Center Rush Rowland

"Say, where's this school located?"

The speaker removed a straw hat, rather the worse for wear, and mopped a damp forehead, while a youngster with a freckled face, who was engaged in lowering an awning in front of a grocery store, paused and viewed the inquirer with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Eventually he jerked a thumb northward. "Two blocks straight ahead," he answered.

"All right. Thanks." The other settled his hat on his head again and went on. He was a big, deep-chested, broad-shouldered youth, rugged-looking, bronzed of face and hands. He carried himself a trifle awkwardly, as though conscious of being a bit too large for his seventeen years. Under the straw hat the hair was warmly brown and a pair of calm dark-grey eyes looked out with level gaze. He was good-looking without being handsome, for, while his nose was exceptionally straight and well made, the mouth, turned up at the corners in a quiet smile, was too wide for beauty, just as the chin was too square.

The street hereabouts mingled houses and shops, but beyond the next intersecting thoroughfare, which a sign declared to be Main Street, the shops ceased. On the boy's left was an elm-shaded cemetery filled with slate headstones, mossy and ancient, and beyond it was a wooden church with a square, stunted steeple. Burying ground and churchyard continued for the next block, while across the tree-lined street, pretentious dwellings peered over white picket fences or rather straggly lilac hedges with an air of strict New England propriety.

The boy in the straw hat walked slowly, partly because the day was excessively warm for the last of September, and partly because he was curious to see this place that was to be his home for the next nine months. So far it was attractive enough and not greatly different from Cheney Falls, which was the little Maine town from which he had departed yesterday evening. Of course, one should scarcely expect to find much difference between towns barely four hundred miles apart, but he had never been so far away from home before and had looked on Massachusetts as a place quite foreign. He was, perhaps, a trifle disappointed to discover that Warne was only, after all, a bigger and more ancient appearing Cheney Falls.

At the next crossing he stopped in the shade of a maple tree and viewed with interest the scene before him. Across the street-the corner post declared it to be Washington Avenue-lay the school grounds. The campus, a level expanse of smooth turf intersected by neat gravel walks between rows of linden trees, stretched at his left for a distance of two blocks. Beyond the campus the school buildings were lined up as though on parade, with, to aid the simile, a building at either end set in advance of the line-like officers. There were five buildings in the row-no, six, for there was a smaller one peering around a corner like a "rookie" slightly out of position-and all were of red brick with grey slate roofs save the big and more pretentious one in the centre. This was, as the boy knew from familiarity with the school catalogue, the Recitation Building, Parkinson Hall. It was built of light-hued sandstone, in shape a rotunda flanked by wings. It was two stories in height, with an imposing dome in the centre. Two curving steps led to the big doors and the entrance was guarded by copper columns holding big ground-glass globes. There were, the observer decided, more windows than he had ever seen in one building. On the whole, Parkinson Hall was really beautiful, and one didn't have to be a student of architecture to realise it. The boy on the corner felt a thrill of pride as he looked, for this was to be his school after today. He guessed, too, as he fanned his flushed face with his hat, that he was going to like it. It was a heap more attractive than the pictures in the catalogue had shown it. But of course, he reflected, the pictures had just been black and white, while now the scene was full of colour: the blue of the sky above, the warm red of the bricks, the cooler cream-white of the sandstone, the many greens of grass and trees and shrubbery and ivy, the hot, golden-yellow splotches of sunlight and the purplish shadows.

Facing the campus, on the south side of Washington Street, were perhaps a dozen residences, beginning beyond the church property, each surrounded by lawns and beds of flowers and shaded by big elms or maples. Nearby a locust shrilled loudly, making the heat even more appreciable, and beyond the churchyard a gate opened and closed with a click and a man passed through and approached the corner. He was a tall, spare gentleman and wore, in spite of the weather, a long, black frock coat and a broad-brimmed, black felt hat. As he drew near the boy observed a lean, clean-shaven face, kindly, nearsighted eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses and a rather thin mouth set in a friendly smile. The gentleman appeared to be quite sixty years of age, but held himself very erect and walked with a firm energy that was a defiance to the heat. He bowed and smiled and would have passed around the corner had not the boy spoken.

"Excuse me, sir, but will you tell me where I should go to register?"

"Very gladly indeed," was the reply in a thin but pleasant voice. "The small building in the corner of the campus is your destination, young sir." The gentleman laid a friendly hand on the boy's arm and with gentle pressure turned him about. "That is the Administration Building and you will see the office of the secretary on your right as you enter. I am not certain, however, that you will find him in just now." The speaker drew a very large gold watch from his pocket and snapped open the case. "Hah! You will just get him, I think. It is not as late as I presumed it to be."

"Thank you, sir."

"You are entirely welcome. I should be very glad to accompany you and present you to Mr. Hoyt if it were not that I have an engagement in another part of the town. May I inquire your name?"

