CHAPTER V
Consternation
At the words that fell from Garry Grayson's lips Sandy Podder's face became as white as ashes.
"Now, now—" he stammered, all his aggressiveness gone. "Just let that drop. I don't want to talk about that."
"I thought not," replied Garry, with a touch of sarcasm. "Then if you don't want me to spill the whole story, beat it out of here and keep going. And more than that," he added, as Sandy turned hurriedly toward the door, "if you try giving anybody else the same line of chatter you've just handed me, I'll make Lenox a mighty uncomfortable place for you. Just get that."
The door slammed after Sandy Podder, and Garry turned toward the grinning storekeeper.
"I'll have that package now," he said, with an answering smile.
"You sure handed that young whippersnapper a hot one that time," said the man, as he pushed Garry's package across to him and received his money in exchange. "I must say, I was glad to see you do it. That fellow needs taking down a peg or two. But say," he lowered his voice to a confidential murmur and leaned eagerly across the counter, "what did you mean about that money and Sandy Podder's old man? You let out just enough to make me interested."
Garry shook his head, gathered the package under one arm, and turned to go.
"How do you know that I wasn't just working a bluff?" he answered.
But after the door had closed behind the lad the storekeeper remained in his place behind the counter for a long minute, perplexity written on his face.
"Bluffing, eh?" he repeated, half aloud. "Well, all I've got to say 'twas a pretty good bluff to make Sandy Podder turn white in the face and hurry out of the shop as though a ghost was at his heels. Looks like Sandy Podder had some trouble with his father about money and that Garry Grayson knows about it. It's no wonder, the way he runs with that poolroom crowd. No boy of mine could keep company with that bunch and live under the same roof with me. That poolroom ought to be closed up, and I'd like to be the one to do it."
Meanwhile, Garry made his way homeward as quickly as he could.
He was irritated by his encounter with Sandy Podder, and half angry with himself because of the slip of the tongue that had almost revealed the shameful facts concerning that young reprobate and the missing three thousand dollars.
Sandy had apparently gotten out of that scrape a good deal more easily than he deserved. For a time after the occurrence he had seemed subdued. But the improvement had lasted only a short time, and now he was as bad—worse, some thought—as ever.
"He hates us fellows for the part we took in showing him up," murmured Garry to himself, "and now that we're entering the same high school where he's been studying, he'll do his best to get even with us. Well, let him try," with an unconscious clenching of the fists. "I guess we'll be a match for him. We've beaten him before, and we can probably do it again."
It was not long before the great day came—great, at least, from Garry's viewpoint—the day on which he was to enter Lenox High.
Mrs. Grayson had spent a few days before the opening in shopping for Garry and Ella, for the latter was to enter the high school on the same day as her twin brother.
There had been a spirited race during the years of grammar school between the brother and sister.
When Garry skipped from 3A to 4A, Ella had put on her working cap and skipped also. When in the higher grades Ella made a brilliant spurt and skipped again, Garry had urged himself to greater effort and in the next grade caught up to her.
Now, as they were about to step on a higher rung of the ladder of learning, they were still side by side.
As they faced each other over the breakfast table, Ella radiant with excitement and bubbling over with good spirits, Garry a bit sheepish and acutely conscious of the handsome new suit that had been bought for him to celebrate the occasion, it would have been hard to find in the whole of Lenox a more wholesome or promising pair of youngsters.
At least Mrs. Grayson thought so, and it is safe to say that Mr. Grayson agreed with her.
"My, how spick and span my famous brother looks!" remarked Ella, as she helped herself to some omelet and a crisp slice of bacon. "You and Tom Allison and that good-looking Pete Maddern will have the spotlight turned upon you to-day, I reckon. The girls call you the 'Three Captains,' and there's a lot of interest as to which of you will make the Lenox football team first."
"So Tom and Maddern's boy are entering to-day too," observed Mr. Grayson, eyeing his son thoughtfully. "They're fine fellows, both of them."
"I'll say they are," Garry rejoined heartily. "Off the gridiron I like them first-rate. But on the field," he added, with a grin, "they're just a couple of fellows to lick."
