"Don"t carp and criticise, Billy-boy," said his sister, Alice. "I notice that a good deal goes onto your plate, too--and you haven"t arrived at Purt"s age yet."
"Don"t talk to Billy about ages," giggled Bobby. "He can"t remember anybody"s age. I bet he couldn"t tell how old Methuselah was."
"Give it up! Didn"t know the gentleman. What team did _he_ play on?"
asked Billy, with his mouth full.
"Methuselah was 969 years old," declared Purt, seriously.
"Pshaw, Purt! was that it?" demanded Billy.
"I always thought that was his telephone number."
The moon was up in all her October glory when the young folk crowded upon the upper deck. There was a big gramophone on the boat and they had music, and singing, and the trip home was as enjoyable as it could be. The day, too, was a red letter one for the basketball team of Central High. From that time they began to win all along the line in the inter-school series.
They won from both East and West Highs during that month, and tied Keyport when that team came to the Hill to play them. The score of games played that fall showed Central High third on the list at the end of October, whereas they had been fifth. Keyport was in the lead and East High second; for in playing with other teams these two schools almost always won.
Chet Belding kept in touch with Hebe Poc.o.c.k"s condition at the hospital and occasionally sent the injured fellow some fruit and other delicacies. Once when he went to ask after Hebe the doctor told the boy to go up to the accident ward and see him.
"He"s been asking after you. Wants to thank you for the stuff you"ve sent in. He"s a pretty tough citizen, is Hebe," laughed the doctor.
"But he has some grat.i.tude in his make-up."
Chet went up and found that Hebe and the man Billson were pretty good friends, being in neighboring beds. In fact, Billson was now up and about the ward and would soon be allowed to leave the hospital; but it would be some time yet before Hebe could walk.
"It jest dishes me about gittin" that job at the young ladies"
gymnasium, heh?" said Hebe. "Did they put that Jackway out?"
"Why, no," said Chet, puzzled a bit by the young man"s manner and look. "Why should they?"
"He warn"t no good," grunted Hebe. "You bet, if I"d had his job, n.o.body would have got in there and cut up all that stuff without my knowin" who did it."
"Perhaps he _does_ know who did it," said Chet, slowly.
Poc.o.c.k flashed him a sudden look of interest. "He ain"t said so, has he?"
"Well--no."
"And they ain"t give him the bounce?"
"My father says he doesn"t think Jackway is to blame."
"Huh!" grumbled Hebe. "Maybe I"ll git that job yet."
"How do you expect to do it?" demanded Chet.
"Never you mind. Henry Grimes has got some influence, I reckon, an" he said I should have it."
"I guess they"ll keep on Jackway. I wouldn"t think of it, if I was you," said Chet, seriously.
"Say! that fellow"s a dub!" growled Hebe, and became silent.
Chet talked with the squatter, Billson, as they walked down the long ward together.
"He"s always goin" on about that job at the gym.," chuckled Billson, with a hitch of his shoulder toward Hebe"s bed. "He was talkin" to Miss Grimes about it when she was in to see me the other day. That"s a fine gal--Miss Grimes."
"I"m glad you find her so," returned Chet, but with considerable surprise.
"n.o.body really knows who did that mean job in the girls" gymnasium, eh?"
"Well--some of us suspect pretty hard," said Chet, slowly.
Billson looked at him, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his eyes tight. "Mebbe I could find out, Mr. Belding."
"How could you?" demanded Chet, quickly.
"That"s telling. Perhaps I know something. I"d do a good deal to clear Miss Grimes of all this suspicion. Oh, I"ve heard the doctors and nurses talking about it."
"Say! do you think it would help clear her of suspicion if you found out the truth?" demanded Chet, in wonder.
"Huh! why not?" returned Billson. "I guess you"re one of these crazy folk that think she did it?"
"No. But I bet she knows who _did_ do it," blurted out Chet.
"Good-day, young man!" snapped Billson. "I guess you ain"t interested in what I know," and he turned on his heel and limped away up the ward.
But Chet went out, feeling very much puzzled, and proceeded to take Mother Wit into his confidence. If Hester was innocent of even the smallest part in that affair, the whole school--and people outside the school, too--were treating Hester very unfairly.
For by this time Hester Grimes scarcely had a speaking acquaintance with the other girls of Central High, and she was welcome only at Lily Pendleton"s home.
CHAPTER XXI
WHAT HESTER DID
Dr. Agnew was very much troubled over his little patient down in the tenements, and he told Nellie about it one evening after supper.
"I have had to insist that the child be taken to the hospital," said the good doctor. "That almost broke his mother"s heart; but their rooms were not sufficiently airy. And then, the child is suffering from pernicious anaemia, and unless he mends he will die, anyway."
"That is an awful hard name to call little Johnny, Daddy Doctor," said Nellie.
"It is awfully hard for little Johnny, that"s a fact," said the doctor, thoughtfully. "It is awfully hard for his mother, who, like the plucky widow she is, has struggled so hard to bring those children to where they are. Bill, of course, has helped her; but Bill isn"t much smarter in some ways than silly Rufe. The widow"s done it all; and she"s just wrapped up in Johnny."
"How cruel for anything to happen to him!" sighed Nellie.
"It looks so. We can"t see things in their true light very often, I suppose. It takes a Divine Eye to see straight," and the doctor wagged his head. "Here"s this poor woman would give her heart"s blood--that"s the expression she uses--to save the little fellow. But her blood won"t do. She is not in a healthy condition herself. And Johnny needs perfectly healthy, normal blood----"
"My goodness, Daddy Doctor!" exclaimed Nellie, with a shiver. "How you do talk!"