CHAPTER XVIIAN UNEXPECTED VISITOR
While Tony lay on the bed in convulsions of joy, Ray hastily tore open the large, thick envelope, and drew out two smaller envelopes, both sealed, one of which was addressed to himself, and the other to me. Then for several moments there was a silence, broken only by Tony’s chuckling, while Ray and I eagerly scanned the contents of our notes. They were both alike, except for the name, and they ran as follows:
You are hereby notified, in pursuance of the order of the faculty at their meeting last evening, that your term of suspension has been reduced to two weeks, and you will be permitted therefore to resume your college duties on Monday morning next, May 11th.By order of the Faculty,Ferdinand Dikes,Registrar.
You are hereby notified, in pursuance of the order of the faculty at their meeting last evening, that your term of suspension has been reduced to two weeks, and you will be permitted therefore to resume your college duties on Monday morning next, May 11th.
By order of the Faculty,
Ferdinand Dikes,Registrar.
Ray and I looked at each other for an instant, unable to say a word. Our letters dropped to the floor; a glad exclamation escaped us, and then we fell forward into each other’s arms, and hugged each other in transports of delight.
Tony Larcom, who was sitting on the side of the bed, watched the demonstration for a while in amusedsilence; and then, unable to keep still, he rose and joined us. A good natured scrimmage took place, and the scene was rapidly becoming exciting when a step sounded on the stairs outside.
“Break away, you fellows; somebody is coming,” exclaimed Ray.
“Ray, Ray, are you there?” called a strong, cheery voice from the dark hallway. All three of us recognized the tones at once. They recalled vividly the delightful days we had passed at Cedar Hill three weeks before.
“Why, as I live, it must be father,” cried Ray, as we turned gladly toward the door, which at that moment swung open.
“Well, at last!” exclaimed Mr. Wendell—for it was he. “I thought I would never find you. I have opened nearly every door in the building, thrust myself suddenly in on scenes where, I judge, I had no business to be, and have ventilated every skeleton the household closets contain. I fear I left the old lady on the first floor with a palpitation at my unexpected entrance.”
“No fear of that,” answered Ray, laughing, and clasping both his father’s hands affectionately. “Mrs. Brown is accustomed to surprises: she has kept a student’s club for twenty years, and you couldn’t startle her now if you dropped a dynamite cartridge in front of her. She would simply raise her glasses and say, ‘Well, what is it?’——But the surprise is mostly mine this time. What brought you on here?”
“My son’s disgrace,” said Mr. Wendell, with mock earnestness.
“Oh, you mean our suspension,” answered Ray quietly. “Well, then, I have good news for you. Read this,” and Ray picked up the letter.
Mr. Wendell, who had shaken hands warmly with Tony and myself, now took a chair, and, putting on his glasses ran his eyes over the contents of the note.
“When did you receive this?” he asked.
“About twenty minutes ago,” answered Ray.
“Then I have known all about the matter for about two hours longer than you,” said Mr. Wendell.
“How is that?” asked Ray, in surprise.
“I have been having an interview with Dr. Drayton,” said Mr. Wendell.
“From all appearances, we seem to be last to hear the good news,” said Ray. “Tony, how did you come to know it without opening those letters?”
“I got it out of Mr. Dikes, who gave me the envelopes to hand you,” answered Tony. “No one else knows anything about the matter.”
“And how did it all come about?” questioned Ray eagerly, seating himself on the sofa near his father. “Tell me everything. How is everybody at home? How did you come to run on here without letting me know anything about it? How did you find Dr. Drayton? And——”
“One question at a time,” interrupted Mr. Wendell good naturedly. “Let us start at the very beginning. In the first place, everybody is well at home. Yourmother sends her love and sympathy. I telegraphed her the good news just a short time ago. You did very well, Ray, to write me at once about the matter, explaining everything. It saved both your mother and myself a great deal of anxiety. I suppose, Mr. Elder, you did the same thing?”
“Yes, sir,” I answered, “and I received letters from both my parents. My father was called South on business, but he wrote me a long letter, and took very much the same view of the case as you did in your letter to Ray. You see we have compared correspondence for our mutual comfort,” I added.