"Well, go in and lick them, son," said Mr. Grayson, with a smile. "They're a pair of sporting enemies, all right, and if you beat them, it will be in a fair fight."
"I've got more than Pete and Tom to lick, Dad," said Garry. "It's not likely any of us freshmen will make the team. And it's going to be pretty hard to stand on the outside and watch the regulars work."
"Hard on your sporting instincts, but perhaps good for your scholarship," returned Mr. Grayson. "There's just one thing I want to say to you, Garry, before you start out this morning. This goes for you too, Ella, since your mother tells me you are going to try to make the girls' hockey team."
Garry shot an inquiring glance at his sister, but Ella's merry eyes were fixed demurely on her plate.
"All during your work in grammar school," went on Mr. Grayson, "you have been governed by the rule that your studies must come before anything else. You've both done well and we're proud of you. Aren't we, Sadie?"
Mrs. Grayson nodded, smiling.
"We haven't anything to complain of," she agreed.
"And I just want you to remember," Mr. Grayson concluded his brief lecture, "that the same rule holds good in high school. Studies first and sports in what time you have left."
"Sure thing, Dad," assented Garry. He had just caught a glimpse through the window of Nick, Bill, Rooster, and Ted coming up the street. He pushed back his chair hastily, for the boys had promised to call for him. On his way to the door he paused for a moment at his father's side. "That rule is a pretty strict one at Lenox High," he said. "You've got to reach a certain mark in scholarship before you're even eligible to try for a team. I say, El," he added, as he playfully tweaked his sister's ear in passing, "what's this I hear about hockey?"
Ella smiled, as she also pushed back her chair from the table.
"You didn't think I was going to let my brother carry off all the sporting honors of the family, did you?" she returned. Then she ran off for her hat as Garry called a good-bye from the door and joined his friends on the porch.
"Gee, you sure look swell, Garry!" Rooster greeted him. "That is some outfit."
Ted staggered as though he were about to swoon.
"Hold me up," he pleaded. "Am I seeing things?"
"Cut it," commanded Garry, as he made a pass at Ted. "What are you trying to do, pull a fight?"
As they walked on toward the school, it was noticeable that Bill Sherwood was unusually silent. When Garry finally commented on this, Bill roused himself with an effort from his abstraction.
"There was a row at home about Frank's going with that poolroom crowd," he explained. "Gee, I wish I could find some way to sidetrack him! They're sure a rough gang, and I never thought that a brother of mine would be running around with them."
"Oh, don't worry!" Rooster tried to cheer his chum up. "Frank will tumble to them himself if you give him time. Just leave him alone till he comes to his senses."
"Yeah, that's just what I am doing," said Bill mournfully. "He won't let me do anything else."
The chums reached the grounds of the high school a short time later, and found the campus already crowded with students. As the boys mingled with these on their way to the building they caught sight of Sandy Podder talking to Lent Stewart.
As Sandy's eyes lighted on Garry, an angry look came into them. He said something in a low voice to his companion, and then the boys saw him slip off into the crowd.
"Up to some dirty scheme, you can bet," said Rooster Long, with a contemptuous twirl of his books. "That Sandy Podder sure has it in for us."
"And he was talking to Lent Stewart," remarked Garry thoughtfully. "The two seem to be pals."
"Thick as thieves. They're two of a kind, from all I've seen of them," said Bill.
They entered the big building now and looked about them with interest as they proceeded down the corridor.
The school was an old one, the ceilings high, the woodwork dark. But despite the dingy aspect of the place there was an air of dignity, an atmosphere of learning, that impressed the boys just admitted within its portals.
They passed an open door and had the temerity to look in.
"Gee, that's an office!" breathed Ted, with a touch of awe.
"Where they send the naughty freshmen, maybe," put in Nick Danter, with a chuckle. "Bet you'll be the first to make it, Ted, at that."
Ted's retort was cut short by an unexpected incident.
They had reached the end of the corridor and were about to turn the corner to the room assigned to them when Garry leaped back suddenly, almost knocking over Rooster and Bill, who were directly behind him.
A cup of dirty water thrown by an invisible hand had narrowly missed landing squarely on the front of his new coat!