“No, no, Hal!” she exclaimed. “You shall not fight with him!”
“There’s no way out of it!” declared Hal fiercely. “I’ve got to thrash him!”
“Not now! Not here, Hal! Please come with me! Please walk with me!”
She clung fast to his arm.
Arlington stood with his hands in his pockets, regarding Darrell with a sneering smile. He seemed cool and indifferent.
Doris continued to urge Hal to accompany her, and he finally consented.
“Why should you pay any attention to him?” she asked, as they walked down the street side by side. “No one will believe him.”
“It’s not that,” retorted Hal. “No fellow can stand for such talk about him. Of course, I couldn’t hit him then, with you three girls present, but I’ll get at him.”
“No one will believe it,” persisted Doris. “Let him go ahead and tell it as much as he likes. It can’t hurt you.”
“He told Merriwell something a short time ago. I heard him.”