Part 20 (1/2)
”I'd feel better if I thought I wouldn't.”
”You'll be all right,” said Foster soothingly, for he understood his friend so well that he knew he was in one of his periods of mental reaction, and that what he needed was encouragement more than anything else.
”And just think of it,” continued Will gloomily, ”you're about the only one of the fellows I ever see nowadays. I don't believe I've seen Hawley in three weeks, that is to have a word with him.”
”Who has?”
”I don't know. All the fellows, I suppose.”
”Not much! Hawley is working like a Trojan on the football team. You know that as well as I do.”
”I suppose that's so. Still I'd like to see the fellow once in a while.”
”He's a good man all right and I've a notion that he's saved Peter John from more than one sc.r.a.pe because he roomed with him.”
”I haven't seen Peter John either for more than a week.”
”We ought to look him up and keep an eye on him.”
”'Keep an eye on him'? You want to keep both eyes and your hands and your feet too, for the matter of that. He certainly is the freshest specimen I ever saw, and the worst of it all is that he doesn't seem to know that he lacks anything. He's just as confident when he marches up to Wagner and gives him some points in running the track team as he is when he's telling you and me how to work up our Greek. And the fellow has flunked in Greek every time he's been called up for the past ten days.”
”Yes, I know it. That's why I said we ought to look out for him.”
”He's got to learn how to look out for himself.”
”He needs a tutor, though, Will--”
”Same as I do in my Greek? That's not nice of you, Foster. It's bad enough to have to work up the stuff without having it rubbed in. And yet,” said Will quietly, ”I suppose I am in the same box with Peter John. He doesn't know some things and I don't know others.”
”No one has everything,” said Foster quickly.
”Startling fact! But we fellows who live in gla.s.s houses mustn't throw stones I 'fawncy,' as my learned instructor would put it. There I am again, finding fault even with Splinter when I ought to be boning on this Greek to make up for my own lacks. Here I go!” And Will resolutely turned to the books which were lying open on his desk.
The silence that reigned in the room was broken in a few minutes when Hawley opened the door and entered. His coming was greeted enthusiastically, and when he had accepted the invitation to be seated, he said quickly, ”I can't stay, fellows.”
”You never can nowadays, Hawley. Since you've been on the team you've shaken all your old friends.”
”You'd shake too, if you had the captain over you that we have.”
”Is he hard?”
”Hard? He beats every coach we've got. He goes into the game as if there wasn't anything else to think of.”
”It counts though,” responded Will emphatically. ”We haven't lost but two games so far this season, and they were with ---- and ----. Of course we couldn't expect to win those.”
”Oh, we've done fairly well. But the hardest rub is coming next Sat.u.r.day. That's when we're going down to the city to have our game with Alden. There'll be a big crowd out, and the Alden alumni are mighty strong around town there too, and they'll be out in bunches. We've got to keep up our end, and that's why I've come over to see you fellows. I want you both to go next Sat.u.r.day.”
”Sure!” shouted Will, leaping to his feet. ”We'll be on hand. You rest your soul easy about that.”
”How many are going, Hawley?” inquired Foster quietly.