Читать книгу Dick Merriwell's Assurance; Or, In His Brother's Footsteps - Burt L. Standish - Страница 7

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“What is the matter, Doris?” asked Zona, as the path at length brought them through the woods and in sight of Lakeside Academy.

Doris shook her head and swallowed down a choking lump in her throat.

“Nothing,” she answered.

In a moment Zona’s arm was about her.

“Tell me,” she urged. “I am your friend. What was it Chester said to you? I could hear but little of it.”

“He said enough to prove conclusively that he is no gentleman!” declared the troubled girl.

“Oh! I am sure you’re wrong about that. He is naturally a gentleman, Doris. If he told you anything, he told it because he believed you should know.”

“But it isn’t true—it can’t be true. Dick wouldn’t say such things to his best friends. I will never believe the academy boys are talking such gossip.”

Again Zona urged her companion to tell, and Doris finally consented. With her cheeks burning, she repeated what Chester Arlington had said.

“What do you think of that, Zona?” she demanded.

The girl with the yellow hair turned her face away.

“I—don’t—know,” she murmured, finding it difficult to reply.

“You don’t know,” cried the other, grasping her arm. “Why, you don’t believe the boys are saying such things, do you?”

Suddenly, with a burst of absolute frankness, Zona turned toward her friend:

“Do you want me to tell you the actual truth?” she asked. “Perhaps it will be the best thing I can do. It will be better for you, better for Hal, better for Dick, better for every one.”

Although her heart was seized with apprehension, Doris urged Zona to speak.

“To begin with,” said Zona, “you know it’s true that your father and Hal’s, who have always been true friends, agreed long ago to make a match between you, if possible.”

“I know that,” murmured Doris. “And that’s the very thing I have resented most. As if we had no minds of our own. In France they make such matches, I believe, but not in this country. Any girl with the least spirit would resent it. It’s the very thing to make a girl detest a fellow.”

“But you don’t detest Hal?”

“Well, I thought I did. But for this foolish agreement between our parents I might have liked him very well.”

“Of course you would; you couldn’t help it. He’s a splendid fellow, and he’s done everything for you. All the girls like him, but as soon as you gave him the shake, he would have nothing to do with any of them.”

“I wish he would,” passionately exclaimed Doris. “I’d like him better myself if he would!”

“No doubt of that,” smiled Zona, showing her fine teeth. “At the same time down in your heart youyou know you like him very well as it is. You have given him the cold shoulder simply because you were provoked over that agreement, and because Dick Merriwell happened to be convenient as a friend. Hal has been too earnest in his attentions, Doris.”

“Not of late. He despises me now.”

“Don’t think that! He is paying you back in your own coin, that’s all.”

“But this has nothing to do with the gossip Chester Arlington spoke of. How does this prove Dick said he was sorry he had ever become so friendly? I know he is not the boy to boast that he cut Hal out.”

“If there was no such gossip, Doris, how did Chester know about it? You say you want me to tell you the truth? Well, I will, even though you get angry with me. I have heard such talk myself.”

“You?” breathed Doris, as she started away and stared at her companion, her hands clinched. “You, Zona?”

“Yes,” nodded Zona grimly. “Why, it is the most natural thing in the world. Dick has his friends and confidants, and he is liable to trust them with his secrets and tell them his thoughts. You know girls have to talk; they can’t help it. They have their little secrets, and it often happens these secrets are betrayed by the ones they trust. Brad Buckhart is Dick’s closest friend. Why shouldn’t he talk things over with Brad? It’s perfectly natural. Brad might tell some one else, and in that way it could leak out. If there was no foundation of the truth in it you may think it never happened.”

“But I can’t—I can’t believe it!” murmured the distressed girl. “I shall go to him and ask him about it myself.”

Zona shook her head.

“You will do nothing of the sort,” she asserted.

“Why not?”

“You have too much pride.”

“Pride?”

“Yes. You know you can’t face Dick and ask him about it. What would he think of you? He would fancy you were running after him, and I am sure you don’t want him to believe that.”

“No, no!” panted Doris.

“Now, be reasonable, dear. When you think it over you know well enough that you like Hal Darrell as well as you do Dick. It is only because you were proud and spirited that you gave him the cold shoulder. At the same time you must see that Dick likes June Arlington. Of course, it is nothing but friendship, but it is friendship of a sort that means something. Many a time you have told me how much Dick has done for Chester. Why should he do all those things? Wasn’t it for the sake of June, and not for Chester? You’re not the girl to run after any fellow. You know a fellow gets tired of a girl who chases after him.”

“Oh, I decided long ago that Dick and I could never be anything but ordinary friends.”

“Then let him see it—let him understand it.”

“How?”

“That’s easy. Suppose you receive attentions from Hal? That will open his eyes. He will understand what you mean quick enough. At the same time, if he still likes you more than he does June, it will bring him round pretty quick.”

“I don’t want to bring him round. If he bothered me I’d soon show him that I didn’t want his attentions.”

“Well,” laughed Zona, “at least you would have the satisfaction of doing that. If he didn’t come round you would know beyond question that he liked June better.”

“Oh, I don’t know what to do!” cried Doris. “I am just as miserable and wretched as I can be. It seems to me that every one is false and treacherous.”

“Not every one, dear,” murmured Zona, again clasping her friend. “You know you can trust me.”

Doris began to quiver:

“I—I—believe I—must cry!”

She could not keep back the tears of vexation and injured pride which welled from her eyes.

When the two girls reached the academy and were met by others who inquired about the game, Zona explained how Fardale had lost, and declared that both she and Doris had felt so badly over it they came near “crying their eyes out.”

Alone in her room, Doris gave way to her feelings, and the result of that “good cry” relieved the strain on her nerves so that she felt much better after it. Still she continued to think with perplexity and vexation of what Chester Arlington had told her.

Shortly after sunset, with the dusk of evening coming on, a carriage stopped before the academy, and June Arlington ran up the steps. She found Doris and Zona together in their room.

“Oh, girls!” she exclaimed. “I have a splendid plan! Mother has agreed to it, and I think it will be just fine! I am going to have the members of the baseball team and a few others at my house this evening, and I want you to come. I am going to invite several of the girls here, and we will have a jolly time. You know the boys feel so badly over that game that I think we ought to cheer them up. Now, what girls shall we invite?”

“That’s splendid!” laughed Zona. “Why, it’s almost an impromptu party! I wonder if we can obtain leave to go, Doris?”

“I think I can fix that,” said June. “I will see Miss Tartington about it myself. I don’t believe she will object.”

June and Zona eagerly talked over the plans, deciding on the girls to be invited. Doris took little part in this, which June finally noticed.

“What’s the matter?” she questioned.

“Oh, she was just about heartbroken over that game,” quickly explained Zona. “She can’t seem to forget it.”

“Nor I,” confessed June. “And I think I should feel worse than any one, for my brother pitched. We will make you forget it to-night, Doris.”

“I am not feeling well,” said Doris. “I—I don’t know as I can go.”

“Oh, goodness! What nonsense! Of course you will come. Why, we couldn’t get along without you.”

“Of course you will!” Zona joined in.

Suddenly through Doris’ mind flashed the thought:

“It is my opportunity to show him I don’t care.”

Immediately she said:

“Well, June, if Miss Tartington gives permission I will come.”