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Show IH I CHAPTER XIV. Tom's Probation Ended. fVarceb' hud Miirinn droppod back I liclp'lossh on the bo.nMit which wns now 1 hidden bv ihc dacp shadow of the tree I trunk, when a crowd of men headed by "Madden made their apcarance around tfte corner and stop-pod before the dorin-iioT. dorin-iioT. Perceiving the dim outline of rl figures in .lean do .licszke's window, i Ihey proceeded, as if by well-rehearsed i avcemcnt. to address them after the nmnner of operatic rci.l.ativo, several of the fellows undertaking the role of orchestral instruments, especially of the bass vinl, indicated 1)3' an occasional i "Zim! Zim!" , r , "Jean do lieszkc, .lean do Keszke, Bro von :here?" ("Zim! Zim!") Whereupon Jean, in his clarion voice, responded nntiplionally: "Aye, Jl.is true, tis very true, 1 am kerol" . , VBtt ('Zim! Zim!" from the industrious Hf orchestra below.) j At. this point Madden assumed the Hj burden of the sons. j "Arc you alone," he chanted in ex B ecltent 'imitation of the Wagnerian stvlc, "or are you solitary?" B am alone," warbled .Jean to an B improvised air, entering blithely into K the spirit of the performance, st except, HF alas, for those who are with me!" ("Zim! Zim!" came again from the bass viols, who, beiufr lnrely composed of upper classmen, felt th;It they were B privileged to :omport themselves with the dignity due the occasion.) H " Tis well.'' declaimed Madden. striking a high ke3 in a very dramatic B manner. "Then we will ascend, as- uond, and have a little practice with f: "Ascend, thou lobsf urinos," retorted Hj; .Jean, promptly, resortinp to the Italian Htj method of d'olivery. And. while he Hf launched forthwith into an air from Ijl Donizelti, the others marched solcmn- H ly through the doorway, omitting, a E more or less straggly "Amen," in fee- H bio imitation of the church service. V' In ;i l'i v: moments a light shone H. bright i; ''-om Jean's window, and tho HL men. man nf whom were members of tho 'Vniuv (Jlec club, broke forth into E a capital rendition of the old fnvorito, Hl "Integer Yitae." with a surety of tone, swing of rhythm, and purity of har- H; inony which" almost innriably charac- Hf terize such impromptu )orformanccs. Hj . In the meantime Marian had re- mained seated on tho, bench unnoticed and motio'iless. but when the. words of ' tho beautiful old glee' were borne down 1o her through tho open window by the H'i l'ollicJcinir baud of students, she started H- I and trembled violently, as though stung to the quick. "Integer VitacJ " They H; scorned such n cruel, pointed mockery H' 1 'hose inspired verses of the fine old , Ifoman poet! Poor. . tortured, helpless H t i-rcaturo that she wns, she shrank still Hu farther back into the shade of the pro- Hf I rc-crinc elm. H; j " 'Don't, worjry!' " she repcati'd bit- B-. j i tcrly. "Uo said 'Don't worry'! As Hy if I could do any tiling but worry. Oh. Htti Wilton, Vv'ilton, what shall T do? I lovo 3'ou so, dearest,; I love you so! But HA i how can' I help worry? Oh,':' sho added H? piteously, while thea tears streamed r. down her cheeks, "if there were only H:' some one who would be friendl- witli M7 ( mo. somebody who. could sympathize " HP ! At this critical juncture the stocky, H' exuberant fignro of Tom Brown ap- Hji I pcarcd as if by magic under the light HJi of the corner lamp. He "was 'very evi- Hfi dently in high good humor, and was Bu engaged in alternately whistling and Hflf hugging himself spasmodically for very Hr v "Oh, Erie," he mttttorcd, half aloud, B -half, to himself, "what a corker you V are! t knew 3-011 couldn 't stay real Ht mad with yjmr own Tom. The front H,r parlor for me again every Sunday Hj night." he chortled ecstatically. "The J horse-hair sofa for little Tommy. Oh, E! i gse, just to think I'm solid once more, HK ' and ull this damn nonsense lias blown X j over! Xow, why couldn't that dear 11 (JU'l have seen ihings in their right Hi I j prh f. from the beginning? But it's Hl just like women. They're so darned Hh 1 unreasonable only Evelyn is such a f' ; svvest. dclightfullv unreasonable little creature. Hello! What's this?' ' x Ho stopped abruptly when he saw l' tho forlorn figure huddled on the bench, r and fhen stepped over to her curioush'. "Oh," she cried, apprehen5ivel.y, ve- H cnlling the parting injunction of her H, brother. "MY. Brown, you must go Br away.' ' Tndecd 3'ou must. I it isn 't right for me to speak to vou." ' "I er oh, is it .you, Miss Thome? j Beg pardon it's so' dark, T couldn't make you out. I trust." he added in ;! 