“Sure he’s got to give me the money back,” cried the shipowner’s son.
“See here, you can’t bulldoze me!” cried the hotel proprietor. “I’ve had trouble enough as it is. I got ready for this spread and then you called it off, and you were mighty sassy about it, too. I’ve lost a lot of money.”
A wordy war followed, lasting the best part of a half an hour. Through this it was learned that the hotel man had prepared for the spread, and so had the professor of music. Just after 144 noon telephone messages had come in, calling the whole affair off. Some hot words had passed over the wire, and the hotel man was considerably ruffled. The party talking to Jason Sparr had said that when the spread did come off it would be held elsewhere—intimating that a better place than his hotel could be found.
“It’s all some trick, to get my business away from me!” stormed the hotel man. “I won’t stand for it!”
“I didn’t send the messages, and I either want the spread or I want my money back,” declared Phil, stubbornly. And then more words followed, until it looked as if there might be a fight. Finally, in a rage, Jason Sparr ordered the students from his place.
“All right, we’ll go, but you haven’t heard the end of this!” cried Phil.
“You’ll catch it, for treating us so meanly,” added Ben.
“Don’t you threaten me, or I’ll have the law on you!” roared Jason Sparr.
“Perhaps I’ll call on the law myself,” answered Phil, and then, unable to control himself, he shook his fist at the hotel man. Then all the boys filed out of the place, some bystanders looking on in wonder.
“Well, what do you think of this!” cried Gus, when outside. 145