“Well, you were both in rather hard luck,” said Mr. Wendell, “but I think we have it all straightened out now. I won’t keep you in doubt any longer, but will tell you the whole story from the first. I mentioned, I think, in my letter to Ray that I had also written to Dr. Drayton. The result of that was some considerable correspondence with him, also with this Professor Fuller whom Ray mentioned in his letter, and whom I find to be a very influential member of the faculty. As I had business in Boston to-morrow, it occurred to me that I would do well to come a day earlier, stop over here for a few hours, and see what an interview could effect. Judging from the tone of the letters I received, I imagined that it would be best to visit this Professor Fuller first. I fancied that he would be franker and more open with me, and I could get a better and more complete understanding of both sides of the affair from him. Accordingly Iwent to his house as soon as I arrived here; and I must say I found him a delightful man, and all that your enthusiastic descriptions of him have led me to believe. From him I learned that the faculty had resolved last evening to let you off with two weeks. Although Professor Fuller did not say so, I could easily infer from his words that he had been chiefly instrumental in bringing about a reconsideration of your case. He has certainly used his influence in your behalf, and he told me that he had talked the matter over several times with Dr. Drayton, until the president at length consented to bring it up before the faculty. Boys you have a good friend in Professor Fuller.”
“No one knows that better than we do,” responded Ray quickly. “Professor Fuller promised us nothing, but we knew him of old, and we felt confident of his friendship. We shall never forget his kindness as long as we live.”
“He is certainly a very fine man,” continued Mr. Wendell, “and—and”—here he hesitated a moment while a mischievous twinkle came into his eye—“and, from the brief but pleasant conversation that I enjoyed with somebody in the hallway at the end of my call, I should say that Professor Fuller had not only a nice disposition but a very nice daughter. Miss Nellie is the name, I think, eh?”
“Miss Nettie,” said I, correcting him.
“Nettie, yes, that’s the name; and a fine girl she is, too. Full of life and spirits. She takes your partroyally. Hers is a friendship you ought to be proud of. How is it, Ray, you said nothing about Miss Nettie in your letter?”
Ray said nothing now. He was looking at a picture on the opposite wall. His father was enjoying the situation in his good natured, teasing way.
After a silence of several seconds’ duration Mr. Wendell, with an expression of increased mirth, suddenly asked:
“What was that you said?”
“I said nothing,” answered Ray, with a quiet smile, still gazing at the picture. “Miss Nettie is a very nice young lady, and we are very grateful for her kindness.”
“Oh,” said his father, with a laugh, “then I suppose we will have to let it go that way. To return; I thanked Professor Fuller for the interest he had shown in the matter, and went over to see Dr. Drayton.”
Here Mr. Wendell took off his glasses, wiped them, and returned them to his pocket.
“Boys,” he continued after a pause, “tell me honestly, what do you think of Dr. Drayton?”
“To be perfectly candid, Mr. Wendell,” I answered, “I think that, while Dr. Drayton does everything for the best, he has very little tact, and hardly any knowledge of the character of students. It seems very presumptuous in me to criticise our college president in this way, no doubt, but the instances have been so numerous in which he has totally misunderstood thefellows that I cannot help saying so. It really seems surprising that a man who has been president of a college for ten years should know so little about the nature of boys. He is an excellent scholar, a splendid teacher, and as a rule a good disciplinarian, but every now and then he shows himself altogether out of sympathy with the students, and in such cases is very apt to judge us unfairly.”
“And what do you think, Ray?” asked his father, turning to his son.
“Well, I have avoided saying much about Dr. Drayton to you in the past,” answered Ray, “for the very reason that my views coincide with Harry Elder’s.”
“And how about you?” asked Mr. Wendell of Tony Larcom.
“Oh, I think Dr. Drayton is an olddodo,” answered Tony recklessly.
Mr. Wendell mastered an inclination to smile.
“Your opinion is ruled out of court,” he said with as much gravity as he could summon.
Tony subsided.
“I am sure I do not know what you mean by ‘want of tact,’” continued Mr. Wendell.
“Well, take our own case for example,” answered Ray. “Now, no one who understands human nature at all would ask a student point blank to betray some of his companions in mischief. Almost any one would know that such a question would not only obtain no satisfactory answer, but would arouse in the student a bitter feeling of opposition.”
“And did Dr. Drayton ask you such a question?”
“Yes, sir. My match box of course betrayed me, and when I told the faculty I had loaned the box shortly before the cannons were discharged, Dr. Drayton pressed me to tell the name of the person to whom I gave it. Of course I wouldn’t answer that.”
“Of course not,” echoed Mr. Wendell thoughtfully.
