Quarter-Back Bates

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER II

  "WASHINGTON P. QUIGGLE"

  Stuart had instructed him so thoroughly that Dick knew just which wayto turn in order to find a conveyance to carry him to the school, butStuart had spoken of carriages and Dick found nothing but chugging"flivvers" manned by eager and noisy youths to whom he hesitated toentrust his life. Automobiles, he presumed, had arrived since Stuart'stime. Dick remained so long in doubt that, almost before he knewit, all but one of the throbbing taxies had found their loads andgone rattling off over the cobbles. He made his way to the remainingconveyance quickly then, but not so quickly as to reach it first. A boya year or so older already had a hand on the door when Dick arrived.

  "Goss, Eddie," Dick heard the boy say. "And don't spare the horses!"

  But Eddie, who Dick had earlier decided was the least attractive of thehalf-dozen drivers, was not losing any chances.

  "Yes, sir! Parkinson School? Step right in. The gentleman inside won'tmind. What building, sir?"

  "Sohmer," answered Dick. And then, to the occupant: "Mind if I goalong?" he asked. "This seems to be the only taxi left."

  "Not a bit. The more the merrier! Besides," he continued as the carshot away from the platform with a jerk, wheeled suddenly to the leftand dashed headlong over the cobbles, "it makes for economy. They putthe fare up last spring. It would have cost me a half if I'd gonealone. By the way, are you in a great hurry?"

  "Why, no," answered Dick.

  "Well, I am." He leaned toward the open window in front. "Take me toGoss first, Eddie," he directed.

  He was a tall, rather thin and very long-legged youth with a nose thatmatched the other specifications, and a pair of blue-grey eyes that,in spite of their owner's grave and serious expression, seemed to holda twinkle of amusement or perhaps of mischief. He had placed a verybattered suit-case before him on the floor of the car and now put hisfeet on it, settled to the small of his back and turned a look ofpolite inquiry on Dick.

  "My name's Quiggle," he said, "Washington P. Quiggle." He made a feeblemotion toward a pocket. "I haven't a card with me, I fear. I have,believe me, no desire to thrust my acquaintance on you, but since Fatehas thrown us together like this----" He paused apologetically.

  "That's all right," said Dick. "Very glad to meet you. My name isBates." He smiled. Rather to his surprise Washington Quiggle didn'tsmile back. Instead, he put his head a bit on one side and seemed toregard Dick speculatingly.

  "Showing the teeth slightly," he murmured. At least, that's what Dickthought he said, but as there was no sense in the remark, perhaps hewas mistaken.

  "I beg pardon?"

  "Oh, did I speak?" asked Quiggle. "A lamentable habit of mine, Mr.Bates, unconsciously giving utterance to my thoughts. A habit inheritedfrom my grandfather on my mother's side. Most annoying at times andlikely to lead to an erroneous impression of my mentality. And speakingof my grandfather, a most worthy and respected citizen in spite of themisfortune that overtook him in his later years: I refer, of course,to the loss of his mind, accompanied, or should I say superseded, byhomicidal mania; speaking of him, then, suppose I relieve myself of myportion of the expenses of this placid journey, thus." He dug a handinto a trousers pocket and produced a twenty-five cent piece which hehanded to Dick. "It will save time and--I was about to say money--andtrouble if you will settle with Edward for us both. I thank you."

  "Of course," murmured Dick. By now he was rather hoping that Goss Hallwould be reached before his companion's perfectly evident insanity tooka violent turn! For there was no doubt in Dick's mind but that Mr.Washington P. Quiggle was what in the everyday language of Leonardvillewas known as a "nut." Quiggle had closed his eyes and appeared to be onthe verge of slumber, and after a moment's concerned observation of himDick turned his gaze to the town through which the car was speeding.The cobbles had given place to asphalt and while Quiggle's choice ofthe word "placid" was not entirely justified, at least the car wasrunning much more quietly and far more smoothly. There were some decentlooking shops on each side of the street and a fairly imposing officebuilding occupied one corner of the street into which the taxi suddenlyand disconcertingly turned. The lurch may have brought momentaryconsciousness back to Quiggle, for his eyes opened and closed and heremarked quite distinctly:

  "Hard a lee! Man the water-butt! Aye, aye, sir!"

