The New Boys at Oakdale

by Morgan Scott

  CHAPTER XXVIII

  COMRADES ALL.

  Charley was sitting on a big chair, his bandaged ankle resting oncushions piled in another chair, when Ned Osgood came to see him at noonthe following day. Ned had visited him early that morning, but now hereturned with his face aglow and his tongue eager with a message.

  "How's the ankle, Shultzie?" he cried.

  "Oh, it's pretty well," was the answer. "Of course it gives me fits,especially when I have to move it a little, but then, I guess I canstand it." He looked at Ned almost entreatingly.

  Osgood drew a chair close and sat down.

  "The fellows all want to know how you're coming on," he said. "Of courseI've had to tell them all about it."

  "Confound it!" exclaimed Shultz. "I don't count in this business. How'sHooker? That's what I want to know."

  "I've been to see him, too. He didn't come to school this morning, buthe's all right, just the same. Says he's stiff and lame, and all that,but thinks he'll be frisky enough in a day or two."

  "Does he--does he seem to be all right--in his head?" faltered Charleyanxiously.

  "Oh, sure. There's nothing the matter with him."

  "Well, I'm mighty glad to hear it. You know I've been worrying--I justcouldn't help it. I kept thinking he might have a relapse orsomething--might lose his memory again."

  "Pooh! Nonsense! The doctor says he's O. K. and he'll stay so."

  "That's great, Ned."

  "Funny," said Osgood, "but the first thing he did was to ask about you."

  "I don't see why he should care a rap about me. If it hadn't been forme----"

  "Oh, cut that out! It's plain bosh. Nobody thinks for a minute ofputting it all on you, much less Hooker."

  "You know, old man, I wish I could have said something when Roy spoke upthe way he did last night and declared he was to blame. I feltsomething--something inside of me here, but I couldn't say it to save mylife. After I'm gone, I hope you'll tell Hooker that I think him adandy, a brick, the finest fellow in the world."

  "After you're gone? What do you mean by that?"

  "Of course I can't go right away with this old ankle the way it is, butwhen it gets better so that I can leave Oakdale----"

  "Leave Oakdale!" exploded Osgood. "Why are you going to leave Oakdale?Tell me that."

  "Why, Ned, I don't see how I'm going to stay here. Professor Richardsonwas mighty decent last night, but of course I knew that was because hethought I'd had enough just then. He can't want me back in the school,and there must be lots of fellows who'd shy at me, too. Once it wouldn'thave worried me if two-thirds of them had handed me the frosty, but nowI'm--I'm sort of changed. I seem to be weak and lacking in backbone, andI know I couldn't stay in the school with a lot of the fellows that way,even if Prof was willing I should stay."

  "Now you listen to me, Shultzie," said Osgood earnestly. "I've had atalk with the professor, and he's coming to see you to-night."

  "Oh, I don't believe I want to see him again. I don't believe I can. Youknow I said some mighty nasty things about him behind his back. I triedto turn the fellows against him, and he knows it."

  "But you can bet he's willing to forget that, Charley, and he will nevermention it unless you do. Between you and me, Prof is a pretty fine oldboy. We had him sized up all wrong."

  "I reckon we did, Ned. Just because he was along in years andold-fashioned in some of his ways, we didn't understand him at all. Youknow he said last night that most men didn't understand boys. Well, it'smy opinion that few boys understand men, especially men like ProfRichardson."

  "I won't put up an argument on that point. You'll be welcomed back toschool by him, Shultz, and you'll be welcomed just as heartily by thefellows. Why, when Piper heard just how you owned up and tried to takeall the blame, he was enthusiastic about you. Said you'd proved yourselfa white man all the way through."

  "But he didn't know what I'd been through to bring me to that point."

  "That doesn't make any difference. Say, do you know the way the fellowsbehaved toward me made me mortally ashamed of myself? Charley, theyactually thought I did something commendable last night. They seem tohave the idea that just because I pulled Hooker out of the old quarryI'm a real hero. And you can't make them see it any other way, either.Jack Nelson nearly broke my paw shaking hands with me."

