Frank Merriwell's Races Part 26

"You flatter me, Diamond."

"Not at all."

"Ah, but you do. I know my own failings."

"I wonder what they are?"

"Do not think for a moment that I have no failings! I have studied my own nature, and I have discovered them. As far as possible, I seek to remedy them. To myself I am a very ordinary sort of fellow. I know it, Jack. The man who can see no flaws in himself is an egotist, a cad, and a shallow fool! As soon as he is perfectly satisfied with himself, he ceases to progress--he deteriorates."

"That is true."

"Among my friends I see many things worthy of emulation. You, my dear Diamond, are not aware of your own fine qualities, and----"

"That will do, Merry!" cried Jack, blus.h.i.+ng. "I am sure that I try to be a gentleman. My father was a true Southern gentleman."

"There can be no doubt of that. You show your breeding in every way. A natural gentleman will be a gentleman under any circ.u.mstances. He carries the air about him, and nothing can disguise it."

Jack sat down.

"You have squared your score with Flemming," he said; "but I have a little matter to settle with Thornton. I am wondering how I shall settle it."

"Thornton is Flemming's satellite. It would be cruel to use him roughly."

"But I will not let him off! He should be taught a lesson."

"Look here, Jack, I have a scheme."

"What is it?"

"Let's put up a racket on him."

"What sort of a racket?"

"Oh, one out of which we can get some sport and humiliate him at the same time. I am sure you do not want to fight with the fellow?"

"I have been thinking that I would be ashamed to have an encounter with him."

"Exactly so. Now, I know you are not much of a fellow for pranks, but I hope you will agree to this little scheme of mine."

"State it," said Jack, rather doubtfully.

"Well, you know Thornton considers himself something of a masher. He gets stuck on every pretty girl who smiles on him."

"Yes."

"Danny Griswold is a daisy as an impersonator of girls. You know he is to play a girl's part in one of the entertainments to be given in the fall. He has done the trick before, and he sent home for his outfit a week ago. Yesterday, while Rattleton and I were cramming for recitations the door opened, and a stunning blonde walked into the room. She seemed confused when she saw us, begged our pardon, and said she was looking for her cousin, Danny Griswold. She had entered the wrong room by accident. Harry offered to show her to Danny's rooms, but she said she could find the way. Still she was in no hurry to go, and I began to be rather nervous, for I did not fancy the idea of having a young lady without a chaperon visit us. I feared it would become known, and we would receive a reprimand. She was decidedly giddy, and she sat on the arm of the easy-chair there and giggled and said it must be so nice to be a boy and go to Yale. After a while I began to smell a rat. I got up and took a closer look at her. Say, she was gotten up in great shape! It was that little imp Griswold!"

"Well, what is your scheme?" asked Jack, smiling.

"It is to put Griswold onto Thornton. Let Danny rig up and see what he can do. It's ten to one Thornton will think he has a new mash, and then we can have any amount of sport with the fellow."

Jack looked more doubtful than ever.

"I don't see how that is getting square with him," he declared.

"If the game works, you can pretend to be in love with the same girl.

You can challenge Thornton to mortal combat. He won't dare meet you.

Then you can expose him, and if that will not be getting even with him I don't know how you can get even."

This scheme did not exactly meet Diamond's approval, and Frank found it difficult to induce him to agree to it. At last, however, Merriwell succeeded.

"We'll have barrels of fun out of this," laughed Frank. "I feel in need of a little fun to wake me up."

CHAPTER XV.

THORNTON'S "MASH."

Tom Thornton was alone in his room when there came a knock on the door.

"Come in," called Tom, without turning his head or taking his feet down from the table on which they were resting.

As he had been out late the night before, he was not in a very agreeable mood. He had sent for his tailor some time before, and he supposed it was the tailor who had knocked and entered at his command.

"Well, here you are at last!" Tom growled. "I've waited long enough for you, too! You are slower that mola.s.ses in midwinter! I suppose you want to know what ails me now. Well, I'll tell you. That last pair of trousers you made me are too short in the waist and too full around the bottoms--that's what's the matter. I'd be mobbed if I should show myself in them. Now, don't tell me they are all right! I'll just try them on right before you, and let you see---- Great Jupiter! What have I been saying!"

He had turned his head, and he saw a vision that electrified him and brought his feet down from the table with a thump.

Just within the room a very pretty girl was standing, and she was staring at him in a half-frightened, half-amused manner.

"I--I--I beg your pup-pup-pardon!" stammered Thornton, jumping up, confused and fl.u.s.tered. "I didn't know! I--I thought it was my tailor!"

"And you nearly frightened the senses out of me by growling at me in that way," giggled the girl. "Why, I thought you were a great horrid bear, and you were going to eat me."

"If I were a bear, I couldn't ask for a daintier meal," said Tom, gallantly.

"Oh, my!" laughed the girl. "What a difference!"

"I am bound to even matters if possible."

"That's it? Then you did not really mean what you just said, after all?"

The smile vanished from her face, and she seemed a bit offended.

"Oh, yes I did--I vow I did!" exclaimed Tom, hastening to repair the "break." "You see I am all broken up by the surprise. I--I didn't think of seeing a young lady here--alone."