Harry Watson's High School Days Part 7

"You all can do as you please," declared Viola, "but I want Jerry and Paul and Nettie and Mildred and Sally and Elise and Dorothy and Mr.

Watson and Misery and Jack and Horace and Annabel to be members of my party."

Readily the boys and girls accepted, and their hostess requested them to gather at her house at eight o'clock. The omission of Elmer, Longback and Socker from her guests caused looks of amazement to be exchanged between the other boys and girls, while the three fellows themselves blushed.

"I'll take the rest of our gang!" Socker exclaimed. "We'll go up to Cardell, anyhow, and have a dance, and Viola, if you want to bring your little friends, we should be very pleased to see both you and them."

"Will everybody whom I've invited go?" asked the proud girl, ignoring the remark.

One after another they accepted until it came to Harry, and he said, mindful of what his aunt had told him:

"I thank you very much, Miss Darrow. I should like to go, but I'm afraid it will be necessary for me to stay at home and study."

"Wow! Wow! Listen to that!" moaned Misery. "On top of saving the kids and beating Pud's hockey team, he's a grind!" and skating over to the new student, he felt of his shoulders, murmuring "It's just as I thought. I can feel his wings sprouting. My, won't Rivertown get a reputation when people know we've got an angel among the fres.h.i.+es."

"Well, if he stays in school until he's a senior, there won't be any angel left about him," laughed Jerry. "Come on, Harry, you can go just as well as not. The only thing we have to-morrow, beside drawing and rhetoric, is Latin, and Old Grouch Plummer always flunks everybody in that, so it isn't worthwhile to study the lesson. Besides, we want to initiate you into the delights of the dancing floor at the Lake House, it's--"

"Perhaps he doesn't dance," sneered Elmer. "I've always heard that a lot of people down at Lawrenceburgh were opposed to dancing, and maybe Watson's family is among them."

This utterly uncalled-for slur made even the rich boy's chums look at him in amazement, but though Harry flushed hotly, the darkness concealed his confusion, and he replied in a steady voice:

"I'm very fond of dancing, but really, Miss Darrow, I must decline your invitation." And quickly wis.h.i.+ng his friends among the boys and girls "good-night," he skated over to the bank, took off the ice-runners, and went home.

CHAPTER VIII-PAUL'S PARTY

The real reason for Harry's declination of the invitation to form one of the merry party, was the fact that he knew there would be necessarily some expense attached to the dance, and his circ.u.mstances were such that he was obliged to watch his money carefully. Indeed, it had only been at a distinct personal sacrifice that his father had been able to arrange for the boy to go to Rivertown High School. Aware of this fact, he realized that it would not be right for him to start out by a.s.sociating with those whose parents were in a position to give them liberal allowances for spending money.

For a few moments after Harry's abrupt departure there was a silence among the boys and girls who were planning the sleighing party and dance.

"There's no use in allowing a new freshy to interfere with our fun,"

Socker exclaimed.

"Who's going and who isn't? I want to know, so that I can get the horses and the sled and the hay ready."

The others sided in with this view of the matter, and arrangements for meeting were quickly made, after which the boys and girls separated, going to their respective homes.

"Don't you think that was queer in Harry Watson to decline your invitation, Viola?" asked Nettie, as they walked along.

Before the girl could answer, however, a voice behind them exclaimed:

"He hasn't got money enough to go, or to do anything the rest of us can.

Father says he knows Watson's father and that he's poorer than a church mouse."

Surprised to think their conversation had been overheard, the girls turned quickly and beheld Pud Snooks.

"Well, if that's the real reason Mr. Watson declined to go with us, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure it's better not to go than to sponge on some of the boys who have money," sniffed Viola. At this taunt, which was particularly stinging for the reason that, although the bully's father had plenty of money, he gave his son very little to spend, with the result that he was always taking part in the pastimes of his schoolmates, and forcing his companions to pay his share, Snooks growled to himself and slunk away.

For several minutes the two girls walked along in silence.

"Well, if it is true that Harry Watson won't be able to go to our dances and things, I'm going to be all the nicer to him at school and on the ice, because I like him. Honestly, I do, Nettie," said Viola.

This frank avowal surprised her chum, but she discreetly kept the fact to herself, and it was not long before the unpleasant incident on the ice was forgotten.

But it had made a deep impression upon Harry and, when he arrived at the comfortable home of his aunt he was very serious, returning her greeting almost curtly.

Realizing that something was amiss with the boy, yet knowing well that should she question him about it, she would but add to his reticence, the aunt wisely held her peace, trusting that during the evening he would let her know what the trouble was, of his own accord.

The boy, however, came to the conclusion that the problem which confronted him was one that he alone could work out; and, during supper, he forestalled any possible inquiries on the part of his aunt by relating to her the incidents of the hockey game, and then the races to the brush-pile.

No sooner was the meal finished, however, than he betook himself to his room on the plea that he wished to unpack his trunk, and he was soon busily engaged in so doing, at the same time revolving plans in his mind by which he could either win the good will of the boys who had taken such an evident dislike to him, or else manage in some way to get the best of them so effectually that, for the future, they would not seek to annoy him.

"I thought you were going to grind out your Latin," cried a voice, presently.

"Why, h.e.l.lo, Paul! I thought you were going on the sleigh-ride!"

returned Harry.

"None of our crowd are going, because Mrs. Masterson wasn't able to chaperone us to-night. Instead we are going to have a candy-pull over at my house, and I came over to get you. So put your duds on and come along."

At first our hero thought of refusing, then he reconsidered his idea, and accompanied the fellow who was later to be his most intimate chum to his home, where he found all the boys and girls who were to have been members of Viola's sleighing party, even to Annabel; and pleasant, indeed, was the evening which he pa.s.sed.

As they bade Paul's mother and the boy good night and went out on the piazza, Mildred suddenly cried:

"Oh, look at that red spot in the sky!"

Instantly the others turned in the direction towards which the girl was gazing.

"It's a fire!" exclaimed Misery. "It's a bad night for one, too, with the wind blowing, and it's so cold it will be hard to get any water."

"Where is it? Why doesn't someone give the alarm?" exclaimed several of the boys and girls.

"It's over toward the bluff leading up to the school."

"Perhaps it's only a manifestation of the aurora borealis!" exclaimed Annabel.

"That sounds fine, Annabel, but I guess I know a fire when I see one,"

returned Misery.

"But it's just as likely to be the aurora as it is a fire," protested Mildred.

"No, it isn't either," retorted Misery. "It's a bad night, and fires always come on bad nights."

The excited voices attracted the attention of Paul's father, and as the gentleman made his way to the front door, several of them turned to him.

"Is that a fire, Mr. Martin?" they asked.

Ere the old gentleman could reply, however, all doubt was put at rest by the shout of "Fire!" followed almost immediately by the ringing of the church bell.