With Mask and Mitt

picions had revived over night. Later in the day Duncan got hold of Reggie, and succeeded in extracting from him t

uldn't do a thing like that, and so does he, but he's so wild about it he can't think straight. I

away and felt

so much worse since you were so good[Pg 44] about it. He

cheme without raising objections, and then crawling. Duncan flung back this charge with indignation, and a high-pitched, virulent, and illogical argument followed, wherein all the disastrous enterprises in which the pair had ever engaged were reconsidered and the blame properly ap

r. He was the cause of all the trouble;[Pg 45] without him and his outrageous interference, the Moons would never have had a suspicion. He should be

ons and laboratory hours, which they agreed afforded the only safe occasions to work. At some of these h

in search of material suited to his purpose. Duncan, close behind him, glanced over the table, and perceived a bristly head of hair just appearing above the table edge. Before they could draw back, the bristling s

hless. Duncan came forwa

iven to long speeches, but he cou

sked with a certain degree of composure. "We

erking his head toward Donald—"seem

to have a fellow pop up like a ja

ox!" repeated

aid Duncan, smiling. "Did yo

t; my time is

we won't trouble you any longer

g

me you come you'd better knock first,"

, who had regained his composure. It

did visit Owen, and then locking his door carefully, walked over to the laboratory, far more disturbed by the problem of the Pec

s the seductive influence of popularity made itself felt, but his honest efforts in the first two months[Pg 48] had given him a good margin, as well as impressed his teachers. He knew a lot of fellows, was already patronized by a certain conspicuous set, and enjoyed, as far as it was possible to anticipate the credit of great deeds as yet unperformed, the glory of being the

e nine, with the possibility of becoming substitute catcher if luck served, was not in itself and at this early day a sufficient ground for distinction. So Rob had few successes to report to his family on his return. Mr. Owen was satisfied that the boy had honestly endeavored to do his duty in school, and follow the principles laid down in the parental code. In the father's eyes the discouraging outlook for baseball was rather a cause for congratulation. Mrs. Owen was wholly pleased to have her son at home again, and to find him a little bigger and a little stronger an

isn't it! Are yo

d yet," replied C

l who were reputed to be members. He had picked up a good deal of information

but they don't insist tha

there'll be a lot of things these fellows do that you can't afford. You won't want to refus

ey like to get in fellows that are well known, specially the athletic men. It'

g

rle speak so confidently of his assured athletic position. "It'll be harder for you to study and keep your place in the cl

ty mean to be always kept tied down to figuring on pennies, and have to slave to get a scholarship, when other fellows wh

; he hasn't a cent that he doesn't earn, and fellows like Poole and Lindsay and Cutting don't

's different, but there aren't many like him. All I say is that it's mighty tough to

se to be content with what they could afford to give him, and rely upon himself for all other needs. Why should he speak as if he had been sent to school against his will and there neglected, when he had beso

ceeded as well, and why he wasn't "good enough to catch Carle," he laughingly declared his inferiority. When he was safe from observation, however, and the questions returned to him, he had no heart to laugh. The fact that he was "outclassed," as Ned calmly explained it, or better that he had been quietly put aside on the assumption that he wasn't the equal of Borland, while Carle was taken at his own highest valuation and given in advance the honors of achievement—this was indeed an unpleasant subject for reflection. But Rob, though lacking t

a

the Yard.