“I’ll do it!” he finally exclaimed, rising to his feet. “For father’s sake, I’ll go to Sterndale and say I’m sorry. I’ll even ask Renwood’s pardon, if I must; but that will be worse than swallowing red-hot iron!”
Darkness had fallen, but from the light-house on the point a light shone forth to guide the belated vessel lost to view on the bosom of the night-encompassed sea.
In the heart of the boy another light glimmered weakly, seeking to burst into a bright flame that should guide in the right course his passion-shrouded soul.
CHAPTER VIII.
IN THE CLUB-ROOM.
Nearly all the members of the newly-formed Rockspur Athletic Club, of which Dick Sterndale was the president and ruling spirit, had gathered in their recently-rented rooms in the loft of a two-story-and-a-half wooden building next to the post-office.
The upper floor of the building had been partitioned off into two rooms for some purpose, one being a small and the other a large room. The walls were ceiled up with plain boards, and the rafters of the sloping roof remained unhidden from view; but to the village boys it seemed an admirable place to meet their requirements for a gymnasium and club-room, having been obtained for them through the energies of Sterndale, who had organized the club and raised the needed funds.
It had long been Sterndale’s ambition to form in Rockspur an amateur athletic club and build a club-house that should be appointed to meet the requirements of such an organization. It had seemed like a wild and foolish dream, but still he clung to it; and now, for the first time, he was revealing his desire in this line to his companions, who listened attentively and with growing enthusiasm.
“By jingoes! that’s great!” cried Jotham Sprout, when Dick had finished. “I’d never thought of that myself. Fellers, let’s go ahead and build that club-house.”
“Yes, let’s!” grunted Thad Boland, who was lolling in a lazy position on a wooden bench against the partition. “It won’t cost more than two or three thousand dollars, and we’re all millionaires, so that’ll be a mere nothing to us.”
“I didn’t think about what it would cost,” admitted Bubble, with a crestfallen air. “But of course it wouldn’t be as much as that.”