Show 11 FRANK TELEGRAM MERRIWELL BY R SERIAL GILBERT m FOR PATTEN FATTEN LY YOUNGSTERS AT fG FARDALE DALE I I SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING INSTALMENTS INSTALMENTS INSTALMENTS IN IN- When Bart Hodge a vain youth of 16 alights from froma a train at Fardale Far Far- dale he stumbles over a half-blind half dog and in a rage kicks the animal The dogs dog's owner Tad Jones a small shabby boy who supports his widowed widowed widowed wid wid- I owed mother denounces Hodge This nettles Hodge and he slaps wad Tad Frank Merriwell an orphan of Hodges Hodge's age prevents him from further molesting Tad Although the two do not come to blows Hodge sneeringly says says they will settle their differences later He lIe and Merriwell came came to Fardale to attend the Fardale Fardale Fardale Far- Far dale academy While Hodge consults consults con con- suits Joe Bemis truck driver for forJohn forJohn forJohn John about his baggage Merriwell Merriwell Merriwell Mer Mer- accompanied by Tad and his dog starts to walk to house As they near the pla place e the truck with Hodge driving rumbles down the road and runs over and kills Tads Tad's dog Occupying Occupy Occupy- ing a room next nest to Merriwell's in inthe inthe the house is Barney Mulloy who dislikes Hodge They become good friends Merriwell offers to help Mulloy get into one of th the academy dormitories by appealing to Professor Scotch a friend of Mer MerrIwell's uncle Asher I INSTALMENT 3 TADS TAD'S NEW DOG With true true Irish spirit Ba Barney ney Mulloy was ready and eager to fight for a friend and he had picked Frank Merriwell fo for fora a friend in short order But Frank promptly declined Barneys Barney's offer to silence Bart Baft Hodge in the manner he had proposed That he said laughing certainly certainly certainly would make me look like the sissy Hodge said I was Ive I've been brought up to fight my own battles when fighting Is necessary but I never go hunting for trouble Oh yes said Mulloy his eyes twinkling Then what made ye jump In quick as a. a 8 wink when you saw Mr Hodge kick a dog and slap the boy t that at owned him Now that was different Barney Nobody but a poor fish could have stood still and let him get away with that Barney nodded his head Now ow ow Ive I've got your number he said So sit Ill it on the sidelines and do the cheering Its It's a notion Ive I've got that the show will be good when It comes off Somebody was playing the piano In the big front room when they came down to supper Through the open door Merriwell got a glimpse of the back of a slim haired fair-haired girl whose hands were fluttering like white butterflies over the keys Only a glimpse as he walked past the door but not many young girls could play like that in these days of canned music and the radio and he was interested that Barney he asked A pip said Mulloy grinning Names Inza Burrage She's got a brother In the school Is she staying here at saddle Oh no But got a horse she rides like a cowgirl and she's chummy with Belinda who's throwing a kitten party this evening eve eve- ning no ning-no no gents allowed She arrived arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar rived early earh Who's Belinda daughter A good kid but a bit of a bou bouncer Shell She'll pass us our rations Belinda was serving Bart art Hodge who had arrived ahead of them when they entered the dining room She was as Barney had stated a abit abit abit bit of a bouncer but she ahe had a pleasant intelligent face Hodge apparently was joll jollying ing her but buthe buthe ut uthe he dropped it at once and put on an anair anair anair air of or dignity when they came In Too bad about that old dog Merriwell he said Neither Bemis nor I knew the truck hit hU him Mr sa says s 's that even you OU dont don't think I 1 ran over him intentionally I 1 wouldn't like to think that you or or an anybody body else would else would deliberately deliberate deliberate- ly kill a small boys boy's pet dog no matter how worthless the creature might be Hodge Thanks acknowledged Bart He smiled as he said it but it seemed to Merry that there was a sneer hidden behind the smile After that Hodge took no part in inthe inthe inthe the conversation He ate hurriedly and left the table before Frank and Barney Barne were