CHAPTER XIV
RUSTY BRINGS A FRIEND
"When I left you in the restarong," began Rusty, "I hied me forth inpursuit of a youth whose countenance I had spied through the window,in short, none other than Sandy Halden. Sandy said he was looking forsomeone, I forget who, and I said I'd help him look. I believe inhelping others whenever it isn't too hard work."
"Why that pill, though?" asked Stanley. "Thought you had no use forSandy."
"You're quite wrong then," answered Rusty earnestly. "To the eagerand inquiring mind nothing is useless. Anyhow, you shut up and let metell this. Sandy and I wandered through the metropolis side by each,admiring the soaring edifices and the homes of ease and luxury. And aswe strolled, we talked. Maybe I talked more than Sandy did, but that'sneither here nor there. Among other things I said was this: 'They'recharging fifty cents to see the game this afternoon, Sandy, and that'stoo much. Not that I'm going to pay it, though. I'm going to see itfor nothing.' Of course that interested Sandy tremenjously, for Sandydoesn't mind spending money any more than a Scotsman! He wanted toknow how I was going to do it; did I have a pass or what. 'Don't haveto have a pass,' I told him. 'Maybe you've noticed that one of thedormitories is right close to the field? Well, if you happen to have afriend there whose room is on the back, you don't have to spend yourgood money. You just sit in the window up there quite comfortably andlook right down on the field. Of course, you're not as close as you arein a stand, but you can see everything that goes on and you're savinga big old half-dollar. And a half-dollar is a lot of money about themiddle of the month!' Sandy agreed cordially to that sentiment and saidhe wished that he knew someone in one of those dormitories. I said,yes, it would be nice if he did, and looked at my watch, remarking thatI mustn't be late for my engagement. Then we happened on a candy storeand I stopped and looked in the window and said something about thecaramels looking nice. I could see Sandy struggling mentally and I kepton looking at the caramels. He tried to edge off, but I wouldn't edge.So finally he said in a weak little voice that he guessed he'd get afew and we went in and he bought a quarter of a pound for fifteencents. Then we strolled on and ate the caramels, and after a bit I saidsort of thoughtfully: 'Look here, Sandy, if you'd like to see the gamewith me I guess it would be all right. My friend is a mighty nice sortand I don't think he'd mind if I brought you along.'"
"What friend?" asked Dick, puzzled.
"My friend in Wallack Hall," replied Rusty, with a grin. "Wallack's thedormitory that looks like a tomb and has ivy all over it."
"Oh," said Dick uncertainly. Blash made a derisive noise in his throatand Stanley chuckled.
"Well, Sandy was that pleased! Gee, fellows, it does give one a finefeeling to give pleasure to others, doesn't it? Sandy was quiteaffecting. He said I was mighty kind and he wouldn't forget it and he'dlike awfully to meet my friend. So we came to a drug store about thenand I said I was thirsty and Sandy insisted on buying sodas. By thattime it was getting on toward two and I asked a fellow in the storehow to get out to the school and he told me and we started out. I hadto pay the car fares, for Sandy was looking out the window hard whenthe conductor came around. When we got out there I said we'd betterwalk around awhile and see the place, and we so did, and when it wasabout time for the game to start I conducted Sandy to Wallack. 'He maynot be in yet,' I said, 'because he has a two o'clock recitation, buthe said I was to make myself at home until he got back.' So we climbedtwo flights of stairs and I went along looking at the numbers on thedoors, telling Sandy I didn't quite remember which room it was. Sandykept asking me what the fellow's name was and reading the cards, but Iput him off until I found the room. Then I knocked, and, sure enough,Harold wasn't in, but he'd left the door open and so we went on in.It was a bully room, with a lot of corking furniture and pictures andso on, and we looked around and waited for Harold to come back. Youcouldn't see as much of the field as I'd expected, because the top ofthe grand stand cut off the nearer side of it, but it wasn't bad, andI made Sandy take his coat off and sit down on the window-seat. He wasvery grateful, was Sandy. Doing things for him is a real pleasure,fellows!" And Rusty looked around the small circle of his audiencewith much feeling. Stanley was chuckling and Blash and Dick grinningbroadly, and Rusty seemed surprised at their amusement.