  A pleasant wide thoroughfare opened to view right and left at the endof a block, and Dick caught sight of attractive houses set back fromthe street and lawns and gardens between. Then, without diminishingit's twenty-five-miles-an-hour speed, the taxi dashed between twostone gate posts and scurried up a gravelled road bisecting a wideexpanse of level turf. Trees grew on each side, but between them Dickhad occasional glimpses of the school buildings which, for the mostpart, were spaced along the further side of the campus. ParkinsonHall he recognised readily from the picture in the school catalogue,a white marble edifice surmounted by a glassed dome, but which wasSohmer he wasn't certain. Having crossed the width of the campus, thetaxi swerved perilously to the right in front of Parkinson and dashedon until, with a sudden and unexpected application of the brakes, thedriver brought it to a tottering stand-still before the entrance of abrick building. The jar aroused Quiggle and he sat up.

  "Ah! Home again as we perceive! Back to the classic shades of our dearold Alma Mater!" he exclaimed as he opened the door on his side by thepressure of one bony knee against the handle and seized his bag. "Mr.Bates, I sincerely trust that we shall meet again. Should you care topursue the acquaintance so--so--dare I say--fortunately brought about,you have but to inquire of any resident of this palatial dwelling inorder to learn of my place of abode. I'd tell you the number of my roomwere it not that, owing to an inherited weakness of memory, I cannotat the moment recall it. Eddie, the gentleman within will pay youroutrageous charge."

  "Yeah, I know, but----"

  "Edward," interrupted Quiggle sternly, "the gentleman has my fare andwill deliver it to you with his own. Drive on!"

  After a moment of indecision and muttering, Edward drove on. Lookingback through the rear window of the car, Dick saw Quiggle wave grandly,beneficently ere, bag in hand, he disappeared into Goss.

  There was another turn, again to the right, and once more the carstopped. "Here you are, sir," announced the driver. "Sohmer Hall.You'll excuse me if I don't take your bag in for you, but we ain'tallowed to leave the car."

  "That's all right," said Dick, emerging. "Here you are." He held fortha half-dollar. The driver observed it coldly and made no effort totake it. "Quit your kiddin'," he said.

  "Well, that's all you'll get," replied Dick warmly. "That's the legalfare."

  "It is, eh? Say, where do you get that stuff? Listen, kid. The fare'sfifty cents a person, seventy-five for two. Get me?"

  "What! Why, that other fellow said it was--Anyway, he gave me a quarterfor his share of it!"

  The driver nodded wearily. "Sure he would! That's him all over. You'relucky he didn't stick you for the whole racket. Come across withanother quarter, young feller!"

  Grudgingly, Dick did so. "If you knew Quiggle was that sort----" hebegan aggrievedly.

  "Who?" asked the driver, a grin growing about his mouth.

  "Quiggle. The fellow you left at Goss Hall. I say, if you knew----"

  "His name ain't Quiggle," jeered the driver. "Gee, that's a peach!Quiggle! What do you know about that?"

  "What is his name then?" demanded Dick haughtily.

  "His name's--Well, it ought to be Slippery Simpson, but it ain't!"

  Whereupon there was a deafening grinding of gears, a snort, and the"flivver" swung about on two wheels and went charging off.

  Dick looked after it disgustedly and then, taking up his suit-case,mounted the steps of Sohmer.

  "I'll Quiggle him when I catch him!" he muttered. "Fresh chump!"

