“It would cost a lot to telephone away up there,” objected Toby.
“A lot! Shucks; it wouldn’t have been more than a dollar, I guess! And what’s a dollar when you’re going to get three hundred?”
“A dollar would be a lot if something happened and we didn’t get the three hundred,” replied Toby. “That launch was stolen a long while ago—over two months ago now—and maybe he’s given her up and has had another one built. If he has he wouldn’t want the Follow Me, I guess.” Toby’s voice sounded almost hopeful at the end, and Arnold observed him in surprise.
“Toby, I really believe you’d rather have that launch than the reward!” he exclaimed.
Toby’s gaze wandered. “I—I don’t know,” he murmured. “She’s an awfully nice little boat!”
“But—but think of a hundred and fifty dollars! Why, you can—you can do almost anything with a hundred and fifty dollars, Toby!”
“I know. It’s a lot of money. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be fine to have it, but——” his voice dwindled away. Arnold looked incredulously at Phebe as he held the gate open. “Anyway,” continued Toby, “I’ll wait until I get my hands on it before I think too much about it!”
Practice was not a great success that afternoon. In the first place, the older boys of the town were using the school diamond and Toby’s team had to do the best they could in a distant corner of the field; in the second place only eight of the ten members showed up, and in the third place Toby’s mind wandered so far from baseball that his companions grew sarcastic and told him frankly that if he didn’t pay more attention to the matter in hand they’d quit. Add these drawbacks to the fact that there was a scarcity of gloves and bats, and that the only mask they possessed had a loose wire that threatened to put the wearer’s eye out every minute, and it will be seen that the Towners labored under disadvantages that Saturday afternoon!
Arnold, although cordially invited to attend the rival aggregation’s practice, had declined, stating his reason to be that he didn’t want to learn the Towners’ signals! Consequently Toby saw no more of him until the next day. When the Tucker family got back from church that noon they found Arnold sitting on the front steps and holding a rather one-sided conversation through the open window with Mr. Murphy. “I’ve been trying to teach him to say, ‘Arnold,’” he explained, “but he just stares and chuckles. I’m going to have dinner with you, if you’ll ask me, Mrs. Tucker.”
“Indeed I will, then! Come right in out of the hot sun, Arnold. You might have gone in the back door and been comfortable. We never lock it from one year’s end to the other.”