"Well, that's about all there is to tell, except that presently Sandycalled out that they were starting the game and I came over and lookedout over his shoulder and saw that he was telling the truth. 'FunnyHarold doesn't show up,' I said, as concerned as anything. So I openedthe door and looked up and down the corridor and there wasn't anyone insight and the building was awfully silent. 'Guess I'll go down to theentrance, Sandy,' I said, 'and see if I can see him. You sit tight.'So Sandy said all right, he would, and that Phillipsburg had justkicked-off, and I went out and closed the door gently but firmly behindme, absent-mindedly turning the key in the lock, and went downstairs.Harold wasn't in sight and so I went on around to the field."
"You locked Sandy in there?" exclaimed Stanley incredulously andjoyfully. Rusty grinned and nodded.
"I guess so. I didn't try the door, but the key turned all right."
The others were fairly howling. "Wouldn't I like to have been therewhen the owner of the room got back!" gasped Blash. "_What_ do yousuppose Sandy told him?"
"He told him the truth," laughed Rusty, "but I don't believe Summerbelieved him."
"Summer? Not that big left-guard of theirs?" cried Stanley.
"Yes, Harold Summer."
"Then--then you _do_ know him?"
"Only by reputation," replied Rusty modestly. "I've never had thehonour of meeting him."
"How'd you know where he roomed?"
"Easy. Looked up the fellows on the team until I found a couple whoroomed in Wallack. Half of them do room there, because it's a sort ofsenior dormitory, I guess."
"Looked 'em up where?" demanded Dick.
"In the school catalogue. There was a copy in the library. I forgot tosay that we visited the library amongst other places of interest. Ifound one football chap lived in 17 Wallack and another in 28, and Iknew that one of them must be on the back, and it turned out to be 17,and that was Harold's dive."
"Summer's? But, look here, seems to me Summer's name is George," saidStanley. "Where do you get this 'Harold' stuff?"
"Had to call him something, and Harold sounded sort of convincing, sortof like what a Phillipsburg fellow _would_ be called. Get me?"
"Oh! Well, say, suppose Summer didn't go back to his room until aftersupper or something? Have you seen Sandy since?"
"Oh, yes, he's aboard. I saw him in the station. He didn't see me,though. I think he wants to. That's one reason I wasn't keen for goingafter the chocolate. Something tells me that Sandy has misconstrued myinnocent efforts to save his money for him!"
"Gee, but I'll bet he's mad enough to bite a nail!" chuckled Stanley."Of all the crazy stunts, Rusty, that's the craziest! How did you knowSummer wouldn't have a room-mate and that the room-mate wouldn't be inwhen you got there?"
"I didn't. I couldn't find that out without going through the wholecatalogue, and there wasn't time for that. If there'd been anyone inwhen I knocked I'd have just asked for a fictitious name and backed outagain. Anyway, I don't see what Sandy has to be peeved about. He sawthe game without paying a cent!"
"Except for the caramels and soda," laughed Blash. "I wish I could havebeen behind a door or some place when Summer walked in and found Sandysitting there!"
"Maybe Sandy got wise and got away before Summer came back," suggestedStanley anxiously. But Rusty shook his head. "He probably got wise, allright, but I'll bet he didn't get out! There was only one door and thatwas locked. There wasn't any transom and the window was two storiesup. And I don't believe there was a soul in the building; every fellowwas at the game."
"How the dickens did you ever think of the scheme?" asked Stanleyadmiringly. Rusty shrugged modestly.
"Oh, it just sort of came to me. Like an inspiration, you know. Well,tha
t settles one or two old scores between Sandy and me, I guess. Ihope Summer didn't beat him up, but still, if he did--" Rusty shruggedagain. "I should grow faint and be carried out!"
