CHAPTER VIIOPEN ENEMIES
The onslaught was so sudden that Howard was almost taken off his feet. He was dashed back against the wall and shaken until he was nearly breathless. When he was almost strangling, Ray loosened his grip somewhat, but still held him firmly by the throat, pressing him against the wall.
“There, you cowardly sneak,” he said, “don’t try to bully me any longer. Now after this leave my mail alone.”
With these words Ray released him. Howard, who was thoroughly frightened, sank almost to his knees, and crouched there for several seconds, breathing heavily. Then, as his breath gradually returned to him, he recovered himself, straightened up, and smoothed out his rumpled collar, while his face took on an evil expression.
“All right, Ray Wendell,” he said, panting. “We understand each other. I’ll be even with you fifty times over for this——”
“I don’t care what you do,” retorted Ray, interrupting him.
“Haven’t you already gone far enough, Howard?”said I. “Can’t you see that every word you say only makes matters worse? What do you suppose the fellows will say when they hear of this?”
Howard paused a moment. The humiliating results of such an exposure dawned upon him. He struggled to master himself, and finally said in an altered tone:
“I didn’t intend to steal the letter. I didn’t notice it was Wendell’s till Ridley had gone away. I didn’t open it. I saw it was from the baseball League, so I tossed it on the box behind the door where Wendell usually puts his books.”
On hearing this I immediately looked behind the door, but found nothing. If the letter had been thrown there it had been swept away during the week.
“It is of little importance whether you opened it or not,” said Ray coldly. “The result is just the same in either case. You knew the contents, and you purposely prevented my getting it.”
Howard was about to say something more, but suddenly concluded to accept my advice and keep silent. His lame explanation had not helped matters at all, so, turning hastily, he walked away into the darkness of the campus, while Ray and I started up stairs.
“Well, if you ever had any doubts about your relations to Howard they should be removed now,” I said. “You have made an enemy of him for once and all.”
“Nothing more than he has been in the past, I imagine,” answered Ray. “Only he is open about the matter now. And to think that all this started with afew games of tennis—at least I suppose so, for Howard was friendly enough to me previous to that.”
We reached Ray’s door as his last words were spoken. This recalled to us the business we had in view for the evening, and Ray looked at his watch.
“Why doesn’t Tony turn up?” he asked.
“I think he will be here in a few minutes,” I answered. “I saw him shortly before I met you and he said he would be on hand promptly.”
We had scarcely seated ourselves when Tony entered, whistling a popular tune with all the strength and fervor, and about as much expression as a fog horn. The whistle stopped short when Tony saw our faces, and judged correctly from our expressions that something unusual had happened. I described in a few words the scene that had taken place down stairs.
“Why, the rascally scamp!” exclaimed Tony when I had finished. “You ought to expose him before the whole college.”
“No, no,” interrupted Ray. “What could we gain by that? We could scarcely make Howard more unpopular than he is now, and, besides, granted that we could, I don’t believe in that sort of revenge. I would rather let the matter rest just as it is, and I wish neither of you would say anything about it.”
“But I think we ought to expose him for the protection of the rest of the college, so that all the fellows may know what a thief he is,” urged Tony.
“Now that is just where you make the mistake, Tony,” said Ray. “You would do Howard a greatinjustice, for you would spread the impression that he was a regular thief, while my belief is that his purpose was simply to prevent my getting that letter, and his act was prompted not by dishonest inclinations so much as a feeling of enmity against me.”
Tony was not satisfied on the point, however; nor was I, in fact, but as Ray urged us, we agreed to say nothing about the matter, although we felt that Wendell was acting with entirely too much generosity.
“And now,” said Ray, drawing his chair up to the desk and taking up pen and paper, “let us get to work at these baseball candidates. Suppose each of you take a sheet of paper and write down the names of, say, twenty-five of the men you think to be the most likely competitors for places on the nine. Then we will compare our lists, and if we find that we have agreed upon twenty men we will post their names in the gymnasium and on the bulletin board in Burke Hall, with a formal request that they present themselves without delay if they desire to compete for the vacant positions.”