1 somfif, embarrassment, "that 3rou didn't Bj miii'lnnj- little thing T may 'have been saj-ingn m' sleep. You know, T am Bl a "rtianambulist somnambulist which- the dfctico is it, an3 way?" he added i "l ztimiu vexation. "Ono book says H i somnambulist, and the other sonnain- Bi I btilist, so how's. a poor devil to know? Bi- ( B- the waj, did you ever sec the opera Bi c' Sembrich in night gown candle aud all that sort of thing?" Hero Tom reached the end of his ropo, and waited despcratelj- for assistance from Marian. Cheored hy, the irresistible good nature of his "presence "Oh, Mr. Brown," she exclaimed with feminine inconsistonc3', and apparent- forgetting all about her brother's broth-er's prohibition. "I have waited to see vou for so long! T have wanted to to apologize, if I if I brought you any aii3' unhuppiness 1)3' being in your room I that miserable day. Everything seemed I so awkward untl I was so confused that T left without saving a word." "No, did you though?" returned Tom earnestlj' 'The fact is. T was sort of rattled myself thought I was dreaming, kind of a nightmare. 3'ou know." And then he stepped over to her, his face suddenlv beaming wir.li J03', and, making an elaborate bow, he removed the bunch of violets from the lapel of his coat, gazing at them with idiotic adoration. "Miss Thome," be announced, with n lanie assumption of solommt-, "you see before .you the happiest man in Cambridge tonight." "Oh, 1 am so glad," said Marian impulsively. "Then there were no no awkward consequonces from that horrid afternoon?" "Awkward? Consequences?" replied re-plied Tom gleefully. "1 tell you, my dear 3'oung Ind3 I'm solid again that is," iie added hurricdh-, "I in on probation; pro-bation; and you know that means I am wholly forgiven. At least," he said, with "a tinge of anxiety in his voice, "probation means forgiveness, don't you think. Miss Thome, especialh' when there is nothing to forgive?" "You don't, then,' said Marian gently, "you don't despise me, do rou? Yon know J " "Despise you!" cried Tom warmly, and beaming down upon her with tho honest glow of good .fellowship, "whyr, what ever put. such a foolish notion into your head? Despise 3-011? Why, I think' you are a brick! " Upon which ho held out both hands to her, and she. carried awa3' b.v tho exuberance of his spirits, clasped them j warmly. "Oil, thank you, Mr. Brown; you arc so generous, so kind thank 3'ou, j thank you! " . At this - interesting stage of affairs tho huge, awkward frame of Gerald Thome .appeared abruptly in the doorway door-way of the dormitory. For a moment he "stared at the two as if stunned. Then, recovering himself, he said, in a solemn, almost sepulchral voice: "Thank him. Marian? What do 3-ou mean?" He took a few stops nearer and glowered on Tom with an expression expres-sion of infinite scorn. "Why should .vou thank him,- Marian " he repeated sternly. His sister cast upon him a glance full of fear. "Oh T I it was nothing," she replied re-plied almost gasping with terror, and vainl,y endeavoring to release her hands from' the flagrant delict of Tom's hearty grasp. " Tt was nothing, eh?" thundered" Gerald, approaching the two threateningly. threaten-ingly. "What did I tell you onl3' a fow minutes ao? What were 3'ou thanking him tor, T sa3?" Tom, who up to this time had been wholly dumbfounded by the sudden ap-parition ap-parition 'of the sinister Thorno and his upbraiding demeanor so much so in fact that he unconsciously retained a. tenacious grasp of Marian's hands now began to come to. "Wby," he. said chcorfulh-, "my dear follow, there is no occasion for all this tragcd3 Your sister. Miss Thorne, was was mereh' thanking me for these violets that "T was giving her," he