“Oh bosh! You’ve brains enough, Crawford, and after all it’s time you did brace up and work a little. It’s just laziness that has kept you so low in class, and if you half try, you can stand as high as Clark or Gordon. Only think how that would grind them.”
Crawford laughed. He was secretly pleased at the other’s estimate of his ability, and the idea of standing as high, or possibly higher than Clark and Gordon was an alluring one.
“I’ve half a mind to try it,” he said. “It would be something new under the sun for me to go digging, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes,” assented Henderson. “I fancy it would astonish some people; and see what an advantage it would give you, too. Bobby comes down on you twice as hard as he does on me, and it’s only because I stand high in class and you don’t. Now, you just go to work, and Bobby will soon be so proud of you, and so delighted at the change, that he will wink at lots of things that now he would not overlook; while Chase will be so pleased that everything will go smoothly in that quarter.”
“Oh, but, Hendy,” objected Crawford, “think how slow and stupid it will be—just deadly dull—all hard work and no fun.”
“No fun? Don’t you believe that. You and I will be models of good behavior in the school-room, but all the same if we don’t make life a burden to Bobby, then I miss my guess.”
“But how, how?” questioned Crawford eagerly.
“Why, this way. We’ll plan the mischief, and let the rest of the Antis execute it, and bear the blame. We’ll see all the fun, and go scot free.”
“They won’t agree to that,” said Crawford.
“You see if they don’t. It will cost something, but if I carry off the honors of the class, I’m sure my dad will be ready enough to increase my allowance, and Chase would do the same for you, wouldn’t he?”