"i wish that i had not spoken like that to him."
so ralph rexworth mused as he left the study and went along the corridor—anger at the violent outburst and the accusation which charlton had hurled at him, he felt none.
a muffled sound broke upon his ears—the sound of some one sobbing violently, and he stopped, peering along the corridor until he made out the form of his former chum. charlton had flung himself down full length, and was crying as if his heart would break.
it was more than ralph could stand—he went up to him and laid a hand upon the prostrate boy's shoulder.
"charlton," he said kindly, "don't cry. i am awfully sorry that i have offended you, and that we have quarrelled. i did not mean to do it. won't you get up and shake hands with me?"
"no!" came the broken answer. "go away, i don't want you! you were the only chum that i had, and now you say that i am a thief! i never said a word against you. i told dobson that he was telling lies when he said that you had stolen the note, and he[pg 132] beat me. i did not mind that, because i was trying to stick up for you; and now you say i stole it!"
"come, shake hands," pleaded ralph, feeling somehow that he was on the wrong track. "i am sorry."
"you ought to have known how it feels to be called a thief," the other lad continued. "you are not my chum—i don't care about you being strong and me being weak—i don't want to be your chum. i know that my father was called a thief, but it was not true—he never did anything wrong—and i know that people sneer at me. but i am not a thief—i never stole anything, and you, seeing what elgert has said about your father, and that you have been accused, might have been a little more kind to me."
"well, i have said that i am sorry. won't you shake hands?" said ralph again. "and i had a note from mr. st. clive, and he told me to ask you and warren to come over to-morrow. won't you come?"
"no," answered charlton. "you don't want boys there who have convict fathers, and who you believe to be thieves. you go away, ralph rexworth. we shall never be friends any more until you have been proved wrong. when i can prove to you that i had no hand in taking that note, then we will be chums again.
"and," he added, sitting up, "it is a wicked, wicked lie to say that i was with any man in those woods. it is not true, and you are making it up. there—go away, and make what chums you like. i suppose that we[pg 133] must still share the same study! i won't worry you with my presence very much, i can promise you; but i won't make friends, and i won't forgive you, and i won't take back one word of what i have said that i believe about you—not even if you beat me—and you are strong enough to do that, i know."
"i am sorry. i don't want to beat you, charlton," responded ralph, "and i am very grieved that we are not to be chums. perhaps after sunday you will think differently."
"i will never think differently—never—never!" cried charlton. and jumping up he rushed off, leaving ralph to continue his way alone, and somewhat heavy-hearted, for he had a genuine liking for the lonely, sad-faced boy, and was indeed truly sorry that he had said anything to cause him such pain and grief.
"hallo, rexworth! what have you been doing with charlton?" asked warren, meeting him in the playground a little later. "he rushed across here a little while ago as though he were training for a race; and when i asked him if he had seen you, he said that he didn't know anything about you, and that he didn't want to know, either. whatever have you done to upset him in that way?"
"we have had a bit of a quarrel," answered ralph. "don't ask me about it, old fellow, for i don't want to talk of it. i hope that he will be all right again next week. by the way, mr. st. clive has asked me whether[pg 134] you would care to come over and spend the afternoon with me to-morrow."
"will a duck like to swim when it gets enough water to paddle its little tootsies in?" laughed warren. "my dear chap, i will come on the wings of greased lightning. i must go home and tell the mater first though, or she will wonder what has become of me—fancy that i have met with an accident, or something. fellows ought not to be careless about such things as that. then i will come on, if that will do, and—great guns! there goes the bell, and it is my turn to see the school ready for calling over. i am off"—and away warren sped as fast as he could run.
the evening passed, the following morning came and went, and still charlton gave ralph no opportunity for renewing his offer of friendship. he looked pale, miserable, but determined—ralph had wounded him to the very soul, and he would not—could not indeed—forget or forgive it.
the hour of departure came, and still charlton avoided ralph. they left without wishing each other good-bye, and ralph set out for mr. st. clive's, feeling disappointed and heavy-hearted.
but disappointment and heavy-heartedness could not long find place in that bright home. the very first greeting, the warm handshake of mr. st. clive, the smile of his wife and the rush with which irene came to greet him, altogether united to banish every melancholy thought, and to bring sunshine to his heart.
[pg 135]
and what a circle of sympathetic listeners he had when he told them about the theft, and how he had chanced to be upon the scene. and both irene and mrs. clive laughed, and were at the same time very indignant that any one should dare to suppose, even for one moment, that ralph could possibly be a thief.
but mr. st. clive looked grave, for he could see how hard this was for the lad, and could understand what a big fight it must have been for ralph.
