“But you asked me to join the canoe and yacht clubs.”
“I know it, and I had a right to. The three organizations are governed by entirely different rules. There’s the bugle,” said Arthur, catching up his bow which lay on the rustic bench on which he and Tom had been sitting during this conversation. “I must go and shoot as soon as I can find my girl. Come on, and see us punch the gold three times out of five.”
“I can’t,” replied Tom. “I must hunt up the hostess, tell her I have had a very pleasant time and all that, and bid her good-by. I have another engagement.”
This was not quite in accordance with the facts of the case. Tom had no other engagement, but he wanted to go off by himself, or in company with Loren and Ralph, and give full vent to his feelings of disappointment and rage. He shook his fist at Arthur when the latter turned his back and hurried away, and it would have afforded him infinite satisfaction if he could have followed him up and knocked him down. He found his cousins after a while, and although they stood in the midst of a jolly group and were laughing gaily, and appeared to be enjoying themselves, Tom was well enough acquainted with them to tell at a glance that they were as angry as he was.
“Sorry to break in upon so pleasant a gathering as this one seems to be,” said Tom, approaching the group, one of whom was the young lady in whose honor the party was given, “but our time is up.”
“Why, Mr. Bigden, you don’t mean to say that you are going away so soon, and before supper, too?” exclaimed the young lady, who looked so charming in her neat uniform that Tom had half a mind to go back and pound Arthur Hastings for telling him that he couldn’t become a Toxophilite at once.
“Must—can’t be helped,” answered Tom, giving his cousins a look which they understood. “We are indebted to you for a very pleasant afternoon, Miss Arden.”
“I don’t believe you have enjoyed yourselves one bit,” exclaimed the fair archer. “If you have, why do you go away so early? The next time you attend one of our lawn parties, be sure and arrange your business so that your other engagements can wait.”
After a little more badinage of this sort, Tom and his cousins lifted their hats and walked off. As soon as the front gate had closed behind them, the expression on their faces changed as if by magic, and the three boys turned toward one another with clenched fists and flashing eyes. After each one had glared savagely at his neighbor as if he were going to strike him, they all put their hands in their pockets and moved away. Tom was the first to speak.
“Now that I look back at it, I don’t see how I kept my hands off that Hastings boy while he was talking so insolently to me,” said Tom. “He told me that he didn’t care who or what my father was, but I couldn’t get into the archery club, and that was all there was about it. They must stick to their constitution, no matter if the world goes to pieces on account of their obstinacy. He asked me to join the canoe and yacht clubs, but said they never asked any body to apply for admission to the Toxophilites.”