"Ira Rowland, sir."

"Rowland? A fine old English name. I am Professor Addicks, of the Greek and Latin Department. We shall doubtless meet again, and, I trust, to our mutual advantage."

"To mine, I'm sure, sir," replied the boy, with a smile, "but where your advantage will come in I'm afraid I don't see!"

"Why, as to that," responded the Professor, his grey eyes twinkling behind his glasses, "I shall have the pleasure of your society for several hours each week, and, from what I see of you, I judge that an advantage. Good morning, Mr. Rowland."

The old gentleman smiled sunnily, bowed again and went on along Maple Street, and as he proceeded his smile continued and seemed to hold a trace of not unkindly amusement.

Ira Rowland once more donned his hat and made his way toward the small, three-story brick building set close to the street. Over the door was a small sign which bore the words, "Parkinson School-Administration Building." Two worn granite steps led to the entrance and as Ira mounted them the screen door was thrust open and a rather smartly dressed youth collided with him.

"I beg your--"

"All right," said Ira, drawing aside to let the other boy pass on down the steps. But the other seemed to have got over his hurry and was observing Ira with an interest that held both surprise and amusement. However, he spoke before the silence became embarrassing.

"Are you-are you Parkinson?" he asked.

"No." Ira shook his head. "My name's Rowland."

"Oh, I see. But I meant were you a student here."

"Going to be. I'm looking for the place to register."

"First door to your right." The other stepped aside and held the door open. "You've got a good day for it," he added pleasantly.

Ira nodded once more, not thinking of any suitable rejoinder to this somewhat puzzling remark, and went on. The boy at the door looked after him until he had passed into the secretary's office, still holding the screen open. Then he let it shut, whistled softly and expressively and hurried off, a broad smile wreathing his good-looking face.

The office of the secretary was a square, well-lighted and business-like apartment holding, beside the necessary desks, chairs and filing cabinets, only one settee. A railing divided the room approximately in half, and the secretary's desk was set close to it. Two boys finished their business as Ira entered and turned to go out. But at the doorway they turned with one accord and looked back at the newcomer, and as they disappeared their mouths began to curve upwards at the corners.

Mr. Hoyt, the secretary, was a small, light-complexioned man with a near-sighted scowl and a nervous manner. But experience had taught him expedition, and before the second hand on the face of the big clock between the windows had moved sixty times Ira had answered all questions and was moving away in possession of a copy of the school catalogue and a slip of paper on which was printed a list of private houses, approved by the school, offering accommodations.

Parkinson School had a roster of four hundred and eighty-odd that year and the four dormitories housed but three hundred and ninety. Since Ira had applied for admittance as late as the preceding June he had not drawn a room on the campus, and now, leaving the little brick building, he drew the list from between the pages of the catalogue and consulted it. More than two dozen addresses were given, each followed by the mystifying letters "R" or "R & B." Fortunately the catalogue contained a map of the town in the vicinity of the school, and by referring to that he found that most if not all of the addresses were within a few blocks of the campus. Instead of returning by Maple Street, he entered a gate and went along the gravel walk leading in front of the row of school buildings. Being very intent on the matter of locating the first entry on the list: "J. D. Anstruther, 29 Linden Street, R & B," he failed to notice that the steps of the Gymnasium Building toward which he was proceeding held a half-dozen youths who were watching his approach with poorly concealed amusement. In fact, he would have turned off on the path leading across the campus to the middle gate on Washington Avenue had not one of the group hailed him.

"Good morning, stranger! Are you looking for something?"

Ira stopped and removed his puzzled gaze from the map. After a moment of hesitation he crossed the few yards to the gymnasium steps. "Yes," he replied, addressing the group in general, "I'm looking for a room. Where's Linden Street, please?"

"Linden Street? Straight ahead. Follow this path until you come to a gate. Open the gate-it isn't necessary to climb over it-and there you are."

"Thanks." Ira viewed the speaker a trifle doubtfully, however. In spite of the serious countenance, the reference to the gate had sounded suspicious. "And will you tell me what 'R' means here; and 'R & B'?"

"'R'? Oh, that means-er--"

"'R,'" interrupted a tall, dark-haired chap, stepping forward and taking the list from Ira's hands, "means 'Rats,' and 'R & B' means 'Rats and Bugs.' You see, the faculty is very careful about our comfort. Some fellows object to rats and some object to bugs. So they state here what you're to expect."

"Rats and bugs!" exclaimed Ira. "You're fooling, aren't you?"

"Certainly not," replied the other almost indignantly. "Do you mind rats? Or bugs?"

"Why-" Ira's gaze swept over the group in puzzlement-"I'm not particularly stuck on either of 'em. Aren't there any places where they don't have 'em?"

"No, not in Warne. Warne is noted for its rats. Bugs are scarcer, though. You'll notice that only about half the houses offer bugs with their rats."

