CHAPTER XXII
In shocked amazement, Margie and the others heard this remark. The girls in the Montgomery party blushed furiously, while Fred, his face white with suppressed anger, stopped still, and then, speaking to the girl by his side, turned as though he would leave the hall.
Among those who were within hearing of Bart's brutal words chanced to be Mr. and Mrs. Vining, and Mrs. Anthony Baxter, widow of the founder of the academy, who had brought her daughters from Boston to see the game.
Speaking quickly to Mr. Vining, Mrs. Baxter raised her lorgnette and calmly surveyed Bart from foot to head.
In evident obedience to her command, the headmaster hurried to Fred's side, and spoke with him and the furiously blushing Margie who had loyally remained with the boy.
Conscious of the sudden tension in the hall, all the others turned toward the scene just in time to see Fred, Margie and Mr. Vining walk toward Mrs. Baxter.
So intense was the silence that a pin dropped could have been heard.
Her scrutiny of Bart ended, the patroness of the school turned, saw the boy and girl coming toward her, and advanced to meet them.
"So you are Benjamin Markham's son," exclaimed the gentlewoman, extending her hand, as a cordial smile lighted her face. "I am delighted to meet you, both on account of what you did for Baxter this afternoon—I saw the game, you know—and because of the estimation in which Mr. Baxter held your father. And this is Margie Newcomb," she smiled, shaking the girl by the hand. "I am glad, my dear,youhave a gentleman for an escort. I want you to know my daughters. I don't think they have ever had the pleasure of meeting you."
Cordially the Baxter girls greeted Margie and Fred, and under their diplomatic guidance, the girl and boy were soon chatting without embarrassment.
Taking their cue from the action of Mrs. Baxter, others came up and joined the group about Fred.
At the boy's humiliation at the hands of her son, Mrs. Montgomery had smiled visibly. But at the rebuke, more stinging because it was so deserved, the woman became conscience-stricken, and, with the best grace possible, she gathered the members of her party and left the hall.
But though Mrs. Baxter, her daughters and Mr. Vining urged him, Fred declined to dance, and with Margie and the other members of the Supper Club quietly took his departure.
"Mother's going to have a spread ready for us," said Buttons, as soon as they were outside of the building, "and we can dance, too, if we like."
"Then let's go back and get Hal, Betty, Shorty, Ned and the Baxter girls," suggested Sandow.
Readily the others agreed, deputizing Buttons and the leader of the Firsts to invite the others, promising to wait for them at the entrance to the grounds.
The unpleasant incident having cast a damper upon the celebrators, the other young people were only too glad to accept the invitation. But it was with trepidation that Buttons approached Mrs. Baxter.
"Surely my girls may go—provided you ask Mr. and Mrs. Vining and myself," she smiled. And, quickly gathering their wraps, they left the hall.
Asking Fred to walk with her, Mrs. Baxter adroitly questioned him about his father's affairs, smiling at the diplomatic manner in which he parried any leading questions.
"Do you suppose we could persuade your mother to come to the supper?" she suddenly asked.
"Perhapsyoucould," replied Fred. "It would do her no end of good. She doesn't go anywhere, you know; she's so sensitive."
This reply raised the boy greatly in the estimation of the rich woman, and she made a mental note that she would learn from Mr. Vining the details of his circumstances which she had been unable to extract from him.
As the others reached Buttons' house, they waited for Mrs. Baxter and Fred.
"Don't pay any attention to us. We're going to take a little walk," exclaimed the matron gayly, as they joined the group.
"Margie, you'd better look out for mother," laughed Phyllis Baxter, and merrily they watched as the two schemers started to get Mrs. Markham.
At the sight of her old friend, Fred's mother was overjoyed, and after a few objections she consented to accompany them.
But her real pleasure came in the delight with which the young people and Buttons' mother and father greeted her.
After the supper, the older people chatted while the young folks danced, and it was with reluctance they finally went home.
The next few days were a round of gaiety attendant upon the graduation of the First Form, after which the young people settled down to their summer life.
The money from the scholarship had all but been used up, despite the rigid economy experienced by Mrs. Markham; and with the freedom from his studies, Fred decided to go to work.
Setting out with never a word of his purpose to his mother, the boy was walking down Main Street, wondering to whom he should apply, when in passing the bank, he noticed that an assistant clerk was wanted.
Resolutely he entered and stated his object to Mr. Herring, the cashier.
"You'll have to see Mr. Montgomery," said the official. "He happens to be in his office now. Come in, and I will speak a good word for you."
But Fred was not prepared for the reception he received.
"What,youwant a position inmybank?" exclaimed the president, as Fred stated the purpose of his call.
"Yes, sir," replied the boy, missing the point of the question.
"I don't doubt it. I don't doubt it," mused Mr. Montgomery. "There are also several men in jail who would like to work in my bank—and I should as soon think of employing them as a Markham."
"Sir!" gasped Fred, squaring his shoulders.
But the president, the memory of Mrs. Baxter's affront to his wife rankling in his mind, revelled in the opportunity to excoriate the son of the man he had ruined.
"I can only attribute your impudence in applying to me for a position to your ignorance of the fact that your father stole more than a thousand dollars from this bank," he continued.
"That's not so, and you know it, Mr. Montgomery," retorted Fred angrily.
"Perhaps you can tell me who did take it, then?" sneered the president.
"Probably some of the men who come to the bank after hours," returned the boy calmly.
Unconsciously clasping the arms of his chair, Mr. Montgomery scanned the face of the boy searchingly. But it was as guileless as a doll's.
"Herring, take him away. You should have known better than to bring him in," stormed the president.
"I only did it because I knew he was bright and needed work," apologized the cashier.
"Well, he'll have to go among strangers, as his father did, if he wants to get any. No one will have him who knows him," exclaimed the bank president, as Fred, scarlet with shame, went from the office.
It so chanced that the cashier had left the door of the president's room open and during the scene Mrs. Baxter had entered the bank.
Hearing the loud voice of the president, she had listened and could he have seen the expression that settled on her face, Mr. Montgomery would have been alarmed.
Remaining until she was satisfied the interview was over, she told the clerk she had merely called on some business with the president, and, as he was apparently engaged, she would call again.
But instead, after making the necessary arrangements to leave her daughters with the Vinings, she telegraphed her attorney to meet her in Manchester, and took the first train for that city.