Part 37 (2/2)
Tom only grunted. Steve went into a daydream with one leg in his trousers until, presently, Tom laughed softly.
”What are you choking about?” asked Steve.
”Just thinking. Remember, Steve, coming on in the train how we were talking about what--what it would be like here?”
”N--no,” answered Steve. ”Were we?”
”Yes. I remember you said that in the stories the hero was always suspected of something he hadn't done and you said you'd bet that if anyone tried that on you you'd make a kick.”
”Well, what of it?”
”You didn't, though. Some of the fellows thought you'd swiped that blue-book that time and you didn't make a murmur.”
”Because----”
”Because you thought I'd done it and was trying to s.h.i.+eld me. I know.
Then you said that in the stories the hero saves someone from drowning and the football captain puts him into the big game and he wins it by a wonderful run the length of the field.”
”That's right, isn't it? All the school stories have it like that, don't they?”
”I know.”
”Well, then----”
”The funny thing is that it happened like that to us, Steve, or pretty nearly. I don't mean that I--I actually saved you from drowning, but----”
”You sure did, though!”
”Anyway, it was something like that, wasn't it? And then you went and won the game in the last minute of play, just as they do in the stories.”
”I didn't make any run the length of the field,” denied Steve. ”All I did was catch the ball and go ten yards with it. Nothing wonderful about that.”
”Still, it's all pretty much like the story-writers tell it, after all, eh? That's what struck me as funny.”
”Huh! It doesn't seem to me much like it is in the stories. Say, we forgot about the papers, Tom!”
”What papers?”
”The New York papers, with the account of the thrilling rescue at Oakdale, with your picture----”
”He didn't get any picture of me,” said Tom grimly.
”He made you talk, though,” laughed Steve.
”He'd make anyone talk,” Tom grunted.
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