the same hut withme, eh?"
"I--I'd rather you did keep it, though, and wear it, if you don't mind.Did you put it on your chain?"
The fork fell into the pan, and Anthony fished it out with muchmuttering before he answered. Then--
"Why, no, I didn't, Jack. You see----"
"I know; it isn't very beautiful; just one I had."
"That isn't the reason," said Anthony without turning around. "Fact is,I'm not wearing my watch just now."
"Oh, aren't you? Why--what----"
"Well, a fellow can't have money to lend and a gold watch at the sametime. Just at present I'm a moneylender."
"Oh, I see," Jack replied. But, nevertheless, he didn't look satisfiedwith the explanation, and when Anthony returned to the breakfast-tablewith the egg he had been frying the two finished the meal almost insilence.
Thanks to the secrecy of the three persons who alone knew of Jack'sabsence from Centerport, his return to the training-table at lunch-timeoccasioned no surprise. Joe Perkins looked bewildered for a moment,but said nothing. King called across the board and asked Jack wherehe'd been since the day before, and Jack calmly replied that he'd beenhome with Professor White overnight. Several pairs of eyebrows went upincredulously, but no one voiced his doubts. Gilberth took absolutelyno notice of Jack, and, at least in so far as the latter was concerned,the meal went off pleasantly. He had expected to be called to accountby the trainer, but Simson had eyes of his own and said nothing aslong as luncheon was in progress. When it was over he questioned thecaptain. After a moment of hesitation, Joe told the trainer the factsof Jack's absence as he knew them.
"I think," he said, "that the best thing to do is to take no noticethis time. Weatherby may turn out a good man for us if he can get hismind on his work. But if this badgering continues he won't be worth acontinental; he's all up in the air. Maybe you can give him a good wordnow and then, 'Baldy'; the poor dub needs it all right."
"Sure, I can," answered the trainer. "Give the lad a chance; why not? Idoubt he's varsity material, cap, but he's a decent spoken lad enough."
Tracy Gilberth walked back to his room
after luncheon feeling verydissatisfied with life. He had not yet forgiven Joe for the lecturewhich the latter had delivered to him the day before. Tracy felt deeplywronged. He really believed that when he had publicly affronted JackWeatherby that he had been performing a service to the college; thatit was his duty to protest against the presence at the university of afellow who had shown himself to be a coward. Tracy had a rather goodopinion of himself and of his importance, and had never doubted that,since others had failed to act in the matter, it was his place to stepto the front. The wigging he had received from Joe had surprised aswell as disgruntled him, and his vanity still smarted.
And what increased his annoyance was the fact that he had been "calleddown" by the one fellow of all whom Tracy really held in affection,and who, or so Tracy argued, should have been the very last to opposehim. Never before had the two, whose friendship dated back from theirsophomore year, come so near to quarreling as they had yesterday.Differences of opinion they frequently had, but Tracy always retiredfrom whatever position he held at the first sign of displeasure on thepart of the other. But yesterday Tracy's backdown had been incomplete;to-day he was not decided whether to do as Joe wanted him to and leavethe obnoxious Weatherby strictly alone or to show his resentment bycontinuing his righteous persecution of that youth with some more thanusually severe affront. In fact, Tracy hovered on the verge of openmutiny when, after climbing the first flight of stairs in Grace Hall,he turned to the left down the broad corridor and kicked open theunlatched door of his study.
"Hello!" he exclaimed.
"Hello!" was the response from the depths of a big leather armchair,and Anthony, who had been reclining with widely stretched legsand reading a magazine, placed the latter back on the mahoganywriting-table and calmly faced his host. The two knew each other wellenough to nod in passing, but never before had Anthony paid Tracy avisit, and the latter's evident surprise was natural enough.
"Found your door open," explained Anthony, "so I came in and waited.Wanted to see you a minute or two, Gilberth."
"That's all right; glad you made yourself comfortable," answered theother.
"Nice rooms you've got," continued the visitor.
"Oh, they do well enough," Tracy replied carelessly.