  In consequence of the episode, Dick reached his room on the secondfloor decidedly out of sorts. He didn't mind being cheated out oftwelve or thirteen cents, but it disgruntled him
to be made a fool of.He wasn't used to it. At home no one would have though of attemptingsuch a silly trick on him. He experienced, for the first time sinceleaving Leonardville, a qualm of apprehension. If Quiggle, or whateverhis silly name really was, was a fair sample of the fellows he was tomeet at Parkinson, the outlook for being treated with the respect thathe was accustomed to was not at all satisfactory. Unconsciously he hadjourneyed to Warne under the impression that his appearance at schoolwould be hailed with, if not excited acclaim, at least with measurablesatisfaction. And here the first fellow he had run across had played aperfectly rotten joke on him! Dick's dignity was considerably ruffled.

  Number 14 proved to be a corner study, but not on the front. It wasn'ta bad room, Dick decided a bit patronisingly, and the view from thewindows was satisfactory. On one side he looked across a bit of thecampus and over to the wide street that was lined with gardens andlawns: Faculty Row it was called, although Dick didn't know it then.From the other window he saw a tree-shaded, asphalt-paved road and oneor two old-fashioned white dwellings beyond, and a corner of a squarebrick building set at a little distance just inside the grounds. That,unless he was mistaken, was the Administration Building, and he must gothere shortly and register.

  Dick turned to the alcove bedroom divided from the study by curtains.There were two single beds there, two dressers and two chairs, anda single window gave light. Also, on one of the beds was an opensuit-case, its contents tumbling over onto the white counterpane.One battered end showed the initials "S. G." Dick wondered if theS stood for Sam. Approaching footsteps in the corridor turned hiseyes toward the door, but the steps stopped at a room across theway. There followed the sound of a bag dropped to the floor and thenthe opposite door banged shut. Dick, back in the study, viewed itwithout enthusiasm. It was smaller than he liked and the furniture,while there was plenty of it--two small study tables, each underits own side-light, what he mentally dubbed a "near-leather" couch,two easy-chairs and two straight-backed chairs--was very evidentlyfar from new. There was a faded blue carpet-rug on the floor and ashort window-seat occupied the embrasure that held the end window.The original colour-scheme had been brown and blue, but the deep tancartridge paper had faded, as had the alcove curtains and the rug. Hereand there, on the walls, a square or oblong of a deeper shade showedwhere a picture had hung.

  Dick had left the hall door ajar and now he was aware of much noise andbustle throughout the building. Doors in the various corridors openedand shut, voices called, someone further along the hall was singing,while, outside, a taxi chugged before the entrance. Dick put his hat onand went out, passing several new arrivals on the way and exchangingwith them swiftly appraising glances. The Administration Buildingstood only a few rods away and Dick's business was soon attended to,for only a half-dozen or so were before him. Having paid his term billand inscribed his name on a card that was handed him, he was given abooklet containing the school regulations and general information,a receipt for his money and a ruled card on which to schedule hisrecitations. Beside the door was a bulletin board and he paused toread some of the notices posted there. There was a reception to newstudents that evening at the Principal's residence, a half-year coursein geometrical drawing would be conducted by Mr. McCreedy for First andSecond Class students and those wishing to sign on should notify him bySaturday, Mr. Nolan would not be able to see students in his advisorycapacity until Thursday, subscriptions to _The Leader_ could be left atthe office here or at the room of the publication, and so on. But thenotice that interested Dick most ran as follows:

  "Candidates for the First Football Team should report on the field, dressed to play, not later than Wednesday. Attention is called to the school regulation requiring the candidate to pass a satisfactory physical examination before joining the squad.

  "Stearns Whipple, Mgr."

  Outside, Dick pulled the booklet from his pocket and sought informationregarding physical examinations. He found a whole page on the subject.It was necessary, it appeared, to go to the Physical Director's officein the gymnasium and make application for an appointment. Studentsfailing to keep appointments promptly were required to make new ones.There was much more, but that was sufficient for the present, and Dickmade his way back along the road to the gymnasium. Inside, he had totake his place in a line of nearly a dozen boys, and progress towardthe wicket, behind which a youth not much older than Dick suppliedinformation or made out appointment cards, was slow. Eventually,though, Dick reached the window, made known his wants and was given aslip of pasteboard which informed him that the Physical Director wouldsee him at five-fifteen on Wednesday. That was the day after tomorrow.It looked to Dick as if he could not report for football until hehad been passed by the Physical Director and could not be passed bythe director until it was too late to report for football! Perhaps,however, that notice in the Administration Building didn't mean quitewhat it said. He would ask someone when he found the chance.

