Part 17 (1/2)
”No; I just came in and overheard you speaking about me, and stopped to learn what you would have to say.”
”It's the same thing----”
”I hope you will excuse me, Mr. Carson,” broke in Mrs. Ricket, who was blus.h.i.+ng furiously. ”I--I don't approve of what d.i.c.k said.”
”I know you do not, Mrs. Ricket. If I thought you did I would pack up and leave at once.”
”It would be a good job done,” put in Ferris.
”Stop, d.i.c.k. I will not have you insult one of my boarders,” cried the woman, sharply.
”All right, have your own way,” returned Ferris, insolently. ”If you want to take in any tramp that comes along, why, go ahead and do it.”
He had on his hat and coat, and now he started for the door.
Hal caught him by the arm.
”Stop!” he cried. ”I am not a tramp, and I won't be called one by you or anybody else!”
”Really?”
”Yes, really.”
”What are you going to do about it?”
”If you insist in indulging in such language in the future I will give you even a worse whipping than I gave you this noon.”
”What, did you fight?” cried Mrs. Ricket.
”He attacked me and I defended myself,” replied Hal. ”He is down on me for taking the situation from which he was discharged.”
”I know that.”
”If I had known he was boarding here I would not have applied to you----”
”You bet he wouldn't,” put in Ferris.
”Not that I am afraid of your nephew,” went on Hal. ”But I do not wish to cause any trouble.”
”You have caused no trouble, Mr. Carson,” returned Mrs. Ricket.
”That's what I call cool,” exclaimed her nephew.
”It is d.i.c.k is the cause of it all. You know you are, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself,” she added, turning to the boy.
”That's right, go right against me; you always do,” howled d.i.c.k Ferris, ”There ain't no use for me to stay here any longer.”
And he marched out of the front door, and down the street to his favorite hanging-out place, the corner pool-room.
Mrs. Ricket was profuse in her apologies to Hal after Ferris had gone.