added, as he finally released his hojd, but allowed the violets to remain re-main in her hand. "Oh, is that so," replied Thorne with a sneer as he stepped up to them, livid with suppressed rage. "Well," ho cried, snatching the unfortunate- bouquet from his sister's grasp and hurling it on the ground in a highl.y dramatic fashion, ''allow me to tell 'you that 1113 sister can dispense with your attentions as well as with j'our violets." Anil, putting put-ting Marian's hand on his arm. he strodo off majestically b her side into the darkness. For several moments Tom looked after aft-er their retreating forms in utter bewilderment, be-wilderment, and then leaned weakly up against the friendh' elm for support. 'Well, I'll be jinged!" he exclaimed, ex-claimed, in genuine amazement, "wouldn't that freeze ?" But. alas, his troubles were not over .vet. For. while, he had been surreptitiously surrepti-tiously slipping tho violets into Marian's Mar-ian's hand, two girlish figures, unnoticed un-noticed 1)3" h'nn and 1)3' Marian and Gerald, had loomed up under the murky shadow of tho tVec. and had remained standing there, silent witnesses of the brief but fatal colloquy with Thorne. And thc3r had remained there, speechless speech-less and immovable, when Tom began his dazed soliloqi-. It is perhaps needless need-less to say ihat the two figures were those of Edith and Evelyn, who were adopting this rather devious courso on their return homo from vespers "Eviol" exclaimed Tom, when at last, he had identified theso new arrivals. arri-vals. But that young kidy bent on him a glance of freezing significance, the full effect of which was, however, unfor-tunalelj unfor-tunalelj dissipated in the gloom. "Don't 3'ou dnro to speak to me!" she cried. "Don't you dare even to ovor look at mo again." And seizing the arm of her companion, who also npoared .to be.affoctcd b' a certain sense or vicarious injury, she" swept proudly down the walk, i'n the wako of Marian and Thorne. "Gee whiz!" exclaimed Tom, dropping drop-ping weakh' on the bench, and staring down at the fateful, scattered violets. "Geo whiz not even on probationl" And, as merciless Fato would have it, .there were wafted down from the room whero Jean do Kcszke was holding hold-ing forth, with his friends, the words of. the beautiful, clinging old' refrain: "Sweet, violets, I plucked them and brought them to Thee!" CHAPTER XV. Colton, tho Traitor. The ' thirtioth of April turned out to be a "magnificent spring dtt3 nbsoluteby cloudless, with ver3' little wind, and enough b'pice of tho dead winter in the air to .put Coach Hall's carefully trained proteges on edge and encourage them to break the record over tho old ono and seven-eighth milo course from the Longwood bridge down the river to tho end of the Bnsin. At the 'Vnrsitj' boathouso, three miles up the river, the crew and substitutes sub-stitutes and coach, together with the devoted Tubby, had assembled long before be-fore the timo appointed for tho firing of the pistol. Although this was no Yale race tho aquatic ovent of the year in which, of course, Ilarvard is principal concerned con-cerned it must be admitted that there was a considerable degree of nervousness nervous-ness and apprehension among the members mem-bers of the crew, in spito of tho fact, or perhaps because of tho fact, that the oclds wore largeh' in their favor. The men had repeatedly made excellent excel-lent time in practice over tho course, but, as is nlwa3's the case when contending con-tending against an unknown crew, especially es-pecially a crew from England where rowing is developed as the highest department de-partment of athletics, there was a very palpable element of uncertainty, and, to use the expressive, if somewhat trito, phrase of Mr. Bud Hall, the3T one and all realized the circumstance that they were "up against ir," They might win with ease and then again they might be wholly outclassed. True, there had been plenty of opportunities to witness the Englishmen's performances perform-ances ovor the same course, but 'our seasoned boatman will be the last man in the world to lay any particular stress on such