“And how about the others?” I asked. “Do you suppose there will be any offense taken by any one at being excluded from the competition?”
Ray thought a moment. Then he said,
“Oh, we can word the bulletin in such a way as to avoid all chance of giving offense. We can say ‘the following are particularly invited to compete for the vacant positions on the University nine,’ and then we can insert a phrase something to the effect that ‘otherswishing to enter as competitors will please make known their purpose to the captain.’ Putting it in that way will serve as a gentle hint to others that those on the list are preferred. The college understands the matter, I think. The fellows know that we are not trying to make a close corporation of it, but only aim to make it easier for those who stand a fair show to be chosen. Last year, as everybody remembers, a great deal of money and time was wasted on a shoal of men who stood no chance of getting on the nine at all, and who knew it too, only they wanted to get the advantage of our training and practice. This plan of mine is merely a polite way of hinting to such outsiders that they must get their exercise some other way than by interfering with the practice of the men who really mean business—and I think the hint will be appreciated by the college at large.”
“I hope so,” commented Tony, as he thought of the low condition of the treasury, “for we have not enough money to meet the necessary expenses of the nine. I’m going to start that subscription list early Monday morning.”
“Well, perhaps you will feel better, Tony, after the Glee Club Concert,” answered Ray with a smile. “I think that will set us on our feet again—and now take your pencils and make up your lists.”
Then he handed us each a sheet of paper.
There was a silence for several moments only broken by the scratching of pen and pencils. At length we finished, and laying our lists upon the desk,we set to work comparing them. It soon became evident that our views coincided very closely, and the final result of our examination showed that we had all three agreed upon twenty-two names. These men were all good players who had shown their proficiency in the class games of the fall previous, and several of them were sure of places on the University nine.
“Well, let it stand then at twenty two, since we have agreed on that number,” said Ray, “and now let me draw up a form for the bulletin, and then see what you think of it.”
Ray wrote busily for some time.
“We must be prompt, you know,” he said, as he finished, “for we must choose the nine just before the Easter vacation, so I have requested competitors to be at the ball ground Monday noon in order that we can begin practice at once.”
Ray then read us what he had written. Several changes were made, and the matter rewritten several times before it was in a shape satisfactory to us all. When finally completed, Ray handed the sheet of paper to Tony.
“There,” he said, “will you make two clean copies of that, Tony, and have them posted up the first thing Monday morning?”
Tony consented, and we rose to go. As I lingered at the door after Tony had taken his departure, Ray suddenly said,
“By the way, Harry, what are you going to do this Easter vacation?”
“Nothing in particular,” I answered.
“Well, I have a brilliant scheme to propose then,” he continued. “You know I never did like the effect the Easter vacations have on the nine. It demoralizes them and I want to lessen the evil as much as possible this year. Now here you are, Dick Palmer, and myself: pitcher, catcher, and a second baseman, who, if you take hold of my idea, can keep in splendid trim.”
“Well, and what is your idea?” I asked with interest.
“Suppose both of you come down home with me for the vacation. It is a pleasant country place, and we will do nothing but exercise and practice, so that by the time we return, we will be in fine shape. I’ll promise you lots of fun in the bargain, so you’d better accept. What do you say?”
“I’d like nothing better,” I answered, “and I’ll write home about it at once. Summer vacation is so near that I think my people can spare me this one week. Have you asked Dick Palmer?”
“No, for I just thought of the scheme this moment. I will speak to him, however, without delay, for it will be a rare chance to get in good practice, and I don’t think we ought to miss it. We’ll have a fine time.”
“No doubt of it, and for my part, I need no urging, for I should be delighted to go. I will let you know about it in a day or so,” I said, as we parted company for the night.