“Then again,” continued Ray, “think of the way in which this condition about baseball was presented to us. The length of our penalty was made to hang upon our decision as to playing baseball, which had no more to do with the question than sailing on the lake or some other amusement. I think I understand Dr. Drayton partially. He is a man who, when he wants a thing, goes the straightest way to get it, regardless of all considerations. He wanted to know who some of the other fellows were, so without thinking twice he simply asks me to tell on them. He felt that we were giving too much time to baseball, and he doesn’t seem to sympathize with our games much anyhow, so he drags in this condition, and hopes toforceus into giving up baseball. It was not fair. He might just as well have said that the faculty would make our suspension only two weeks, provided we would promise to eat only two meals a day and devote the time we would gain thereby to our studies. We are as anxious to stand well in our classes as he is to have us do so, and if I felt that baseball would really interfere, I would give it up. But I don’t,and as I had your permission to play baseball, I would not accept Dr. Drayton’s conditions.”
Mr. Wendell paused a moment before answering.
“Like father, like son,” he said at length. “You have said in substance almost exactly what I told Dr. Drayton myself, except, of course, I spoke to him in the respectful manner becoming his office. I told him that I had no objections to your playing ball, and that I saw no reason why it should affect the terms of your suspension. I won’t go all over the ground again. Suffice it to say that we had a very plain and, on the whole, agreeable interview. You see, there wasn’t very much to be said, for I knew the faculty had decided to let you back, and I was inclined to let well enough alone. I am precisely of your opinion concerning Dr. Drayton. Hedoesmean well, and is particularly anxious that his students shall succeed; but, as you say, he is lacking in tact somewhat. He gave me a clear understanding of his side of the matter, however, and I think it is just as well for you to know it.
“He told me he was deeply interested in seeing you both do well in your studies, that he recognized the damage that a five weeks’ suspension would do you, and was most willing to decrease the time. He said, however, that he felt that it was only just, when the faculty showed its interest in your success by remitting a large part of this penalty, that you should show your appreciation of this by making some concession on your part. The concession he asked wasthat you should give up baseball, which he believed was doing your studies almost as much harm as the suspension. I removed this impression from his mind, or at least, finished doing so, for Professor Fuller had already done most of it, and Dr. Drayton is quite ready to take you back, and treat you well. His annoyance has entirely passed away. I gave him a frank idea of a parent’s view of college sports indulged in in moderation, and I think I have partially altered his opinions in the matter.”
“Well,” I said, “if Dr. Drayton had presented the question to us in the way you mention it would have been different.”
“And yet,” remarked Ray, “it is better as it is, for now we are readmitted without any condition.”
“It is all over now, and you certainly have come out of it pretty well, all things considered,” said Mr. Wendell, “and my mind is immensely relieved. I am especially pleased to know that you have kept up your studies. Dr. Drayton spoke of that with considerable commendation. I hope you have lost no ground.”
“None at all, I think,” answered Ray. “I am sure we are well abreast of our class.”
“So am I,” broke in Tony. “Having the advantage of lectures and recitations, I used to ask Harry questions and try to coach him, but I soon found that he knew more about the subjects than I did, so I left him alone, in order to keep my own self respect.”
Mr. Wendell was looking at his watch.
“How far is it to the depot?” he asked.
“About ten minutes’ walk,” answered Ray. “But surely you are not going home so soon?”
“Yes,” said his father, “I must be in Boston early to-morrow morning, so I must leave here on the 10:30 train. As my valise is at the hotel I had better start now.”
All three of us accompanied Mr. Wendell, who kept up a stream of questions about our plans and purposes.
“The last time I saw you three, you were busy with baseball practice out on our lawn at Cedar Hill. You must come out again, and stay longer. I always like to have plenty of live stock on the place,” he said jokingly.
“Nothing would please us better,” I answered. “We shall never forget the delightful week we spent at Cedar Hill.”
“How is your baseball nine?” he asked.
“Very good,” answered Ray. “We have seldom had a better nine.”
“Going to win the championship?”
“I hope so,” said Ray. “We stand a good chance.”
“Well, the boys ought to win, if for no other reason than to show their gratitude for your devotion to their interest,” said Mr. Wendell. “When does your season open?”
“To-morrow,” I answered. “We play Dean College the first game.”
“I suppose you will make short work of them?”
“We don’t anticipate much trouble in that direction,” I said. “Dean College has always stood laston the list, and we count confidently on a victory over her. We would stand a small show for the championship if we could not beat the Dean men.”
“Well, I wish you luck,” said Mr. Wendell, as we reached the depot, “and I am very glad that this other matter has been settled satisfactorily.”
In a few moments the train came in.
“Good by,” said Mr. Wendell, shaking hands all round. “Be good boys now, and keep out of mischief. Give my kindest regards to Professor Fuller, Ray, when next you see him—and don’t forget Miss Nettie,” he added, as the train moved off.