Part 97

"Dr. Marks says I'm not to go," said Joel, telling the whole at once.

"Dr. Marks said you were not to go!" repeated David. "Why, Joel, why?" he demanded in a gasp.

"I haven't studied; I'm way behind. Let me alone," cried Joel. "I've got a perfect lot to make up," and he clutched harder than ever at his hair.

"Then I shall not go," declared David, and rushing out of the room he was gone before Joel could fly from his chair; which he did, upsetting it after him.

"Dave--Dave!" he yelled, running out into the hall, in the face of a stream of boys coming up from gymnasium practice.

"What's up, Pepper?" But he went through their ranks like a shot. Nevertheless David was nowhere to be seen, as he had taken some short cut, and was lost in the crowd.

Joel bent his steps to the under-teacher's room, knocked, and in his excitement thought he heard, "Come in." And with small ceremony he precipitated himself upon Mr. Harrow, who seemed to be lost in a revery, his back to him, leaning his elbow on the mantel, and his head upon his hand.

"Er--oh!" exclaimed Mr. Harrow, startled out of his usual composure, and turning quickly to face Joel. "Oh, it's you, Pepper!" which by no means lifted him out of his depression.

"Dave says he won't go without me. You must make him," said Joel, in his intensity forgetting his manners.

"To Moose Island?" asked Mr. Harrow.

Joel nodded. He couldn't yet bring himself to speak the name.

"All right; I will, Joe." Mr. Harrow grasped the brown hand hanging by Joel's side.

"Really?" said Joel, swallowing hard.

"Really. Run back to your books, and trust me."

So Joel dashed back, not minding the alluring cries from several chums, "Come on--just time for a game before supper," and was back before his table in the same attitude, and hanging to his hair.

"I can study better so," he said, and holding on for dear life.

One or two boys glanced in. "Come out of this hole," they cried. "No need to study for to-morrow. Gee whiz! just think of Moose Island, Joe."

No answer.

"Joe!" They ran in and shook his shoulders. "Moose Island!" they screamed, and the excitement with which the whole school was charged was echoing it through the length of the dormitory.

"Go away," cried Joel at them, "or I'll fire something at you," as they swarmed around his chair.

"Fire your old grammar," suggested one, trying to twitch away his book; and another pulled the chair out from under him.

Joel sprawled a moment on the floor; then he sprang up, hanging to his book, and faced them. "I'm not going. Clear out." And in a moment the room was as still as if an invasion had never taken place. In their astonishment they forgot to utter a word.

And in ten minutes the news was all over the playground and in all the corridors, "Joe Pepper isn't going to Moose Island."

If they had said that the corner stone of the dormitory was shaky, the amazement would not have been so great in some quarters; and the story was not believed until they had it from Joe himself. Then amazement changed to grief. Not to have Joe Pepper along, was to do away with half the fun.

Percy ran up to him in the greatest excitement just before supper. "What is it, Joe?" he cried. "The fellows are trying to say that you're not going to Moose Island." He was red with running, and panted dreadfully. "And Van is giving it to Red Hiller for telling such a whopper."

"Well, he needn't," said Joel, "for it's perfectly true. I'm not going."

Percy tried to speak; but what with running, and his astonishment, his tongue flapped up idly against the roof of his mouth.

"Dr. Marks won't let me," said Joel, not mincing matters. "I've got to study; so there's an end of it." But when Davie came in, a woe begone figure, for Mr. Harrow had kept his promise, then was Joel's hardest time. And he clenched his brown hands to keep the tears back then, for David gave way to such a flood in the bitterness of his grief to go without Joel, that for a time, Joel was in danger of utterly losing his own self-control.