CHAPTER VIII

LANKY’S PRIDE CONQUERS

Professor Parke asked the young fire-fighters to stay a while, after he had given instructions that the rest of the students leave for home. As far as possible he wished to soothe the excited condition of the crowds that thronged around the building. And he also wished to personally thank each and every one of those brave lads who had done such splendid work in getting the fire under control.

The firemen of the town took matters in hand, and saw to it that there was not the slightest chance of a stray spark being left undiscovered, to play havoc, perhaps at night time.

They also wanted to investigate; for it seemed very queer how a blaze could originate in the cellar when no fires were going at the time. Some of the boys believed they could give a guess; and soon it was being circulated far and wide that Bill Klemm and his two cronies had been lighting matches in the basement at recess that very day, just to provoke old Soggy.

But they seemed to have made themselves scarce. When Chief of Police Hogg, dressed in his resplendent uniform, with a silver star gleaming on his broad chest, called around at the several homes of the three suspected ones late that afternoon, to make inquiries, they were not to be found anywhere. And before long it was known that Bill, Asa and Watkins must have run away from home, afraid that they would be arrested. At any rate, they had been seen making fast time away, as soon as they got out of the building, and before it was known that the school could be saved.

The principal started making inquiries on his own account, and after hearing what the janitor had to say, he could easily guess what had caused the fire. Of course the three boys to blame had not intended doing anything so terrible as to set fire to the school. They had broken a strict rule laid down by the head, however, and must be severely punished, when found.

“Frank,” said Professor Parke, as he joined the little group of waiting boys, “and the rest of you, I hope you will pardon my keeping you here so long; but I found it difficult to get away from some of the school directors, who are bent on investigating, and taking action toward securing the punishment of the offenders. And my dear boys, I could not let you go without taking each one of you again by the hand and telling you how proud I am of you all.”

There were really tears in his eyes while he spoke; and Frank knew that if ever the principal were sincere in all his life it was just then.

Professor Parke was an almost universal favorite among the pupils of Columbia High. Out of all the students but a small fraction found any reason to dislike the head of the school; and, as a rule, they were just such characters as Bill Klemm.

“Of course,” continued the head master, with a twinkle in his eye, “all of you will be distressed, I know, to learn that we will be unable to hold school to-morrow, because of the excitement; as well as the smoky odor that has permeated every classroom in the building. The directors think it would be too vivid a reminder of the thrill of to-day; and they have instructed me to send out word that the building will not be in use until Wednesday.”

The boys tried hard not to smile, but it was no use; for when did the promise of an unexpected holiday bring gloom to the heart of the average, youth, whether in the primary class, or the senior grade?

“And by the way, Soggy wishes you to come down and see him in the basement before you go home,” the principal went on, as he dismissed Frank and his corps of fire-fighters. “He is enthusiastic over the fact that you mastered the blaze before the regular department arrived. Why, he says the building would have gone, only for your prompt work. After this you can ask Soggy anything, and he’ll grant it. He’s got you down in his book as heroes, everyone.”

They found the cellar in a sad mess, for the water was inches deep on the cement floor, the regulars meaning to have some fun out of it, after being “called to the colors” by the alarm bell.

Soggy pounced upon the boys, and went around, shaking everyone by the hand as though “he thought he had hold of a pump-handle, and was the early morning milkman,” Lanky Wallace declared.

“Now that it’s all over, boys,” the pleased janitor declared, “sure I’m believin’ ’twas worth all it cost to find out what sort of stuff you young gentlemen had in you! I’ll never forget it, never! And Columbia High is still on the map, I’m glad to say, thanks to you. Nine names I’m going to write down in my book; and, boys, if Soggy can do anyone of you a favor, just let him know. He’s willing to go to the extent of his wages any time.”

“Let’s get out of this,” called Ben Allison.

“Yes, it’s getting too warm again, boys!” cried Bones Shadduck; for some of the larger juniors were classed with the seniors as fire-fighters.

And so they came trooping out of the basement, laughing heartily. Soggy was a favorite with most of the boys. There could hardly have been a more efficient janitor; and yet he bemoaned the fact for a long time that he had not discovered some trace of the smouldering blaze before he went on that errand for the principal, to find the building endangered on his return.

But if Frank believed that he had run the gauntlet to its conclusion when he got through with Soggy, he counted wrongly. Beyond the confines of the campus a group of the girls waited, eager to greet the heroes of the occasion, and perhaps secure to themselves just a little of the glory that was apt to shine like a halo around the heads of those happy fire-fighters.

Minnie was there, and Frank smiled to see the eager look she bent on him as he joined her.