  With an hour remaining before supper time and nothing better to do, hewandered across to where a score of fellows were trotting about thegridiron or kicking and catching at the further end of it. That firstuninterrupted sight of Parkinson Field greatly increased his respectfor the school, and he paused at a corner of the big grand stand andadmired. Nearly twelve acres of level turf stretched before him. Therewere three gridirons, that of the First Team enclosed by a quarter-miletrack, as well as several baseball diamonds and numerous tenniscourts, both dirt and grass. A handful of onlookers were scatteredover the stand and another handful stood along the side-line. A stout,round-faced man in an old sweater and a pair of frayed trousers had"Trainer" written all over him, and since at the moment he was occupiedonly in juggling a football from one hand to the other, Dick decided toseek information of him.

  "My name's Bates," announced Dick, "and I'm going to try for the team,but I understand that I've got to take my physical examination first.Is that correct?"

  Billy Goode viewed him critically before he answered. Rather to Dick'ssurprise the trainer seemed not at all impressed by what he saw. "Youcan report as soon as you like," he replied at last, "but you can'tplay until you've been o. k.'d, my friend. What's your name?"

  "Bates," answered Dick. He had already given it once, but perhaps theother hadn't caught it. "I'm from Leonardville High."

  "Uh-huh. Played, have you?"

  "Yes." It seemed to Dick that any live, wide-awake football trainershould have been aware of the fact. "Yes, I've played quite a little."

  "Uh-huh. Well, you see the manager; he's around here somewhere, orhe was; he'll look after you. Chandler! That'll do for today. Jogthe track once and go on in." Billy Goode turned away to meet theremonstrances of a big, heavily-built youth who had been catchingpunts and returning them a little further along the field, leavingDick a trifle ruffled. This was not just the sort of reception hehad expected. Of course, it was understandable that the Philadelphiapapers didn't penetrate to Warne, Massachusetts, in which case thetrainer wouldn't have read of him, but it did seem that a fellow whohad received offers from fourteen schools and colleges should have beenheard of even in this corner of the world! Dick put the trainer down asa person of a low order of mentality.

  He went into the stand and sat down there and watched the practice.Evidently most of the fellows at work were last year players, for theyhandled the ball in a knowing way that precluded their being beginners.No one who looked anything like a coach was on hand, but a dark-hairedfellow of eighteen, perhaps, who appeared in command, was probably thecaptain. And a short, stocky, important-looking youth who had discardedhis jacket and was wandering around in a very blue silk shirt was justas probably the manager. Dick didn't seek him, for there would beplenty of time to do that tomorrow. At intervals the trainer summonedone of the candidates and sent him off, usually prescribing a roundof the running track first. Dick was glad he did not have to swallowthat medicine today, for the weather was extremely warm and humid. Hethought that the c
andidates averaged both heavier and older than he hadexpected, and he wondered if by any chance his lack of weight wouldbe against him. One of the quarter-backs out there, chasing a squadabout in signal drill, was, however, no bigger than he, and possibly noolder. Dick guessed he needn't trouble about lack of weight. Quartersdidn't have to be big in order to make good. Presently the practiceended and he followed the squad toward the gymnasium and then went backto Sohmer and climbed the slate stairway to the second floor.

  He remembered having closed the door of Number 14 on going out, andsince it now stood wide open it was fair to assume that the unknown"S. G." had returned, and Dick entered the study eager, in spite of hisseeming indifference, to find out what Fate, in the shape of the schooloffice, had assigned to him as a room-mate.