Part 30 (1/2)

Steve's gaze met Tom's troubledly, then s.h.i.+fted. ”Oh, if you say so, I suppose I'll have to. But if you didn't bring the book up here----”

”That means you don't believe me,” said Tom quietly. ”Very well. Now, one more thing, Steve.” Tom's eyes were blazing now, though his face was white. ”Don't you speak to me unless you have to from now on, until you come to me and tell me that you believe what I've told you!”

”But, Tom, you can see yourself that it's mighty queer! If you----”

”You heard what I said! Perhaps you think I owe you something for trying to s.h.i.+eld me from Mr. Daley. I don't, though. When you set me down for a cheat you more than squared that account. That's all. After this I don't want you to speak to me.”

Steve shrugged his shoulders angrily. ”That goes,” he said. ”When you want me to speak to you, you'll ask me, Tom! And don't you forget it!”

Both boys went back to their letters in silence. After a while Steve put on a raincoat and tramped down the stairs and over to Hensey. He meant to call on Andy Miller, but Andy was out and only the saturnine Williams was in the room. Although Steve had grown to like Williams very well, yet, in his present mood, the right tackle was not the sort of company Steve craved, and after a few minutes of desultory football talk he went on. He would have called on Roy and Harry, but now that he and Tom had quarrelled they would, he thought, side with Tom. In the end he found himself in the gymnasium. Several fellows were splas.h.i.+ng about in the tank and Steve joined them. For an hour he forgot his troubles in performing stunts to the envious appreciation of the others in the pool.

Applause was grateful to him that afternoon, and when he had dressed himself again and, avoiding the room, had gone across to Wendell to wait for the doors to open for supper, he felt better. Perhaps, he told himself, Tom really didn't know anything about that plaguey book, but even so he needn't get so c.o.c.ky about it! Besides, someone must have put the book on their table and--well, the evidence was certainly against Tom!

It wasn't much fun eating supper with Tom at his elbow as grim and stiff as a plaster statue. Fortunately, Steve was well into his meal before Tom came in, and meanwhile there were others of the second team to talk to if he wanted. With no Tom to converse with he found it difficult to persist in his role of haughty indifference toward the others.

Besides--and it came to him with rather a shock--what they thought of him was no more than he had been thinking of Tom! Hang it, it was all pretty rotten! He'd like to choke Eric Sawyer!

It didn't take the rest of the fellows at the training table long to make the discovery that the two friends were at outs. Trow, a pale-faced, shock-haired chap, took delight in trying to engage them both in conversation at the same time, thereby increasing the embarra.s.sment. Steve was heartily glad when he had finished his supper and could leave the table. Returning to his room under the circ.u.mstances was not appealing, but there seemed nowhere else to go. There was the library, of course, but it was a dismal place on a Sunday evening, and he didn't want to read. But, as it proved, he needn't have considered avoiding the room, for Tom didn't return after supper, and Steve finished his letter home in solitude. At eight he went over to Al Brownell's room in Torrence, not because he was especially interested in the project to be discussed, but because he had agreed to attend the gathering and was glad, besides, to get away from Number 12 Billings.

Life in Number 12 didn't promise to be very delightful for awhile, he thought dolefully.

In Brownell's room Steve carefully took a position as far distant from Tom as was possible. There was a lot of talk and a good deal of fun, and in the end Steve found himself chosen one of a committee of five to call on the princ.i.p.al and request the permission they desired. At a little after nine he walked back to Billings alone. Tom didn't return until ten and then, with never a word between them, they undressed and went to bed. Steve didn't get to sleep very easily that night. More than once he was sorely tempted to speak across the darkness and tell Tom that he did believe him and that he was sorry. And I think he would have done it, too, in the end if Tom had not fallen asleep just then and announced the fact in the usual melodic manner. Whereupon Steve frowned, punched his pillow and flopped over.

”It isn't bothering him any,” he thought. ”If he wants me to speak to him, he'll have to say so. Cranky chump!”

CHAPTER XXII

STEVE GETS A SURPRISE

Mr. Fernald was surprisingly complaisant on Monday when the committee from the second team waited on him at the Cottage. He gave them permission to hold their banquet in the village and even said several nice things to them about their share in the development of the 'varsity. He warned them against rowdyism, told them they must be back promptly at nine o'clock and said he hoped they'd have a good time!

After which, much surprised and not a little embarra.s.sed, the committee backed out of the room and returned joyfully to spread the tidings. A second committee, headed by Saunders, had already been appointed to arrange for the banquet in case permission was secured and by Tuesday everything was complete. I may say here that the event duly came off on Thursday evening and was a big success. But as neither Steve nor Tom was present, our interest in the banquet is slight.

On Monday the _Review_ came out. The school paper was published on the twentieth of the month, and the December issue contained, among other features, a rather interesting resume of the football season by Mr.

Robey and a list of the games played to date. The coach's article was too long to reproduce, but the summary of the season's contests was brief enough to be set down here:

Sept. 30--Brimfield 10; Thacher 3

Oct. 4--Brimfield 10; Canterbury 7

Oct. 7--Brimfield 26; Miter Hill 0

Oct. 14--Brimfield 3; Larchville 17

Oct. 21--Brimfield 0; Benton 0

Oct. 28--Brimfield 27; Cherry Valley 6

Nov. 4--Brimfield 12; Phillips 0

Nov. 11--Brimfield 9; Chambers 30