CHAPTER V
FAME AND FINANCES
Nothing could have taken place to put the lads from Freeport on thepedestal of fame more noticeably than this experiment. They had easilyand modestly staged a complete breakdown of the hazing habit atMarshallton Tech. Strangely perhaps there was no blame nor suspicion putupon Bill and Gus for the subsequent edict from the faculty forbiddingit. That seemed to be considered a natural aftermath to the news of theelectrical reception of the hazers.
The stunt did more than earn the boys a large share of fame. It madethem so deservedly popular, even with most of the upper classmen, thatthey soon counted a good many friends and a considerable number ofpatrons for radio construction. It is a rather odd fact that methodsalready mastered by those of their own age appeal to boys more than theteachings of their elders. So, although the students were getting, orhad got, the theory of radio activity and the practice of wireless fullystuffed into them, they turned often to Bill and Gus for help. Therewere a number of the well-to-do, even among the seniors, who wantedradio receivers made, or coaching in making their own, and to this Billand Gus responded out of school hours, with the consent of thepresident, thus earning a good many dollars.
So as not to interfere in any way with the school-shop program, and notto crowd those lads who were finding the room in the shop and the toolsto their advantage, Bill and Gus rented an unused storeroom in thebasement of the dormitory. They cleared it out, sent for their own toolsat Freeport, purchased others--a foot-power lathe, a jigsaw and a handwall-drill--and put up some benches. Besides working therein themselves,they charged also the modest price of twenty-five cents an hour toothers mechanically inclined.
The liberal-minded school faculty found no fault with an arrangementwhich could only mean a more thorough learning and a finer comradeshipamong the students. The professors, who often visited and even worked inthe little shop--some of them paying their quota also--came to referfamiliarly to the place as the "commercial and sales department."
Professor Grant, the very able teacher of physics, who possessed farmore theoretical knowledge than practice, gave the boys many valuableideas out of class, and got some himself, being also a deadhead. AndSearch, the manual-training teacher, who knew the use of tools as a beeknows honey, got a few ideas while imparting many, as he also was madewelcome to tinker around the boys' shop.
These were truly strenuous days and weeks for Bill and Gus. They hadlittle studying to do, for Bill grasped problems as a trout takes inminnows, and he needed but to coach Gus briefly. The latter spent only aquarter-hour each day in the gym, never indulging in contests, butcontent to work hard at the things that best kept him fit. He hadelected not to put himself under the instructor, grudging the time. Butone day when he went over and, with his bare, work-hardened fists,punched a lively rubber bag for several minutes, Professor LeRoy, whohad been watching, came to Gus with almost a demand that he join theboxing class in view of the Marshallton Tech entering contests withother schools during the coming winter. But Gus declined.
"No; I haven't the speed and I am weak with my left, as you may havenoticed. Hurt it once on a lathe in my father's shop; never will be anygood for quick work."
"We will overcome that," said the instructor, "develop it."
"Also," declared the boy, "I have neither the time nor the inclination.Must work and nothing much else. But I thank you, Professor."
"Sorry, my boy; you've certainly got a wicked right and you can use theother."
"I'd want to use both," asserted Gus, laughing.
As for Bill, the hours each day and all of Saturday spent in the shopsufficed for exercise; the rest was spent in study, brief eating and nomore sleep than he needed. And nearly every moment that could be sparedfound both boys in their shop.
They had under way the construction of five radio receivers of the finertype, for each of which they would get sixty dollars, the materialscosting about fifteen dollars. These receivers were equal to more than athousand miles, with strong, durable batteries and very wideamplification. As with their first radio and the one for their good oldfriend, Mr. Hooper, they made nearly all the parts themselves, even tothe switch arms, contacts, buzzer and binding posts, cutting all threadswith a fine set of standard taps and dies.
They also had two crystal sets to make, for which they charged twentydollars each, and made a profit of seventeen dollars over the cost ofthe materials.
The most interesting was the making of four portable sets, with vacuumtube detectors and loop aerials not over six inches in diameter, eachpacked in small, neatly made wooden cases about the size of an ordinarypaper shoe box, the lids when opened forming the upright panels and theloop aerials hinged to open out and upright. Being rather unique indesign, and satisfying fads for unusual construction, the boys felt theyshould get at least fifty dollars for each of these sets, the materialscosting about twelve dollars.
Earning enough in this way to help them along very nicely with theirschooling, and being more deeply interested in their work than inanything else, it was not surprising that Bill and Gus found little timefor play.
When they had finished one of the larger and two cheaper sets, that uponinstallation at fraternity and boarding houses were found to work mostsatisfactorily, the cash was quickly paid over. Bill divided it equallyand handed half to Gus.
"No, you don't, old fellow!" Gus demurred. "You get this and you can payme a sort of wages if you want to, or you needn't. You did all of theplanning, the--" He got no further for Bill started in with thisindignant tirade:
"You're a fatheaded, heterogeneous, quadrangular parallelepipedon! Whatare you trying to get through your topknot, anyway? Don't we always worktogether? Isn't it a partnership?"
"But--er--Bill----"
"'Butter bill'? Sure. This will pay our bread bill, too, and our entireboard bill for some time. And what we'll get out of these other setswill see us through all of next year nicely, without worrying. Thensomething will turn up for the third year. Now, then, will you write toCotton & Staples for that additional wire, or shall I?"
"I will, of course, but this money----"
"Oh, shut up! If you say another word about it, I'll lam a battery coilat you--'b'gorry'--as Mr. Hooper says. Well, now, reckon I'd better turnup and thread some more binding posts."