The rest of the day the boys speculated as to what “it” was. “That’s the worst of telegrams,” complained Willard. “They never tell you anything. They just get your curiosity up and stop short. Why the dickens didn’t he tell us something about it?”
“Well, he used up his ten words, I suppose,” said Tom.
“What’s that got to do with it? Couldn’t he have spent ten cents more and told us whether it was a new one or an old one and how much he paid for it?”
“No, not for ten cents, I guess,” laughed Tom. “Anyway, we’ll know all about it this evening.”
They went out to the field in The Ark in the afternoon, Tom, in a faded and worn suit of football togs, to join practice, and Willard to look on. George Connors’ greeting of the delinquent member of the squad was decidedly ungracious.
“Why didn’t you stay away until Thanksgiving, Benton?” he demanded sarcastically. “I suppose you think you’re so good you don’t have to practice, eh? I don’t know as we need you very much now. We’ve been at it a week.”
“Nobody said anything to me about practice,” replied Tom quietly. “If you’d sent me word I’d been out.”
“Maybe you’d have liked me to come and fetch you in a carriage,” sneered Connors. “You’re in the second squad to-day, Benton.”
All during practice and the short scrimmage that followed Tom was aware of the captain’s scowling regard. In the ten-minute period of play Tom messed up his opponent in the line, and, in spite of being out of condition, played a hard game. But Connors was not to be placated and Tom left the field with the knowledge that Connors had it in for him and meant, if possible, to keep him out of the first squad. He confided his fears to Willard, but if he expected sympathy he was disappointed, for Willard lent only perfunctory attention and was too full of the approaching arrival of Jimmy to take much interest in his chum’s predicament.
Jimmy arrived on time and was conveyed to his boarding-house in the car. During the ride and subsequently, when the three were seated about the little bedroom upstairs, he reported the result of his journey.