"never fear, my boy," he said when the story was told. "it is hard, but the truth must come out at last—it always does in this world of ours. but now," he continued, "about your friends—i hope they are to be my guests to-day."
"warren will be here, sir," answered ralph. and mr. st. clive asked, "and not charlton?"
"no, sir, he could not promise." ralph did not go into the matter of his quarrel with his chum then; he wanted to talk to mr. st. clive alone about that; and the gentleman, seeing that something must have gone amiss, did not press his questions further.
then ralph went off with irene, and had to tell her everything over again, while she sat and listened with sparkling eyes, especially when he told her how mr. delermain had behaved.
"i would like to kiss him," she said. "he is a nice man." and ralph suggested that, as she could not do that, the next best thing would be to kiss him[pg 136] instead—a thing which proves very conclusively that ralph was very quickly getting used to the ways of western civilization.
and then, with a merry call, tom warren came upon the scene, for he had arrived, had been welcomed by his host, and sent out into the garden to meet his friend. irene was introduced—she had known him before, by the way, but that doesn't matter—and warren was nice, and didn't think girls a bit of a nuisance—which shows that he was a wise boy—and the three just got on as well as could be, until the bell rang for lunch, and—
well, well, they did enjoy that lunch, that is all; and they demonstrated very clearly what exceedingly healthy appetites they all possessed; and then, that over, they set out for a stroll along the river's bank—for it was very pretty there, and irene loved the spot. the trees were so stately, and, in some places, grew right to the water's edge, and the grass was so green and velvety, and the river ran so smoothly—perhaps too smoothly—for the current was strong and swift, and glided along, making the water look like a stream of glass as it turned the curve towards becket weir, and went roaring and foaming down twelve feet like a little niagara.
but to-day, when they reached the spot they were somewhat disappointed to find that they were not the only occupants. a party of boys were there—boys from the college—and, of all boys in the world, elgert,[pg 137] dobson, and some of their chums who had been to mr. st. clive's.
some of the boys were fishing, for there were excellent perch and roach in the still pools; and horace elgert had his canoe, a pretty little boat—light, easy, and graceful, so long as it was kept away from the immediate neighbourhood of the weir.
"oh," growled warren, as he saw the others. "how jolly annoying!" and at that irene burst out laughing, and inquired how anything could possibly be "jolly annoying."
"well, very annoying, miss st. clive," was warren's answer. "just to think of that lot being here!"
"i don't see that they need annoy us," she answered.
"we will go a little farther along the bank, down by the weir."
some of the other boys greeted warren, and raised their hats as they saw irene—whom most of them knew by sight; but of ralph they took no notice, and elgert, coming by in his canoe, called out loud enough for all to hear—
"keep your eyes on your property, you fellows, you might lose something here."
"the cad!" muttered warren, while irene gave ralph's arm a little squeeze, as if to tell him never to mind.
"the cad!" said warren again. "he would not dare do that if you were in the playground; and just[pg 138] look at him showing off in that canoe—as if no one but he could use a paddle."
"he cannot use one," laughed ralph. "that is not the way to swing it. he takes it over and over like the sails of a windmill, describing circles with every stroke."
"well," asked warren, "how would you use it? i confess that is the way i should handle it."
"it is not the right way. it should be swung from side to side, and he will be over if he tries to play tricks like that"—as elgert made a fancy stroke which brought the boat down on one side.—"there, he has dropped his paddle! be careful"—and he raised his voice—"be careful! he is over!"
yes; the warning came too late. elgert reached over to regain his paddle, the canoe took one sudden lurch, turned bottom up, and sent the boy struggling into the water. elgert could not swim—ralph saw that at a glance; and, without waiting, off went coat and waistcoat, and into the river ralph rexworth went after his foe—the river that ran so swiftly on to the boiling, roaring weir.
into the river ralph rexworth went
"into the river ralph rexworth went after his foe." p. 138
it was a hard fight, but ralph had the advantage of being carried by the current right down to the struggling boy, and, ere long, he had reached him, was gripping his arm, and had commenced the struggle back to the bank, only to find that warren was by his side ready to give his help.
and between them they managed to get elgert[pg 139] back to the shore. not without a big battle, for the water pulled like giant hands, seeking to sweep them all away. they had to swim in a slanting course, and even then, ere the bank was reached, they were perilously near to the spot over which the water took its leap, and where the notice-board with the big "danger" was so prominently fixed.
but they managed it; and elgert was hurried off by his friends, while warren and ralph, soaked as they were, had to race back to mr. st. clive's, with irene behind them urging them not to stop for her, but to get back as quickly as ever they could.
only to think of it! ralph rexworth had actually rescued, with the help of warren, his enemy horace elgert from almost certain death!
