“Tobias Tucker, Greenhaven, New York!”
Something inside of Toby turned a complete somersault. Perhaps it was his heart, but it didn’t feel like it. His gaze went startledly, incredulously from the exact middle of the head in front of him to Doctor Collins’ face. Some one was shoving him from behind and a voice hissed over his shoulder: “Stand up, you chump!” Toby climbed dazedly to his feet. If it was a mistake, he told himself hollowly, he would feel like an awful fool! But there didn’t seem to be any mistake. Every one was clapping enthusiastically and he saw, or seemed to see, about a million faces smiling at him. His thoughts, as he held onto the back of the bench in front, were horribly confused while the applause lasted. After that, when the Doctor announced the recipients of the three Haynes Scholarships, and the school’s attention was shifted from him, he found himself mentally deducting sixty from one hundred and twenty-five and arriving at the joyful if slightly erroneous result of sixty. Why, his tuition bill for the rest of the year would be only ten dollars! (Afterwards he found that it would be fifteen, but he managed to survive the shock!) So busy was he dwelling on the beatitude of this thought that he didn’t see Doctor Collins nod nor observe the fact that the other five fellows had seated themselves again, and only became alive to his hideous conspicuousness when Garman tugged at his coat. He sank back onto the bench blushing, but still happy.
After that there was a short congratulatory address by the Principal and then they all stood up again and sang a hymn. Or, at least, most of them sang. Toby didn’t. But then his heart was singing, and maybe that was enough. When the final note had died away Doctor Collins gave the word of dismissal and a quiet and orderly exodus began which turned, outside the doors, into a stampede. Toby, however, went slowly, the better to enjoy his pleasant thoughts, until some one linked an arm in his and dragged him helter-skelter down the remaining flight.
“Hurray, T. Tucker! Didn’t I tell you you’d do it? It’s great, and I’m tickled to death, Toby!”
Of course it was Arnold, Arnold laughing and eager to show his delight by risking his neck in a final mad plunge down the crowded staircase. Toby brought up at the bottom breathless and shaken and leaned against the wall. “Wh-where were you?” he gasped. “I looked all around for you.”
“I waited for Homer and we were late and just got in by the skin of our teeth. Didn’t you see me waving to you when you stood up? Gee, but I’m glad you got a Ripley, Toby. I was afraid it might be only a Haynes.”
“I was afraid it might be only nothing,” laughed Toby. “I was so surprised when Doc said my name that I guess I’d be sitting there yet if some fellow hadn’t shoved me and told me to stand up! I don’t see now how I happened to do it. I made an awful mess of math for a while, and then in November I had trouble with Coby about Latin. I don’t see—”
“Oh, never mind what you don’t see,” interrupted Arnold gayly. “You got it. That’s enough, isn’t it? Come on over and chin awhile.”
“What time is it? I can’t. I’ve got English at nine. But, gee, I won’t know a thing, I guess!”