“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Dan more cheerfully. “I’d rather make second, too. Why don’t you bring your father up to-morrow to see the game, Gerald? Wouldn’t he care for it?”
“I will. It’s Pell School, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and the last game before Broadwood. We’re going to get licked, they say. Now, about this evening, Gerald. I can’t come to dinner but I want to see your father awfully. Suppose I come over afterwards?”
“Of course! And we’ll come home together. Father can’t understand why I don’t want to go over there to live. But he says I can stay on here until school closes if I’ll take luncheon and dinner with him. I must see Mr. Collins about it.”
“And I must dig out for practice. I guess, though, there won’t be much work this afternoon. Hello, did someone knock?”
It was Harry Merrow. He wanted Gerald to go canoeing with him, but Gerald explained that his father had returned and that he was going over there for the afternoon. So Harry decided to go down to the field with Dan and watch practice. They parted in front of Oxford, Gerald running in to the Office to get permission from Mr. Collins to spend all the time he wanted at Sound View and the other two continuing around to the gymnasium. Dan found himself on third base when practice began, for, although the regulars were to have an easy time of it in view of the hard contest set for the morrow, the substitutes were put through a strenuous afternoon.
Supper over, Dan set out for Sound View and found a hearty welcome awaiting him. Mr. Pennimore had to have a full account from Dan of everything that had transpired since his departure abroad. Dan tried to hurry over that part of his narrative which concerned Gerald’s unannounced departure from school, but Mr. Pennimore wanted full details. He shook his head when Dan had finished.
“I didn’t think you were of the run-away kind, Gerald,” he said regretfully. Gerald looked rather ashamed.
“Well, sir, it was a silly thing to do,” said Dan, “but Gerald had a lot of troubles about that time, Mr. Pennimore.”