IV
A fortnight later all Randall’s was talking about the new football find. His name was Wigman, he was a Junior, he was only thirteen years old and he was turning out to be the finest little quarterback in years! Why, only the other day he had taken Rice’s place in the last two periods against Mercer High and driven the team like a veteran! To say nothing of having himself scored on one of the most daring and brilliant end runs ever seen on Randall’s Field!
When Jonesie heard this he smiled superiorly. “I knew that a month ago,” he said. “Wigman and I are old friends. In fact, it was largely due to my—my encouragement that he held on and made good. Had an idea when he got here that things went by favoritism and was all for giving up right at the start. ‘Don’t you do it,’ I said to him. ‘You peg along, old man, and show ’em what you can do. If you’vegot the stuff in you Bingham and Cutler will pull you right along. Why,’ said I, ‘a fellow who can play the way you can ought to be Captain some day!’ My very words. You ask Wigman if you don’t believe me.”
“But how did you know he could play?” inquired an incredulous hearer. “Did you know him before he came up?”
“Never set eyes on him,” declared Jonesie truthfully, “but you can’t fool me on football players. I can size ’em up just by looking at ’em. And one little glance at Wigman was enough for yours truly. He hasn’t surprisedmeany. Iknew!”
Wigman had fulfilled his promise to call on Jonesie, but the latter had been out. And as Jonesie had never returned the visit the acquaintanceship had not flourished. Jonesie considered himself well out of his difficulty and was fearful that Wigman might again request him to use his influence with Captain Bingham. But, as it happened, the new quarterback needed no one’s assistance. He was making good on his own account, and by the time the Big Game was a fortnight away it had becomea question whether Rice, the last year’s general, could retain his position. And that question was solved a week later. In the game with Lakeshore School Wigman started at quarter, and it was not until the game was safely “on ice” in the fourth period that the disgruntled Rice succeeded to the position. That, of course, was on the Saturday succeeding the final contest of the year, and the next afternoon, while Jonesie was chewing the end of his penholder and scowling at the Smith Special for inspiration in the composition of his weekly missive, there was an apologetic knock and in walked James Andrew Wigman.
Even Jonesie could not help but notice the change in the boy. He seemed to have grown taller and broader and a lot more certain of himself. Shaking hands, Jonesie was thankful that Sparrow was out of the way, for Wigman’s countenance proclaimed that he had come on weighty matters. “If,” said Jonesie to himself, “he wants me to ask any more favors of Bingham I’ll just have to refuse. This thing’s gone far enough!”
Wigman took a chair.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Jones,” he began soberly.
“Not at all,” murmured his host uneasily.
“I suppose you’ve heard that they’ve given me Rice’s place on the School Team?”
Jonesie nodded. “Glad to hear it,” he said.
“Well, of course it’s mighty hard on Rice. He’s an awfully fine fellow and he had the place cinched until I—I butted in.”
“Fortunes of war,” said Jonesie.
“Maybe, and I wouldn’t care if—if I wasn’t afraid that I—well, had sort of come by my good luck unfairly.”
“Eh?” ejaculated Jonesie.
“You know what I mean.”
“Can’t say I do, Wigman.”
“Well, you can’t deny, I suppose, that if it hadn’t been for you I wouldn’t have got the chance to show what I could do. Because it’s dollars to doughnuts, Jones, that Cutler meant to drop me the second week of practice. You remember?”
“Yes, oh, yes,” answered the other hurriedly. “Still——”
“Well, that’s what’s bothering me. SometimesI think I ought to drop out and give Rice a fair show. I don’t mean that I got my place by favoritism, exactly, but I guess there’s no use pretending that if it wasn’t for your interceding for me with Bingham, Rice would still be first-string quarter.”
“Hm,” said Jonesie judicially.
“And—and that brings me to another thing. Yesterday after the game I got to thinking about all this and I thought I’d go to Bingham and have a frank talk with him. So——”
“Good Lord!” groaned Jonesie.
“Pardon? I thought you spoke. So I did. I told him that I was afraid it was scarcely fair to Rice and—and suggested that maybe I ought to—to sort of drop out for this season.”
“What—what did he say?” asked Jonesie faintly.
“Why, that’s the funny part of it. He said he didn’t know anything about it! At first he even pretended he didn’t know who you were!”
“Good Old Bing!” exclaimed Jonesie, slapping his leg and grinning. “If that isn’t just like the boy!”
Wigman looked puzzled. “But he said——”
“Wait!” Jonesie held up a hand. “I’ll tell you just what he said, Wigman. First off he pretended he didn’t know what you were talking about. Didn’t he?” Wigman nodded. “Then he made believe he didn’t know who I was. When you explained he said, ‘Oh, Jonesie, you mean. Ha, ha!’ Just like that. Then he probably told you straight out that I’d had nothing to do with the thing, that I’d never mentioned your name to him and that, even if I had, it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference. Didn’t he? Isn’t that about what happened, Wigman?”
“Yes, pretty nearly exactly. And he said that the reason they’d put me in place of Rice was because I was playing a better all-around game and that nothing else had anything to do with it.”
“And there you are!” exclaimed Jonesie triumphantly.
“But—but why should he say he didn’t know you, Jones? He does, of course, and you have spoken to him for me, haven’t you?”
Jonesie smiled wisely. “He says not, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, but——”
“And he ought to know.” Jonesie winked meaningly. Vague comprehension illumined Wigman’s countenance.
“Oh!” he said doubtfully. “You mean he doesn’t want to acknowledge even to me——”
“Wigman, there’s a whole lot more politics in a school like this than you dream of,” responded Jonesie gravely. “Bing has his reason. Let it go at that. Don’t inquire too—er—closely.”
“Oh! Then you think——”
“Sure!”
“What?”
“Why, that you ought to take what you’ve got and ask no questions,” said Jonesie promptly. “Get me?”
“But if they have—have been easier with me than with other fellows——”
“It’s because you deserved it. Wigman, Cutler and Bing and I have—er—done what was wisest and best for you and the School. Remember, Wigman, there’s the School to think of, too. The greatest good to the greatest number, you know. Got to think of that, Wigman.It may seem a bit tough on Rice, but don’t let that worry you. Just tell yourself that we have our reasons, Wigman, reasons which neither Bing nor I are ashamed of. If it was necessary we’d tell ’em to the School right out. But it isn’t. You go ahead and keep your mouth shut, Wigman, that’s all you need do.”
“And—and,” asked Wigman, visibly impressed, “you don’t think I’m taking any unfair advantage of Rice?”
“Not a bit. Take my word for it. Besides, Bing told you the same thing, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“There you are then! Don’t you trouble. If there’s any worrying to be done”—Jonesie arose and patted Wigman reassuringly on the shoulder—“if there’s any of that to be done you just leave it to me and Bing!”