Left Half Harmon

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER IV

  HARMON COMES TO TERMS

  The prisoner thrust his hands in his pockets and made a frowningsurvey of his cell. From the point of view of his captors it appearedan ideal apartment. There was but one door and that was firmly lockedand plainly invulnerable. The windows were beyond reach and, in anycase, too small to crawl through, and what had once been an openingadmitting to the belfry above had been long since boarded up. He kickedtentatively at the door and might just as well have kicked at any otherplace in the four surrounding walls so far as results were concerned.There was no furniture, not even a chair. Listening, he heard nothingsave, once, the distant shriek of a locomotive.

  After a few minutes of hopeless inspection of the place, Harmonshrugged his shoulders and seated himself on the floor with his back tothe wall and acted on Joe Myers' advice to think it over. But thinkingit over didn't enlighten him much. That his captors really meantbusiness was evident, but why they had gone to so much trouble was amystery. None of the reasons they had given seemed sufficient. Thatthey had proceeded to such lengths merely to save him from the direfulfate of becoming a Kenly fellow was too improbable. That they seriouslywanted his services on the football team was just as unlikely: or, atleast, it was unlikely that they would value those services highlyenough to indulge in kidnapping as a means of securing them! No, therewas something else, something that didn't appear. Perhaps Kenly hadonce enticed an Alton boy away and Alton was trying to get even. Orperhaps--

  There was a sound beyond the door and Harmon stopped conjecturing andlistened. A voice came to him that was not Joe Myers'.

  "I say, Harmon!"

  "Hello!" The prisoner tried to keep his tone hostile, but he wasn'taltogether successful, for he was becoming tired of isolation andsilence.

  "Joe sent me up to read something out of the school catalogue to you.Can you hear all right?"

  "Yes, go ahead and read," answered Harmon scornfully.

  And Martin Proctor, sitting on the top step outside, read. He read atsome length, too. He started in with a list of Alton Academy graduateswho had attained national prominence. The list included a Secretaryof State, two Chief Justices, three United States Senators, numerouscongressmen and a wealth of smaller fry. When he had finished Harmoninquired: "No Presidents or Vice-Presidents?"

  "I haven't graduated yet," replied Martin cheerfully. "Now I'll readyou something from the report of the Board of Overseers."

  "What for? What do I care about the Board of Overseers?"

  "Joe told me to."

  When that was done Martin paused for comment, got none and began aflattering description of the Carey Gymnasium. Inside, Harmon leanedagainst the wall and grinned. A brief summary of scholarships and astatement to the effect that the Academy roster of year before lastrepresented thirty-nine states of the Union, two territories and threeforeign countries completed the programme.

  "Joe said I was to ask you if you'd made up your mind," announcedMartin then.

  "You tell him to give you an evening paper to read the next time,"replied Harmon.

  "Say, why don't you?" asked Martin persuasively. "Honest, Harmon,you'll like Alton a heap better than Kenly."

  "You go back and ask Myers what he's going to say to the faculty when Iget out of here and tell my story!"

  "Oh, we've got that fixed all right," chuckled Martin. "Well, I've gotto be getting down to supper."

  "Hold on there! When do I eat?"

  "I don't know. You see, if we opened the door to give you anything youmight try to get out!"

  "You think so, do you?" asked Harmon grimly. "Well, you've got moresense than I thought you had! How long does supper run?"

  "Until seven. It's ten minutes past six now."

  "Listen, Porter--"

  "Proctor's my name, old chap."

  "Proctor, then. Look here, now. If you'll open that door and let me outI'll keep quiet about this. You can tell the others that--that I askedto see that catalogue and that you went to hand it in and I knocked youdown."

  "Yes, and they'd believe it, wouldn't they?" asked Martin scornfully."Think of something better, please! Besides, I'm just as muchinterested in saving you from your career of crime as they are, Harmon.Why, I'd never forgive myself if I left one turn unstoned! We'retrying to save you from yourself, old chap!"

  "You'd much better be thinking about saving yourselves," answeredHarmon, laughing.

  "Did you laugh then?" called Martin eagerly.

  "Sure. It struck me as funny. You'll see the joke later."

  "I'll send Joe up. He said if you sounded like you were in a goodtemper--"

  The lessening sounds of footsteps hurrying down the stairs finishedthe sentence and Harmon chuckled. After all, it _was_ funny, the wholething; and he might as well laugh as frown. When it came right downto brass tacks there was no very good reason why he shouldn't changehis allegiance to Alton Academy. At the present moment it meant justas much to him as Kenly did: more in fact, for he had seen Alton andhadn't seen Kenly. And he liked what he had seen. It might very wellbe that Kenly wasn't nearly so good a school, even discounting thebiased boastings of his captors. Of course his parents expected him togo to Kenly, and so did his brother, but the choice had been his andhe saw no reason why he hadn't a perfectly good right to choose over.It wasn't too late, for he had not registered at Kenly and the firstquarter's tuition was still in his pocket. Possibly his brother wouldbe slightly peeved--

  He paused just there in his cogitating and comprehension slowlyillumined his face. He jumped to his feet, thrust his hands intohis pockets and grinned broadly at space. "That's it!" he murmuredblissfully. "I'll bet that's it!" He withdrew his hands, snapped hisfingers and turned on a heel. After that he gave way to a spasm oflaughter that left him, with streaming eyes, clinging weakly to thedoor frame. "Oh, gosh!" he gurgled. "It's too good! Wait--wait tillthey find out--about it!" That thought sent him off again and hefinally subsided on the floor, his laughter dying away in chuckles andhis eyes fairly streaming.

