“Sure are,” agreed Joe, tossing his trousers in the general direction of a chair. “Any time any guy accuses you of having sense, you knock him down. I’ll stand by you. Still, you have your uses, and I’m glad to see you in our midst again. How about being here, now that you are!”
“Tickled to death,” owned Myron a bit shamefacedly.
Joe chuckled. “Knew you would be,” he said. “We ain’t—aren’t such a bad lot when you take us, right. Good night, kiddo.”
“Good night, Joe. I—you—I mean, thanks!”
[CHAPTER XXIII]
REINSTATED
Myron isn’t likely to forget for a long time the week that followed. Every afternoon at four o’clock appeared Andrew, armed for the fray, and for two hours of a hundred and twenty minutes each Myron wrestled with Latin. Andrew was merciless. From the stroke of four to the stroke of six was the inexorable rule. Myron’s pleas weren’t even heard. After two days he got fairly used to it, though, and then the labour began to bear fruit. Mr. Addicks shot a keen and questioning glance at Myron on Wednesday and followed it with one of mild approval on Thursday. Saturday morning Myron was again out of the woods, although, as Andrew reminded him more than once, whether he stayed so depended on whether he was willing to study hard and long and resolutely. Myron reached the conclusion that he was.
But being out of the woods did not necessarily place him in the full sunlight of faculty favour, and so it was from the grandstand that he saw Parkinson play Chancellor School at Mt. Wansett, and not from the players’ bench. Myron had doubts as to his right to make the trip, and put the matter up to Joe. Joe did not observe, as he might have, that, having got as far away as Philadelphia without leave, going to a not distant town under like conditions shouldn’t worry Myron! Instead, he advised him to put the question up to Mr. Hoyt. The secretary referred to a mysterious book and shook his head. “I can’t find that you have gone on probation, Foster,” he said. “Nothing here indicates it. You say Doctor Lane forbade you to play football? Was anything said about probation?”
“No, sir. I only thought—was afraid——”