“But unless you pay the money at once and to me, I shall withdraw my objections to the true state of affairs being told to Mr. Larmore—and you all know what the result of such action would be.”
The tones in which the senior spoke were bitter and, fully as much as the words, they made Craven understand that he could not count upon the sympathy or support of the other Greek letter men.
And even Snooks, who had never been able to gratify his dearest ambition of becoming a Pi Eta, felt their sting.
“I’ve got fifteen dollars,” the bully announced. “If you have the rest let’s pay it, Elmer.”
This statement that the butcher’s son had any money in his pocket was a distinct surprise not alone to Elmer but to the other boys, and deeming that it would make the burden upon him just so much the lighter, Craven put his hand in his pocket.
“Very well. I have fifty dollars. With Pud’s fifteen that will make sixty-five. If the rest of you will raise the remaining five dollars among yourselves, I will pay it in the morning.”
In his talk, Dawson had been more or less bluffing, for he had not thought that even as rich as Elmer’s father was, he allowed him any such amount of money; and when he had heard the boy announce that he had fifty dollars in his pocket, he could scarcely restrain the exclamation of surprise that rose to his lips. But he managed to dissemble his feelings.
“All right. You place your money on the showcase, Elmer, and you put yours down, Pud.”
Quickly, the two boys obeyed and, after verifying the count, Dawson turned to the others.
“It’s up to us to make up the other five dollars. Come on, shell out?” he exclaimed.