“Why, I—Didn’t Gyp tell you?”
“Gyp? Yes, he said something about your not reporting to-day, but that didn’t mean anything to me. What’s the scheme, old man?”
Toby explained, not very eloquently because Beech’s expression became momentarily more and more disapproving. Once or twice the captain uttered a dry “Huh!” or gestured impatience, but he heard Toby through. Then, however, he broke out with force and emphasis. Toby, backed up against the long hatrack, was aware of the curious looks bent on him by those who passed, and even read sympathy in some glances. Doubtless Beech’s attitude looked rather threatening!
“You poor fish!” said the captain pityingly. “Hasn’t any one ever told you about duty? What do you think you are, anyway? A—a real, sure-enough Person? You’re not, Tucker my lad, you’re just a simple little cog in the Wheel of Progress. You’re not at all important as an individual. You’re merely an entity. Now——”
“Hold on! I’m not sure I ought to let you call me that!”
“Shut up! I’ll call you worse in a minute, maybe a microbe or a protoplasm. Look here, Tucker, joking aside, you can’t do this, you know. Every fellow has a duty to the School——”
“I know, and every fellow has a duty to himself, Beech. I need that scholarship——”
“Get it! I’m not objecting, my son! But don’t throw the team down to do it. Shucks, you can play football for a month or six weeks longer without losing the scholarship! Come on, Tucker, don’t be a worm!”
“But—but what difference does it make?” pleaded Toby. “I’m no football wonder. You’ve got half a dozen fellows to fill in for me. It isn’t like I was any account, Beech!”