As a matter of fact they were the handsomest in college, and he knewit and was proud of it. The study was furnished throughout in mahoganyupholstered in light-green leather, a combination of colors at firstglance a trifle disconcerting, but which, when viewed in connectionwith the walls and draperies, was quite harmonious. The walls werecovered to the height of five feet with denim of dark green. Abovethis a mahogany plate-rail ran about the apartment and held a few oldpewter platters and tankards, some good pieces of luster-ware and ahalf-dozen bowls and pitchers of Japanese glaze. Above the shelf,buckram of a dull shade of mahogany red continued to the ceiling, whereit gave way to cartridge-paper of a still lighter shade. The draperiesat doors and windows were of the prevailing tones. The effect of thewhole was one of cheerful dignity. The room was not overcrowded withfurniture and the walls held a few pictures, and those of the best.There was a refreshing absence of small photographs and knickknacks.Tracy was proud of his taste in the matter of decoration and furnishingand proud of the result as here shown. Anthony liked the room withoutunderstanding it. Perhaps the little whimsical smile that curved hislips was summoned by a mental comparison of the present apartment andhis own chamber with its cracked and stained whitewashed walls andpovern fittings.
"You wanted to see me, you said?" prompted Tracy.
"Yes," answered the visitor. "Maybe it will simplify matters if I startout by telling you that Jack Weatherby's a particular friend of mine."
"Oh," said Tracy. "Well?"
"Well, don't you think you've bothered him enough, Gilberth?"
"Look here, Tidball, I don't like your tone," said Tracy with asperity.
"Can't help it," answered Anthony. "I don't like the way you've beenhazing Weatherby. Now we know each other's grievance."
"What I've done to Weatherby doesn't concern you," said Tracy hotly."And I'm not to be dictated to. The fellow's a coward and a bounder."
"Don't know what bounder is," answered the other dryly. "Doesn't soundnice, though. Suppose we stop calling names? I might lose my temperand call you something, and you mightn't like it, either. But I didn'tcome up here to quarrel with you; don't like to quarrel with a man inhis room; doesn't seem polite, does it? What I came to say is this,Gilberth: leave Weatherby alone or you'll have me to deal with."
"Is that a threat?"
"No, I guess not; just a statement of fact."
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?" demanded Tracy angrily.
"Guess not; keep on tormenting Weatherby and I'll know you're not."
"Now, look here, Tidball, if you want a row, you can have it right off.You don't need to wait and see what happens to your precious friend.I'll fight you any time you like. Do you want a fight?"
"No, not particularly," answered Anthony, with his most exasperatingdrawl. "Never fought any one in my life. Wouldn't know how to go aboutit, I guess. Even----"
"Well, you'll know all about it mighty soon if you don't get out ofhere!"
"Don't think I shall. Haven't any intention of fighting."
"Haven't you, indeed? Well, what, I'd like to know, are you hinting at?"
"Not hinting at all. You leave Weatherby alone or I'll catch you in theyard and wallop you with a trunk-strap; but," he added grimly, "therewon't be any fighting."
He drew his long length out of the chair and took up his hat. Tracy,pale with anger, eyed him silently a moment. Then he leaped forward andsent him spinning back against the chair with a blow on the shoulder.The next moment he felt himself lifted bodily from his feet, turnedhead over heels, and deposited in that inglorious position on the broadleather couch. When things stopped revolving he saw Tidball's calm facebending over him and felt his wrists held tightly together by fingersthat grasped them like steel bands. He struggled violently until hisopponent placed a bony knee on his chest. Then he subsided.
"Now keep still and listen to me," said Tidball in quiet, undisturbedtones. "I'm a peaceable fellow, and don't fight. But if you don'tremember what I've told you, I'm going to grab you just like this someday--and it'll be when there are plenty of men looking on, too--and I'mgoing to spank you with a trunk-strap. If you don't believe me," headded with a slight grin, "I'll show you the strap!"
"I'll--I'll kill----"
"No, you won't do a thing," the other interrupted sternly. "You'll stayjust where you are and behave yourself. If you don't, I'll lock you upin your bedroom; and that's a liberty I don't want to take."
He released Tracy and stepped back. Tracy leaped to his feet, butsomething in the look of the eyes behind the steel-bowed spectaclespersuaded him to keep his distance. Anthony picked up his hat from thefloor, dusted it tenderly with his elbow, and walked to the door.
"Sorry there was any trouble, Gilberth," he said soberly. "Maybe Ilost my temper; it's a mean one sometimes. Think over what I said." Heclosed the door noiselessly behind him, and Tracy, shaking and chokingwith wrath, groaned futilely.