tests. Conditions of tide, and weather, and wind, and the dozens of other matters that must be taken into consideration in determining determin-ing a crew's actual worth, vary sq much from da3' to (lay a3 even from hour to hour, that comparative "times" are little to bo depended upon. Thoro is no more sensitive, delicately constituted organization in tho world than a highly trained collego athletic team, who are aware, not onl3 that they are burdened temporarily with tho good repute of the 'Varsity, but also of the possibly deplorable fact that their friends have backed them with the coin of the realm, even to tho bursting point, and that Ihcy are looked upon to redeem this confidence. All this spirit of apprehension passes off, perhaps, per-haps, during the actual conflict, but the tension before actual hostilities are begun is great far greater than the general public conceives. Thus it wns that the atmosphere of the whole boathouso seemed charged with an electric elec-tric spirit of nervousness the members of the crew assuming a confidence they did not altogether feel. Among those, however, who betrayed not the slightest sign .of agitation, though his very soul -was wrapped up in the event, was Tom Brown. Ar-raved Ar-raved in an cmergencj' uniform of white flannel, and canvas, shoes, so that he might make a change to rowing clothes on the shortest possible notice, he lounged about the lower floor of the boathouse with an air of indifference and nonchalance that wasm in marked contrast with the von' obvious, if subdued sub-dued unrest displayed ly the other. An he passed, during his promenade, near the front door, he met Colton and Ames entering. "Hollo, Wilton," greeted Tom in his accustomed hearty Tone. "What arc vou doing here? How 'do you do, Colton' How's tho betting!" ""Never saw anything like it, " replied re-plied Oollon, with what was for him a vcrv extraordinary manifestation of enthusiasm. en-thusiasm. "The Whole town has gone craz'. Tt looks liko a cinch for the 'Varsity." "Odds holding pood?" "Good? T should sa3' so." recurned Colton, eying Tom narrowly as he spoke. "Win, in somo places you can get three to one on Harvard." "Xo, is" that so?" inquired Tom. his eyes large with astonishment. "Thrco to one? Why say, Colton." he added, ad-ded, his sporting blood aroused, "do 3ou think von could place a little more monev for'ine? T'vc already gone the limit of my allowance, but, 3'ou know, it's a funny thing, even my old dad class of 75. 3'ou know has got the fever. Just soilt me a wire that I could go as far as T liked on our boys. Of course T don't want to be reckless, but, at two to one ' "Til tell you what I'll do," said Colton coufiduntiallj, with an air of one revealing a " cood thing" as a particular par-ticular favor. "There is a friend of mine down at the Union Boat club who, strange to my, thiuks these foreigners stand a show of winning. He:s even ready to put up even money on the .Beefeaters. Now, if you sa so. I'll lav any little bet for .you on those terms. He's a 'greeny" I gucas, but there's no reason why 3'ou shouldn't pick up his mone3' if he chooses to let it lie around loose." "Even money I" cried Tom, staring in astonishment, at tho smug, inscrutable inscrut-able face of the other. "Vh the man is mad. Xo. TVs ton much like robbery. rob-bery. Vou Can lay -i'nOO for me if you like at two to one, but T won't hold the chap up at even mone3. T believe in giving a follow a chance." At this point Ames stepped between the two and placed his hand on Tom's shoulder. . "Kid," he said earnestly, his usually nale face slightly flushed, "don't j-ou do it! Don't .vou bet. Our fellows might not win." "Not win," laughed Tom incredulously. incredu-lously. "What's got into ypu, Wilton? Don't you suppose I know what the crew can do. especially with that funereal fun-ereal giant Thorne at stroke. It's like ' taking tho milk bottle from bal3" 1 And then turning 10 Colton, he ndded: I "Go ahead, old man; place 3500 for 1 me two to ono. will .vou?" I "Sure thing," replied Colton, making mak-ing a memorandum in his note-book, at tho same time bestowing a significant scowl upon