“He doesn’t need to. He isn’t denying it, is he? Besides, he knew about it. Look here, Bowman, I’m much obliged, of course, and all that, but I don’t understand why—after you’d refused me that night——”
“Well,” said Ted at last, slowly, seemingly seeking inspiration from his shoes, “I knew that if you got fired or put on probation and couldn’t pitch to-day we’d get licked. I—I ought to tell you frankly, I guess, that I didn’t do it on your account, Saunders. There was the School to consider, and—and George. I knew he’d be all broke up if we lost the game. I had the money put away for—for something, and so I decided that if Plaister was really going to make trouble I’d pay him. I met him on the road Monday morning right after breakfast. I tried to get him to take five dollars, but he wouldn’t, and so I paid it all and he gave me the receipted bill. I ought to have told you at once, but—well, I was sort of peeved at you and I didn’t. Finally, when it got to be supper time and I hadn’t told you, I was ashamed to, and so I stuck the bill in an envelope and put it in the mail. That’s all; except that someone—I guess it was ‘Granny’ Lockwood: he’s always mooning around the landscape—saw me give the money to Plaister and told ‘Jerry.’”
There was a moment’s silence. Then George said: “But you could have told ‘Jerry’ the truth, Ted.”
“What good would that have done? He’d have put Saunders on ‘pro,’ and that’s just what I was working against. Don’t you see?”
“Mighty white,” muttered Hal.
“I wish you had told me, Ted,” said George. “I talked a good deal of rough stuff. I’m sorry, kid.”
“That’s all right,” said Ted. “You didn’t know. You see, I’d promised Saunders not to talk about it.”
“Bowman, you’re a perfect brick,” exclaimed Hal. “I know you didn’t do it on my account, but you got me out of a beast of a hole, and—and I’m mighty grateful. And you’ll get that money back just as soon as I get home. I’ll tell dad the whole story and he’ll come across, never fear. Of course I’ll have to promise to keep inside my allowance after this, but I guess I’m about ready to, anyhow. Last Monday I’d have promised anything! And I’ll see ‘Jerry’ at once——”
“There is no sense in doing that,” interrupted Ted. “There’s only four more days of school and I don’t mind.”
“But you’re in wrong with faculty——”