much more than half through the meal meat With a show of careless generosity he dropped a abill abill abill bill beside his hs plate as a tip for Belinda Im glad that baby's gone growled Mulloy Its ls l's good food Mrs cooks but the sight of him soured it for me Oh forget him advised Frank The sound of the piano which had continued at intervals ceased entirely a few moments after Hodge left the room But it was a surprise for Merriwell and Mulloy Mulroy the door of the living room a little later to see Bart standing beside the stool on which the haired fair girl was vita sitting She had turned from the instrument tnt 1 and was listening listen listen- ing as he talked to to her with the self-assurance self of ofa of-a a fellow who had no doubt of f himself Frank got a good look ather now A pip is right Barney he said Mid The nerve of that guy muttered ed edthe d the Irish bo boy Merry pulled at his elbow Lets Letsgo go for a walk he proposed Far away in n the east the round moon spilled silver over the still sUll bosom of the ocean Golden lights glowed warmly In the windows of the school dormitories The night was as mild as a night in June but its pleasant odors were those of September Crickets were fiddling fiddling- in the ro roadside grass Somewhere from within the acad academy y grounds came a chorus of lie boyish Ish voice singing a school song as as Frank and d Barne Barney walked slowly past the open f gate Sounds pretty said Mullo Mulloy Swell said Frank The They didn't talk much until they had followed a well trodden path down to the shore on which the I gentle rollers ofa rising tide were breaking white Then their tongues I were loosened For more than an hour they sat there and chatted of many things that interested them both They joked and laughed a great deal And before they started back for tor John place they felt as if they had known each other all their lives On the road at the foot of or the hill Frank halted and stared at two approaching figures A small boy was being pulled along by the leash of a huge dog to which he was clinging Is that you ou Tad Jones Frank called wonderingly Sure its it's me Frank was wu th the reply as the boy was dragged to toward toward toward to- to ward them by the dog Ive come over overto to show yet yer yer my new dog But dont don't you touch him for he ain aint t well nd ad he might bite yer The hair on the animals animal's back was bristling It growled sullenly with its nose nOlle thrust out toward I Merr Merry and Barne Barney White foam dripped from its mouth Mulloy 1 looked hurriedly around Hold him e n lad he ho said till tillI I climb a tree Oh he wont won't touch yer er less Jeu I Itell Itell Itell tell him to said Tad Jones But Id I'd just like to see that feller Hodge kick this dog Tige would chaw chew a leg right off from him If It he did Wouldn't you Tige The creature growled still more mor alarmingly you get that beast Tad asked Frank I Oh Silas Gleason gave ga him to tome tome tome me when he heard my Shag had been run over nd killed But ther theres there's something the matter matter mat mat- ter with him Silas Gleason said he was sick a little but that hed he'd be all right In a day or two He just cant can't seem to ta stay still sUiI that's alt all altNow lL Now look here Tad said aId Merriwell MerriwelL Mer- Mer rl I dont don't like the way that dog Is acting You better take him right back to Gleason and tell him you dont don't want him If It you ou dont don't you'll have trouble with him Oh no Frank protested the thebo bo boy Oh no I do want him I gotter have a dog nd this onell oneIl look lookout lookout lookout out for himself nd me too when any big bum like Bart Hodge gets fresh Im I'm goin to keep him To Ta the relict relief of Mulloy the dog switched round suddenly and began to pull In the opposite direction He wants to go back home now said sad Tad nd hes he's so strong I gotter let him have his own way Good Goodnight Goodnight Goodnight night Frank Merry watched the huge animal dragging Tad away by the leash Now what do you think of that Barney he asked that a afine afine atine fine tine dog to give a small boy to play with He acts hungry said Barne Barney If I had him its it's arsenic Id I'd feed him on Copyright 1936 for The Telegram Continued 4 |