"I"ll bet it would!"
Frank, who was quite ignorant of Mark"s trouble, was surprised when the latter approached him a little later with a frown and said, harshly:
"You won"t make anything by what you have done, Frank Courtney!"
"Will you be kind enough to tell me what I have done?" asked Frank, calmly.
"You"ve been to Dr. Brush and told him about our playing billiards."
"You are entirely mistaken, Mark. I did not suppose he knew."
"It must have been you. He told us some one had informed him, and you were the only one who knew. It"s a mean trick, isn"t it, Carson?"
"Awfully mean!"
"I have already told you that the information did not come from me. It may be the best thing for you that it has been found out, for it was doing you no good to frequent such places."
"I don"t want to hear any of your preaching, Frank Courtney. I guess I can manage my own affairs without any advice from you."
"I don"t care to intrude any advice," said Frank. "I have not much reason to feel interested in you."
"You"d better look out how you treat me, though," said Mark, insolently.
"I know very well you dislike me, but it won"t be safe for you to show it while you are a dependent on my father."
"I don"t propose to be a dependent on him long," said Frank, quietly.
"The truth of it is, you and your father are dependent upon property which of right belongs to me. The time may come when I shall be able to show this."
"What does he mean?" thought Mark, uneasily. "Will he contest the will?"
It was perhaps an evidence of Mark"s shrewdness that he had some doubts about the validity of the will under which his father inherited.
CHAPTER XIII
MR. MANNING"S NEW PLAN
Mark so represented his school difficulty to his father that he incurred but slight censure.
Indeed, Mr. Manning was so absorbed in plans for getting the greatest enjoyment out of the estate of which he had obtained possession by doubtful means that he didn"t care to be disturbed about such a trifle as his son"s suspension.
He felt more disposed to blame Frank, whom Mark charged with betraying him.
"What does Frank say about it?" asked Mr. Manning.
"Of course he denies it," said Mark, "but it can"t be any one else."
"He is acting very unwisely," said Mr. Manning, compressing his thin lips.
"So I told him, but he said he didn"t mean to be a dependent on you long."
"How is he going to avoid it?"
"I don"t know."
"I have had some intimation from Col. Vincent, who appears to be in his confidence. He wants to leave us."
"To go away?"
"Yes."
"But you won"t let him?"
"I have been thinking about that, Mark, and I may give my permission.
The fact is, he stands in the way of some plans I have formed. I am thinking of traveling."
"Not without me?" said Mark, hastily.
"No; you shall go with me, but I don"t care to take Frank."
"You might leave him at school."
"I might, but how do I know that he might not hatch some mischief while we are gone?"
"He might make some fuss about the property," suggested Mark.
"Has he hinted anything of that kind to you?" asked his father, quickly.
"Yes. Only yesterday he said that the property belonged by right to him."
Mr. Manning looked thoughtful, and watched Mark narrowly to see if from his manner he could divine the boy"s intentions.
Later that same evening, Mark having retired early in consequence of a headache, Frank found himself alone with his stepfather, and took advantage of the opportunity to speak of the plan he had formed.
"Mr. Manning," he said, "if you are at leisure, I should like to speak with you a few minutes."
"Proceed," said his stepfather, waving his hand.
"But a week remains of the school term. Did you propose that I should return there at the end of the vacation?"
"Humph! I had not thought much on the subject."
"It has all along been intended that I should go to college when prepared, but I don"t think I care much about it."
"In that case," said his stepfather, with alacrity, "you would only be throwing away time and money by going."