“A vacation?” asked Dan in surprise.
“Yes. I mean pack your bag and run off somewhere to-morrow after practice and stay until Saturday morning. You aren’t needed here and it will do you a lot of good to get away from things for a couple of nights. You’ll sleep better, for one thing, and eat better, too.”
“Oh, pshaw, I don’t want to do that! I’m all right, sir. I’ll sleep like a top to-night. Besides, I’d worry more away than if I was here where I could watch things.”
“There won’t be anything to watch,” said Mr. Payson with a smile. “Think it over, Vinton. It would be the best thing for you and for the team. We’ll talk about it to-morrow. Good night.”
“Anybody would think I was dying from the way he talks,” said Dan irritably when the coach had gone. “That would be a fine idea, wouldn’t it?”
“What?” asked Gerald.
“Why, to go off and leave things just before the game!”
“I think it would be a mighty good idea,” replied Gerald firmly. “And I wish you’d do it, Dan.”
“Well, I’m not going to! Payson won’t get me away from here unless he steals me, I can tell you that!”
And that was Dan’s answer the next day when the coach brought the subject up again, although Dan put it more politely. Mr. Payson said, “Just as you say, Vinton,” and changed the subject, and Dan, who had slept about four hours out of nine, told himself aggrievedly that Payson didn’t care whether he was all right or not!