  "Nelson!" muttered Shultz. "If he only knew!"

  "He does. He knows the whole business. I told him while we were alone inthe woods last night."

  "And he shook hands with you to-day?"

  "That's what he did."

  "Well, he must be pretty white himself."

  "White? He's as fine a chap as one could find in a year's hunt. Now lookhere, old fellow, I'll tell you just what we're going to do, you and I.You're coming to school again as soon as you can get there. We're goingto stay right here in Oakdale and prove that we're somewhere near asdecent as the fellows we've met in this town. We're going to prove toProfessor Richardson that we're not a couple of cheap trouble-makers.We're going to try our level best to do just about what's right. Do youget me?"

  There was a gleam in Shultz's eyes; a smile broke over his face; hethrust out his hand for Osgood to take.

  "I get you, Ned," he returned, his voice vibrant with deep earnestness."You're right; that's just what we'll do, as long as we're to be giventhe chance. And say, I'm mighty glad to have the chance."

  * * * * *

  When Shultz returned to the academy on crutches several days later, hewas immediately surrounded by a crowd of boys who welcomed him back inno uncertain manner. First among those to hail him and shake his handwas Roy Hooker, and he was followed closely by Jack Nelson. Billy Piperwas not among the last to grip Charley's fingers, and there was nouncertain sincerity in his tone, as he said:

  "Shultzie, you're all right. You proved it. Say, it's just ripping tohave you back."

  "Old man," said Nelson, "you want to get that ankle cured as soon as youcan. The nine is crippling along without you, but I tell you we miss youout there in center field."

  "That's right," said Chub Tuttle, gulping down a mouthful of half-chewedpeanuts. "It's a rotten shame, the mess I make of it trying to coverthat patch. I lost the game last Saturday by muffing a ball you couldhave caught without half trying."

  Grant, Crane, Stone and others all had a cheerful word for Charley, andwhile they were expressing themselves, Professor Richardson came pushinggently through the throng and clapped both his hands on the abashedboy's shoulders.

  "Well, well," said the principal, beaming, "here you are again. That'sfine, I declare. You ought to be able to throw away those crutches in afew days. Do you know, I actually attended the last baseball game, and,on my word, I found it very interesting. I believe I've been missingsomething, and when it is possible I think I shall take the games inhereafter."

  Was this the "old fogy back number" Shultz had so often sneered aboutand derided? Why, instead of being sour and crabbed, this man was genialand gentle and sympathetic. Charley wondered how he had ever happened tomisjudge the professor so greatly. The boy felt his heart swelling withthe gladness and camaraderie of it all, and to keep the mist out of hiseyes, he laughed, a genuine, sincere, happy laugh, amazingly unlike hislaughter of former days. He was a lucky fellow; oh, yes, he knew it verywell. He was different; he knew that, too, and he would never again beas he had been once, thank goodness.

  When Osgood got a chance to speak to Shultz unheard by others, helaughingly said:

  "I told you how it would be. Now you've seen for yourself, and you oughtto be satisfied."

  "Satisfied?" said Charley. "That word doesn't express my feelings, Ned,and I don't believe there's a word in the language that can expressthem."

  Professor Richardson's troubles were indeed over; during the remainderof the term he was not disturbed by even the faintest show ofinsubordination or unruliness among his pupils, who seemed to vie withone another in their efforts to make the old principal's duties not
onlyeasy but pleasant.

  When Shultz next visited Osgood's rooms, he noticed, not withoutsurprise and wonderment, that all the old "family portraits" haddisappeared. Not only that: Ned was using plain and simple writingpaper, unadorned by a crest.

  These two boys both became genuinely popular in Oakdale, and theirsplendid playing upon the baseball field caused many members of opposingteams to express admiration and envy, and to assert that it was mainlythrough the fine work of Osgood and Shultz that Oakdale won thechampionship that season.

  THE END.