“Yes, you were. He’s mighty good, Anthony. He treated me as though I was the President; and so did his mother and sister. I had a bully little room with an open fireplace in it and blue roses all over the walls and all sorts of easy chairs made out of rattan stuff; and the sun just flooded in the window this morning. My, but I wish I lived there all the time!”
“Sounds fine,” answered Anthony. “All aboard, now; draw up to the table and wade in. Guess you’ll have to use the rocker, unless you’d rather have this. Here’s the sugar. How about— Pshaw, you’re not going to drink coffee, are you? Have some water in the toothbrush mug? No? All right. Have an egg; that’s right, just slide it off. These rolls are good; I sprinkle the tops with water and heat ’em up on the stove. Sorry I haven’t more to offer you, though. Well, Jack, I’m glad you ran across White and came back. You’d been sorry—afterward—if you’d gone home; and so would I. And, by the way, what was it that set you going? What happened at the table yesterday morning? Your note was lacking in details.”
Jack told about Gilberth’s behavior and Anthony’s eyes darkened behind his spectacles.
“Ugly brute!” he muttered. “Ought to be spanked. But— Look here, don’t mind him, Jack; I don’t think he’s going to trouble you much after this. Just keep out of his way.”
“I’ll try to. If—if he was a freshman, or even a soph, I’d fight him; but I can’t fight a senior!”
“Huh! You won’t have to; he’s going to behave himself after this,” said Anthony grimly.
“Well, I don’t know; anyhow, I’m going to stick it out now, no matter what happens,” Jack said stoutly. “That’s my last try at running away. If it hadn’t been for forgetting my money, I guess I’d have gone. Funny how it happened, wasn’t it? The worst of it is, I thought I’d left the money in my trunk, but I’ve looked and it isn’t there; I can’t find it anywhere. It was about all I had. I guess dad will be madder than a hatter when I write home for more.”
“That’s too bad,” said Anthony. “If you want a little—a dollar or two, you know—to go on until you hear from home, I can let you have it as well as not.”
“You’re awfully good,” answered Jack gratefully. “But it would be a nice thing for me to borrow from you, wouldn’t it? Don’t you think I know how hard up you are?”