  Recovering from his levity, he reviewed the events of the afternoonfrom the time of his first meeting with the "Three Guardsmen." Herecalled Joe Myers' surprising interest in his name and the fact thathe had attended Schuyler High School, and how insistently the subjectof football had held the conversation. Everything coincided with histheory. He understood now why the three boys had connived at gettingoff the train and keeping him off, why they had gone to so much troubleto show him about the school and, finally, why they had made him aprisoner. And he understood why he had been offered a quarter's tuitionand a place on the team! It was all very simple--and excruciatinglyfunny! And he was about to give way to laughter again when footstepsonce more broke the silence. He pulled his face straight and waited. Itwas Joe this time.

  "Hello, in there! Harmon!"

  "Yes?"

  "I've talked to four or five of the fellows and I guess it's all right.We'll manage to dig up enough so it won't cost you anything for tuitionthe first half of the year. How does that sound?"

  "Rotten, Myers. I don't think I'd care to go to a school where they dothat sort of thing."

  "_What?_ But you were going to Kenly!" sputtered Joe.

  "I told you Kenly hadn't offered me money."

  "Yes, but-- Look here, Harmon, is that straight, man to man?"

  "Absolutely."

  "Gosh!" There was a long silence beyond the door. Then: "Well, I don'tunderstand," said Joe helplessly. "How did you happen to decide onKenly?"

  "I told you once."

  "Yes, that's so, but I thought you were just--just talking. Well, Idon't see why you shouldn't be willing to stay here then, Harmon. Ifyou aren't getting anything from them, what's the big idea? You're sureof a place on the team here and--and if you should change your mind youcould have a half-term free of cost. Mind, I'd a heap rather you didn'tchange it, because I don't like that sort of thing any better than yousay you do. We never have paid any fellow for playing on an Alton teamand I don't want to begin now.
Besides, if faculty ever found out aboutit--Zowie!"

  "Well, I don't want any favors, thanks. But suppose I did decide tostay here, Myers--"

  "Sure! That's the talk!"

  "Wait a minute! First thing of all, do I get any supper?"

  "You bet you do! Five minutes after you say the word I'll have youhitched up to a swell meal!"

  "Well, what about a room? I'd want to be decently fixed that way, youknow. Entering late like this I suppose I'd have to take the leavings,eh?"

  "Listen! We've got a swell room waiting for you. The fellow that wasgoing in with Mart isn't coming at all and I've asked the secretaryto hold it open until tomorrow morning. It's a corking room; nice bigstudy with three windows and a fine view; on the front of Haylow; bigalcove; furniture nearly new and everything!"

  "Sounds pretty fair," commented Harmon. "Maybe I wouldn't like thisfellow Proctor, though: or maybe he wouldn't like me."

  "Rot! Everyone likes Mart, and he's bound to like you. If he doesn'tI'll knock him into the middle of next Sunday! You'll get on togethergreat!"

  "We-ell," said Harmon unenthusiastically, "maybe. And it's certain thatI'm to make the team?"

  "You bet it is!" laughed Joe. "Just as long as you can stand on yourfeet and play football you're sure of a job!"

  "Suppose I'm not as good as you seem to think I am?"

  "I'll risk that," chuckled Joe.

  "How about the coach, though?"

  "Johnny? Don't worry about him. He will be just as tickled as I am toget you! What do you say, old man? It's getting pretty close to seveno'clock."

  "All right, I'll agree! Open the door!"

  "No tricks? You're not meaning to get out and then say I misunderstoodyou or something?"

  "No tricks, Myers, I give you my word!"

  The bolt shot back protestingly, the door swung open and Joe'sdelighted countenance was revealed. "Gee, I'm glad, Harmon!" heexclaimed. "Shake!" Harmon shook. He, too, was smiling, but his smilewas not so guileless.

  "You win, Myers," he said. "Now lead me to that supper!"

  "Come on! We'll feed first and then you can register. I haven't hadanything myself yet." They sped down the stairs and across empty,twilighted corridors and finally to the cool outdoors. "I didn't tellany of the fellows where you were," Joe explained as he guided Harmonaround the building toward Lawrence Hall. "I just said that I was intouch with you. Here we are. It's sort of late, but I guess there'splenty left. I'll take you to my table tonight and tomorrow we'll seeif there's a place there you can have regularly."