"Rusty, you're a wonder!" said Blash earnestly. "You'll be hung if youlive long enough; there's no doubt about that: but in the meanwhile youcertainly do add to the joy of nations!"
"What do you mean, hung?" demanded Rusty indignantly. "My record is asclean and my life as stainless--Oh, my sainted grandmother! Here hecomes! Hide me behind your stalwart frame, Blash!"
From the farther end of the swaying coach came Sandy Halden, gloom andwrath upon his brow, his gaze seeking his enemy. A few seats away hiseyes fell on Rusty and they blazed in triumph. He shoved his way pastan accumulation of suit-cases and faced his benefactor, his shock-hairstanding up defiantly under the cap he wore and his long nosetwitching like a rabbit's. Rusty viewed him calmly.
"Hello, Sandy," he greeted. "Great game, wasn't it?"
"A great game you put up on me!" sputtered Sandy. "I suppose you thinkyou're mighty smart, eh? You wait till I'm through with you, Crozier!I'll make you wish you weren't so blamed funny! I'll show you what areal joke is! I'll----"
"There, there," said Rusty, soothingly. "What's your kick, Sandy? Yousaw the game all right, didn't you? And you saved a whole half-dollar,didn't you? What more do you want? By the way, I suppose you introducedyourself to Harold? Sorry I couldn't stick around!"
"He was all right, don't you worry! I told him about you and he said afew things you ought to have heard! His name isn't Harold----"
"What? You don't mean that we got into the wrong room!" exclaimed Rustyincredulously. "Wasn't it Harold Jones' room, Sandy?"
"You know mighty well whose room it was!" answered the otherindignantly. "That's all right! I'll get even with you! I'll----"
"Oh, I _am_ sorry!" declared Rusty miserably. "Such an awkward mistaketo make. I don't see how I could have been so stupid! Whatever can Ido to show my contrition, Sandy?"
By this time most of the fellows within hearing were listening eagerlyand amusedly, and it dawned on Sandy that he was making a mistake toadvertise the joke. "Never mind your contrition," he growled in a lowervoice, "I'll fix you, Crozier. Don't think you can get away with it."His eyes swept the grinning or amused faces of Rusty's companions."You make me sick, anyway, the whole lot of you!" he added. "If Itell Jud what you did, Crozier, you won't think it's so funny!" Withwhich veiled threat he swung angrily away and the car door crashedresoundingly behind him.
Blash and Stanley were somewhat sobered, but Rusty still beamed. "Iwonder what Summer did say!" he chuckled. "I wish I knew!"
"Look here," said Stanley, "you don't suppose he will go to Jud, doyou? You know, Rusty, Jud's a bit down on you!"
"He won't. He knows that if he did I'd beat him to a stiff froth!Anyhow, what of it? Jud will only appreciate my kindness of heart. Itwasn't really my fault if we stumbled into the wrong room."
"That won't go with Jud," said Blash, shaking his head. "Still, Idon't believe Sandy will blab. What say, Gus? Oh, he was sort ofpeeved over something that happened." Blash turned to Gus Stone, whowas leaning over the back of the seat. "You know how Sandy is. Thinksfellows are trying to put something over on him."
"What was it?" persisted Stone, smiling broadly in anticipation.
"Why, nothing much, really. It was all--a mistake." Blash looked asinnocent as a new-born babe. "You see, Rusty offered to introduceSandy to a friend of his at Phillipsburg whose room overlooked thefootball field so that Sandy wouldn't have to pay to see the game,and by accident they got into the wrong room and Rusty went out tolook for his friend and thoughtlessly locked the door behind him. Ofcourse, when the fellow who lived there got back and found Sandy, hewas surprised! And Sandy has got it into his head that Rusty put up ajob on him. Which just shows, Gus, that even with the best intentionsin the world you sometimes go wrong!"
"Warne! Warne!" called a trainman. "Change for Sturgis, Bradfield,Seppit's Mill and points on the Westfield Branch! Wa-a-arne!"