Amos, who was tho ver3 picture of chagrin. At this moment the excited, corpulent corpu-lent form of Tubby Anderson might have been observed" at tho top of the stairwa.y leading to the lockers and dressing-rooms. "Sa3 Colton." he cried eagerly, "put rnc down for $25. will .you? And by the way, T shouldn't mind Iho even money proposition, if your friend is so cock.su re." "Twenty-five? So bad as that?" inquired Colton with a grim smilo. "All right down you go even money." "And pa3" continued Tubb.y, "Bud Hall wants all the subs np hero o get into their rowing things right away." "All right." replied Tom, moving toward the stairwaj'. He turned around abruptly, however, and, after looking yearningly at Ames for a moment, drawled out: "I sa-aj. Wilton, your sister, Evelyn Miss Evelyn is she er quite well?" "She doesn't seem veiy cheerful," replied Ames. "Great!" responded Tom,' slapping his log in delight. "No no! That Is it's top bad, Wilton. I'm deucedb sorry she isn't cheerful. Now, if there is niV3' little thing I can do to jolb her along b3 the wa3," he broke off suddenly," sud-denly," as a fearful thought struck him, "docs Happy Thurston sec her very of ton? Dear old Happ3, 3'ou know he's such a nice fellow. Oh, never mind. It's none of nvy business, of course, only I'm kind o of interested inter-ested in Happ3. He's such a dear friend of mine, you know." Bud Hall, the conch, here appeared at the head of tho staircase. He was garbed, as ever, in his crimson sweater, and an experienced e-o could detect the fact that he was in a highly wrought up condition, a circuniBtance which he wns making herculean efforts to conceal for the sake of an example to his charges, several of whom, being new to the crew, were suffering from more or less acute attacks of that dread disease, "stage fright," which so often affects the veiy best athletes at a critical moment. "Kid Brown!", ho shouted, to an accompaniment ac-companiment of strong words which are regarded as the prerogative of the pro fossional coach, and which he is fain to take full advantage of, "what tho devil do you mean by loafing around down there when 1 've given orders for all you subs to get into our pants? Do you take this for a Sunda3 school picnic? Haven't T got enough trouble without chasing after you like a nurse? 'Come up hero or I'll knock .your block 'off!" Tom, thus adjured, and having finished finish-ed his highly satisfactory and rhetorical rhetori-cal address to Ames, ran lightly up the steps to join tho eager, excited crowd who worb preparing for . the momou-tous momou-tous event of the day. And. as if making point of the fact that Mr. Bud Hall alread- had troubles enough .to bear, the front door of the boathouso opened, and Gerald Thorne entered, looking, if possible, more sepulchral, se-pulchral, more solemn than ever. On seeing him the coach almost danced for very rage. 'Well, what tho ," he ' exclaimed. ex-claimed. "Where- have 3'ou bceu all this timo? Have- 3rou got it in for me? Do you want to make me bughouse? bug-house? Didn't you know you was to be here over an hour ago?" Thorne stopped as he was about to mount the steps, a peculiar dejection in his manner. "I'm very sorr, Bud," he said. "I tried to see my "sister before corning over to The. boathouse to get a litlle' encouragement from her." Here he looked around on Colton and Amos, and his manner became even more diffident, more awkward. "You see," he continued con-tinued apologetically, "I'm not situated situ-ated liko the other folloy,s here. I have no no friends to give mc tho glad hand whon anything like this is going on. So I stopped, as.T snid,to. seo my sister. I thought perhaps she might give mo a little send-off. and it might be good luck for all of un. waited for her, but sho wasn't there; that '8 what kept me late." , "Well, never mind about excuses now, exclaimed Hall brusquely "we'll give ou nil tho send-off you need. You como on up here and get into 3our pants.' When Thorne had disappeared into the locker room, closo.13 followed b3 tho coach and Tubby, who. in spite of tho fact that he was to take no nclive part in the proceedings, betrayed an