  Both boys were much too hungry to waste breath on conversation, and themeal proceeded almost in silence. There was plenty to eat and Harmondid full justice to it. When they had finished Joe took him in towagain and they went back to Academy Hall and turned to the left onthe first floor and passed through a door whose ground-glass pane borethe inscription: "Office--Walk In." What happened was very simple. Ata desk Harmon was introduced to a tall, lean gentleman whose name wasMr. Wharton. The secretary shook hands politely and scrutinized theapplicant through a pair of strong glasses. Then he gave him a cardand a pen and Harmon wrote on the dotted lines, going to some pains toconceal the writing from Joe. The latter, however, had no thought oflooking. Then a sum of money changed hands, the secretary filled out areceipt for it, Harmon produced a certificate from the principal of theSchuyler High School and the interview ended with a long sigh of relieffrom Joe.

  "That's done," he said as they reached the corridor again. "Now I'lltake you up to your room."

  Haylow Hall was the last building at the left of the Green. Joe pushedhis way through a group of boys on the stone steps and Harmon followed,conscious that he was being viewed with a good deal of interest by theloungers. Joe, too, noticed the fact, for he chuckled, as they startedup the stairs: "Guess some of those fellows recognized you, from theway they stared!" There, however, Joe was wrong. The interest hadbeen only such as would have been accorded to any fellow under suchcircumstances. For Joe was unaware of the glow of triumph that shonefrom his countenance as he guided his companion into the dormitory!

  In Number 16 Martin Proctor was unpacking a trunk when Joe and Harmonentered. Martin looked questioningly from the latter to Joe, a doubtfulgrin on his face.

  "It's all right," announced Joe gayly. "He's registered, Mart! Where'sBob?"

  "Over at the room, I guess. He brought the bag and lit out. Say,Harmon, I'm mighty glad about this. And--and I hope you don't hold itagainst us for what we did. It was sort of rough stuff, but--"

  "Not at all," answered Harmon calmly. "It's quite all right. Guess Iought to feel flattered instead of sore, anyway. Myers says I'm to roomhere with you."

  "That's right. It's a pretty fair room, Harmon. Better than lots of'em, anyway. You might take your pick of the beds in there. It doesn'tmatter to me which I have."

  "Thanks." Harmon gravely inspected the curtained alcove and decided onthe left-hand bed. Perhaps the fact that Martin's pajamas lay therehad something to do with the decision. Martin blinked but stood theblow heroically and tried to forget that the right-hand bed had a weakspring. At that moment Harmon caught sight of his kit-bag on the floorand pointed at it in surprise.

  "Isn't that mine?" he asked. "How did get here?"

  "Bob brought it up from the station a few minutes ago," explainedMartin.

  "You fellows must have been pretty certain of having your way!"marveled the owner of the bag.

  Joe nodded soberly. "We had to be," he said grimly. "Once we hadstarted, we had to go through with it, Harmon."

  "But suppose I hadn't given in! Suppose I'd gone to the principal hereand told him that you fellows had kidnapped me and locked me up in aroom?"

  Joe smiled gently. "No chance of that, old man. If you hadn't decidedto stay with us by midnight we'd have taken you back to the station andput you on the twelve-twenty train."

  "Hm! And I--er--I wouldn't have had anything to say?"

  "No." Joe shook his head. "There'd have been three of us anyway; maybefour; and we'd have fixed you so you couldn't talk much."

  Harmon smiled. "Still, afterwards I could have talked. I could havecome back, or written a letter and spilled the beans."

  "Yes, you could have done that, but we argued that once away from hereyou'd get over your grouch and forget it. Besides, a chap doesn't wantto look foolish."

  "That's so," agreed Harmon, and he repeated it more emphatically inthe next breath. "It is uncomfortable, isn't it?" The arrival ofBob Newhall made a response by Joe unnecessary, although the latterwondered just a little over Harmon's expression and the inflection ofhis voice. Bob gave a shout of triumph and joy when he saw Harmon.

  "A brand from the burning!" he exclaimed. "This is great! I just knewyou'd see reason, Harmon! Say, I'm tickled to death!"

  "Well, don't upset the table," warned Martin. "Let's sit down, fellows.This has been sort of a strenuous day. Try the big chair, Harmon. Bythe way, as we're going to see a good deal of each other we might aswell get used to real names. Mine's Martin, but I'm generally calledMart."

  "But never Smart," interpolated Bob.

  Harmon smiled at the pleasantry. "And I'm usually called Will and neverWay," he said.

  Martin looked puzzled. For that matter, so did the others.

  "You mean folks call you Will?" asked Martin, doubtfully.

  "Yes. Short for Willard."

  "Oh! Willard's your middle name. I see. Well--"

  "Hold on!" exclaimed Bob. "I thought your middle name was Edward!"

  "No, my middle name is Kane. Willard is my first name." Harmonexplained politely and smilingly. Joe's jaw began to drop slowly.

  "_What!_" cried Bob. "Aren't you Gordon Harmon, the fellow who playedfull-back last year for Schuyler High?"

  Harmon shook his head gently. "Oh, no, that's my brother," he said.

  A deep silence fell. Bob stared at Joe and Joe stared at Martin and allthree stared at Harmon. And the latter met their looks with an amusedsmile. When the silen
ce threatened to continue forever Bob gave anaudible gulp and blurted wildly:

  "But I saw the name on your bag! It's there now! 'Gordon EdwardHarmon!'"

  "Oh," replied Harmon gently, "that isn't my bag. I borrowed it from mybrother."