Part 7 (1/2)
”Oh, they said I owed them the money on bets. But I didn't-at least, I don't think I did. But I had to give up. At the depot that day I gave them thirty dollars-all I could sc.r.a.pe up.”
”Where did they go to?”
”To New York, and from there they are going to Boston and then to some place off the coast of Maine.”
”And they wanted you to join them?”
”Yes.”
”Don't you do it!” cried d.i.c.k, earnestly. ”Don't you do it, Dudd! Wash your hands of them and refuse to have anything more to do with them.”
”I will-if I can,” murmured Dudd Flockley. And then, as some other students approached, the talk had to come to an end.
CHAPTER V A CELEBRATION ON THE CAMPUS
”Say, Tom, this is great!”
”What now, Sam?”
”All of us have pa.s.sed the exams with credit marks.”
”All of us? Are you sure?”
”Yes, I was in the cla.s.sroom not five minutes ago and got the good word.”
”Say, that makes me feel like dancing a jig!” cried Tom Rover, and he did a few steps on the floor of the gymnasium. ”Won't the folks at home be tickled when they hear of it!”
”d.i.c.k got the highest marks of the cla.s.s,” went on the youngest Rover.
”Stanley is next.”
”Where do we come in?”
”You are seventh.”
”Oh, lucky seventh!” murmured the fun-loving Rover. ”It's always that way! At baseball if I do anything at all it is usually in the seventh innings.”
”Don't grow superst.i.tious, Tom.”
”Where do you come in?”
”I stand fifth.”
”That's splendid, Sam! Oh, come on and jig!” And Tom caught his brother by the waist and whirled him around. Over the gymnasium floor they went, to land suddenly into the form of William Philander Tubbs, who had just entered.
”Oh, I say, don't you know--” spluttered William Philander. He had the breath all but knocked out of his body.
”Excuse me, Tublets,” cried Tom.