"Well, he was touchy--he"d been out late the night before--and he resented what I said. We had a quarrel--our first one--and he went out saying he never wanted to see me again. I had a chance to make up with him later, but I was too proud. So was he, I guess. Anyhow, when I put my pride in my pocket and went after him, a little later, it was too late."
"Too late--how?" asked Andy, for Ikey had come to a stop and there was a break in his voice.
"He went out in an auto with his fast crowd; there was an upset, and my friend was killed."
Andy turned sharply. There were tears in the other"s eyes, and his face was twitching.
"I--I always felt," said Ikey, softly, "that perhaps if I hadn"t been so proud and hard that--maybe--maybe he"d be alive to-day."
There was silence in the room, broken only by the monotonous ticking of the clock.
"Thanks," said Andy, softly, after a pause. "I--I guess I understand what you mean, Stein." He held out his hand, which was warmly clasped.
"Then you will go for a walk--maybe?" asked Ikey, eagerly.
"I--I think I will," spoke Andy, softly. "I don"t understand it; but I"ll go."
"You--you"ll find him there," went on Ikey. "I sent him out to--meet you!"
And before Andy could say anything more the peacemaker had left the apartment.
For several minutes Andy stood still. He looked about the room--a room suggestive in many ways of the presence and character of Dunk. There was even on the mantel a fragment of the j.a.panese vase he had broken that time.
"I"ll go to him," spoke Andy, softly.
He went out on the campus, not heeding many calls from friends to join them. When they noted his manner they, wisely, did not press the matter.
Perhaps they guessed. Andy walked out Whitney Avenue to East Rock Road and turned into the park.
"I wonder where I"ll find him?" he mused, as he gazed around.
"Queer that Ikey should put up a game like this."
Walking on a little way, Andy saw a solitary figure under a tree. He knew who it was. The other saw him coming, but did not stir.
Presently they were within speaking distance. Andy paused a moment and then, holding out his hand, said softly:
"Dunk!"
The figure looked up, and a little smile crept over the moody face.
"Andy!" cried Dunk, stepping forward.
The next moment their hands had met in a clasp such as they never had felt before. They looked into each other"s eyes, and there was much meaning in the glance.
"Andy--Andy--can you--forgive me?"
"Of course, Dunk; I understand."
"All right, old man. That is the last time. Never again! Never again!"
And Dunk meant it.
CHAPTER XXIV
LINK"S VISIT
Busy days followed. After the football game, the quarrel of Dunk and Andy, and their reconciliation, brought about so effectively by Ikey Stein, little of moment happened except the varsity football games, which Andy followed with devoted interest, hoping that by the next term he would be chosen for a place on the team.
The students settled down to hard work, with the closing of the outdoor sporting season, and there were days of hard study. Yale is no place for weak students, and Andy soon found that he must "toe the mark" in more senses than one. He had to give his days and some of his nights to "grinding."
For some time Andy did not understand how Ikey had brought about the meeting of Dunk and himself--at least, he did not know how the peacemaker had induced Dunk to go to the park. But one day the latter explained.
Following the dramatic scene in Burke"s, Dunk had gone out. Not wishing to face Andy he had stayed at a hotel all night. In the morning, while he was remorseful and nearly ill, Ikey, the faithful, had sought him out, having in some way heard of the quarrel. Ikey was not given to frequenting Burke"s, but he had his own way of ferreting out news.
To Dunk he had gone, then, and had told much the same story he had related to Andy, giving it a different twist. And he had so worked on Dunk"s feelings, picturing how terribly Andy must feel, that finally Dunk had consented to go to the park.
"Well, I"m glad I did, old man!" said Dunk, clapping Andy on the back.
"And so am I. I"m only wondering whether Ikey faked that "sob story" or not."
"What of it? It certainly did the business, all right."
"It sure did."
Dunk and Andy were better friends than ever, and, to the relief of Andy, Mortimer and his crowd ceased coming to the room in Wright Hall, and taking Dunk off with them.
Occasionally Andy"s chum would go off with a rather "sporty" crowd, and sometimes Andy went also. But Dunk held himself well in hand, for which Andy was very glad.
"It"s all your doing, old man!" said Dunk, gratefully.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Andy, but his heart glowed nevertheless.
The quiet and rather calm atmosphere of college life was rudely broken when one night, following a mild celebration over the victory of the basketball team, several robberies were discovered.
A number of rooms in the college buildings had been entered, and various articles of jewelry and some money had been taken. Freshmen were mainly the ones who sustained the losses, though no cla.s.s was exempt.
"This is getting serious!" exclaimed Dunk, as he and Andy talked the matter over. "We"d better get a new lock put on our door."
"I"m willing, though I haven"t got much that would tempt anyone."
"I haven"t either, only this," and he pulled out a handsome gold watch.
"I"m so blamed careless about it that most of the time I forget to carry it."
"Well, let"s put on a lock, then. The one we have doesn"t catch half the time."