agitation aud anxiety wholly at variance with his generally chubby, .serene aspect, as-pect, Colton. left, alone below with Ames, turned viciously upon tho latter. ''What the deuco do .you mean," he snarled, "b.y telling Brown not to bet?" "I want to tell eve'body. " replied Ames doggedly. "I feci as if I must shout it aloud." "Oh, you do, do .you," cried Colton passional el.y, now thoroughly exasperated, exasper-ated, 'you would liko to shout if aloud, eh? Give the wholo snap awn 3-, eh? Wh.v you .you make me lircd. You confounded idiot, do 3011 want to queer the whole thing'? Why the deuce don't you pull 3'ourself together aud make some coin 01 your own account, instead of coming this high-handed saint game? Hang it all, don't .you know we've got tho whole business "fixed. I 'II lend 3011 some ensh If you " "No 3ou won't!" shouted Ames, turning on his persecutor fiercely, for once rousing himself from the attitude of inferiority and submission in which ho usually found himself in the presence pres-ence of the older nmn, "you won't, I say I You've got me where 'ou want me.vv I've done this low-down iriek becaiiee you forced me to do it. I've got Mn nan Miss Thome, to agree to leave town today becnuse because," ho said, his voice trembling pathetically, pathetical-ly, "because I rcqueutcd her to do so, and sho believes I am about to follow her! And I've given her all tho money L could scrape together and borrow to go awaj' with. But. if I had a thousand dollars this minute, L'd put it on the 'Vnr.sitv. Damn 3011," he cried wildly, wild-ly, gazing at Colton defiantly, "I'd put it every cent 011 the 'V'arsit3!" Colton remained for a moment silunt. regarding Ames with a look of unspeakable unspeak-able disgust. At length, gripping his walking stick nervoush', he stepped up to him and stared at him long and senrchingly. "Oh, ho!" he said, llnall.y. "So you would bet it all on the 'Varsity, would you. What a fine, loyal fellow you iire. You would aend this unfortunate unprotected girl away for fear of your own skin, but you would bet a losing game on lhe 'Varsity. Bahl What kind of a hero do .you take yourself to be. anyhow? But look here, my man," he added, suspiciously, "you're not playing me an3' low-down tricks? The girl's really going to leave, isn't she? You've carried out our agreement as 1 told vou?" "You left me no alternative," replied re-plied Ames, sullenly. "I've done just as I told 3'ou. She has probabby left town b3 this time." Colton reached into his pocket and took out a sealed aud addressed envelope. envel-ope. " r.'vc got no grudge against 3011, Ames," he said slowly, "but I won't allow this scheme- to fall through on account of our monkey business. I have here," "he continued, showing tho envelope, "a message from IuTish Thorno to her brothor. telling him Bbe has j F loft town, and bogging him to folln-v You told her to send such a note did l you?" uu t , "I told her to inform her brothor " ' if" that she was going away," Tepli fl ' Amos weakly. . , ; , "Well," suid Colton threatoninglv ,U'. still not altogether absolved frornlils i -' suspicion, "if tho message doesn't show up before, the race, this littlo note ' ' t will answer the purpose, though I wrote if fc it myself anonymously. When Thorn'6 I K 4 receives this note ho will, if 1 know Sri? him and I feel quite sure that 1 do if' i rush off after his sister in spite of all i t tho boat races in the world. And listen ' s t to me, Ames," he went on sternly M1 "I'm not going to loso nny money hv i you; there's too much at stake, and 1 if everything doesn't como up to v schedule, you know what. I'll do." H0 stepped still closer, almost thrusting "" his evil face into that of the younger i ! man. "That's all. I guess you'll bo -U ' -good. But if you fail me, I'd like to seo 3'ou explain the situation to Thorne. A fine, powerful fellow, isn't hc7 One Wtf of those fellows who don't care wheth- yt er school keeps or not, when they're 'iifl real mad. And," he added significant- H ly, "he loves his sister more doarly flllV' than .his life. An ugly customer, un- ql der certain conditions, eh?" (To Bo Continuod.) """151-- |