“Oh, Frank! how do you feel?” she asked, anxiously. “All that horrid smoke you must have swallowed, I should think would make you sick. You do look pale right now; and you ought to go home and lie down.”

“Well, what sort of sissy do you take me for, Minnie?” asked the amused Frank. “A boy ought to be used to smoke. Lots of them seem to get a lot of pleasure out of soaking themselves in it, when they go to college, you know. Why, I’m feeling as fit as ever, I guess; and I expect to go on that long run this afternoon, just to keep in trim for the trial heats Saturday next.”

“Of course I’m glad to hear you say that, Frank; but it did frighten us when we saw you lead the way into the cellar, with all that black smoke pouring out.”

“It wasn’t so very black, you know, Minnie,” interrupted Frank, teasingly.

“Well, anyway,” she went on, “Helen and I just fell into each other’s arms; and we stood that way, hugging tight, all the time you were in there. We’re both proud of you; and Helen would be here to say the same if she wasn’t so busy telling Paul Bird something like that right now.”

Lanky Wallace was hovering around, as though he wanted to speak to Frank; and the latter could give a pretty good guess what it might be.

“Just wait for me a minute while I speak to Lanky, Minnie,” he remarked; “and then I’d like to walk home with you. I’ve got something to say about that little boat-ride we planned to take to-night, because the moon is full, and it’s going to be a glorious night. Can you wait for me a minute or two, Minnie?”

“I suppose so, seeing that I’ve already waited an hour almost; but be as quick as you can, Frank, for I’m almost famished, I confess to you,” was the reply; as the girl gave him one of her most roguish smiles, for which almost any sensible fellow would feel like going through fire and water, if he could feel that it was meant as a reward for his daring.

“Say, I didn’t like to call you away,” remarked Lanky, as Frank joined him. “But I wanted to say that as we have that run this afternoon, and there’s going to be no session to-morrow, perhaps we’d better postpone our trip to Budd’s Corners, till the morning. How does that suit you, Frank?”

“All right,” replied the other, briskly; “I couldn’t go to-night anyhow, for Minnie made a date with me to take her out boat-riding in the full of the moon. Is that all you wanted to say, Lanky?”

“Yes; and now return to your pleasant little chat with Minnie,” the other said, with a long-drawn sigh that Frank understood very well.

“By the way, Lanky,” he remarked, “seems to me I saw you talking with Dora just a little while ago. Have you made up again?”

“Not that I’ve heard about,” replied Lanky, gloomily. “Of course, I want to treat her civilly, as a fellow always ought a girl he used to think a heap of; but I can’t forget how she gave me the cold shake that night we had the class dance in the barn. If she’d only ask me to forget that, I’d quit feeling like thirty cents, and perk up again.”

“But she was talking to you; wasn’t she?” persisted Frank.

“Why, yes, she said she was glad I got out of that cellar O. K.; that she was _so_ proud to think that she and I _used_ to be such very good friends; and a lot more of the same kind; but not a peep about bein’ sorry because she cut me that night. And, Frank, I guess I showed her that I wasn’t carin’ a cent. I was as cool as you please; and thanked her just like you might the mayor of Columbia, if he came to tell you the town fathers had voted a medal for your work to-day.”

Frank looked at him curiously. He knew the state of Lanky’s feelings, and that the tall chap cared more for fickle little Dora than he was willing to acknowledge. And then and there Frank determined to enlist the services of Minnie Cuthbert in trying to heal the breach between the two estranged ones; though, of course, he would not think of hinting about this to proud Lanky.

“I guess you must have, Lanky,” he said, shortly; “because I saw her turn, and walk away with her head held high in the air. You didn’t notice her hand when she held it out to you, I suppose?”

“Well,” replied the other, with a flush of what might be regret, “you see that smoke it was fierce, and I’ve been about half blind ever since.”

He turned abruptly and walked away. Perhaps it may have been the smoke caused his eyes to water then, for Frank was positive he saw them glisten with some suspicious moisture.

“The poor old chap does feel it more than he’ll admit,” he said to himself as he started to rejoin the impatient Minnie. “But if anybody can fix things, Minnie will. Takes a girl like her to handle a delicate subject. She’ll get chummy-like with Dora, and draw her out. Then she’ll tell her how bad Lanky feels, and what she ought to do as the right thing, after cutting him dead that night. Oh! it’ll be all right soon, I reckon.”

And as Frank walked home with Minnie Cuthbert they had their heads close together in a way that made more than one old gossip smile and look wise; not knowing that they were discussing the carrying-out of a generous act.