"'Offer' 'em," muttered Ira dazedly. Surely these fellows were poking fun at him. And yet they all looked so serious, so kind and eager to help him. He shook his head as he reached for his list. "Do you know anything about that first place, J. D. Anstruther's?"

"Not bad," was the answer, "but I've never lived there myself. I've heard, though, that the rats at Baker's are bigger. Billy, you roomed at Anstruther's, didn't you? How about it?"

"Good rooms, but rats very inferior," answered a chunky, broad-shouldered boy in tennis flannels. "And scarcely any bugs at all."

"There it is, you see," said the dark-haired youth sadly. "Now if you want some corking big rats you'd better try Baker's. That's on Apple Street. Or, if you prefer bugs, too, you might go to Smith's. I've heard Smith's spoken of very highly."

Ira received this advice in silence. He was thinking. At last: "Well, I'm much obliged to you," he said gratefully. "But I guess I'd rather go where the rats aren't so big. Of course you fellows are used to rats, being together so much, but I've never had much use for them."

"Just a minute," exclaimed a well-built boy of medium height who held a pair of running shoes on his knees. "I didn't quite get that. About our being used to rats, Freckles. Come again, please."

"I beg your pardon?" said Ira innocently.

"The gentleman wishes to know," explained the dark-haired boy sweetly, "the meaning of your cryptic utterance. Why, Mr. Johnson, should our being together make us used to rats?"

"My name is Rowland."

"Really? Well, then, Mr. Rowland, kindly elucidate."

"I guess I don't know what you want," said Ira, viewing them blankly.

"Of course he doesn't," said another member of the group. "He didn't mean anything. What class are you in, Hayseed?"

"Who, me? I'm going into the third, I guess."

"Then you've got another guess," jeered the boy with the running shoes. "How were the crops when you left home, Freckles?"

"Speaking to me? My name's Rowland. First name's Ira."

"Well, don't take on about it. You can't help it. How's crops?"

"It's mostly lumbering where I come from. Cheney Falls, Maine, is my home."

"Dew tell!" drawled the dark-haired youth. "What were you, a bump?"

"A bump?" asked Ira.

"Yes, don't the logs up your way have bumps on them?"

"Oh, yes!" Ira smiled faintly. "The bumps grow on 'em, though. You-you don't put 'em on."

"Oh, you don't? Thought you did. Well, what did you do in the lumbering line, then?"

"Well, last Winter I worked on the knots. It's hard on your fingers, though." He observed a hand reflectively. "I'm not going to do that again," he added.

"Worked on the knots," repeated the boy with the running shoes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Why, you see," explained Ira patiently, "you take a pine or a spruce log and it's got knots in it and it isn't so good for sawing."

"Well, what was your stunt?"

"Me? Oh, I untied the knots," replied Ira gravely.

There was a moment of silence. Then most of the audience chuckled. But the boy with the running shoes flushed.

"You think you're pretty smart, don't you?" he asked irritably. "You're one of those 'country wits' we read about, eh? Dressed for the part, too! For the love of mud, where'd you get the costume?"

"Oh, cut it out, Gene," said the dark-haired fellow. "Run along, Rowland, and find your room."

"Better get a job as a scarecrow," sneered the boy addressed as Gene. "Say, those clothes must have cost you as much as six dollars, eh? If you'd had another dollar you might have got them big enough."

"They're all right for me," responded Ira calmly. "And the coat slips off right easy."

"The coat slips off right easy"

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Gene, jumping to his feet.

"Oh, forget it, Gene!" begged one of the fellows. "Let him alone."

But Gene pushed his way past the boy's detaining arm and thrust an angry countenance in front of Ira. "What do you mean, eh?" he repeated.

"What do you take it that I mean?" asked Ira, viewing the other undismayedly with half-closed grey eyes.

For answer, Gene Goodloe brought his right hand up quickly from his side. The boy with dark hair stepped forward to interfere, but he was too late. Ira sprang nimbly to the right and ducked, avoiding Gene's blow, and at the same time shot his own right fist around. It was only a half-arm jab, but there was enough behind it when it landed on Gene's chin to send him staggering back into the arms of one of the others and to temporarily deprive him of all desire for battle. He stared at his assailant in a dazed and almost reproachful way as they lowered him to the turf, and then he closed his eyes wearily.

"That's a bad place to hit a fellow!" grumbled the dark-haired fellow, regarding Ira uncertainly. "You'd better get out of here before someone comes."

"Maybe he will want to go on," suggested Ira mildly.

"Huh! Maybe he will, but not for awhile! Billy Wells, duck inside and get some water, will you? You, Rowland, or whatever your name is, you get along. If the faculty sees this they'll make trouble for you. I know he made the first swipe, but that wouldn't help you much."

"All right," said Ira. "What's his name?"

"Goodloe. Why?"

"I'll let him know where he can find me. Just tell him, will you?"

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