CHAPTER XIX--NED IS MISSING
Ned ate almost no breakfast, and Laurie noted the fact, but, after aglance at his brother's face, said nothing. After all, he reflected,there were probably others of the squad who were displaying no moreappetite this morning. Afterward, on the way to School Hall for theironly recitation of the day, he asked off-handedly: "How are you feeling,Neddie?"
Ned didn't answer at once. When he did, he only replied laconically:"Rotten!"
"How do you mean, rotten?" Laurie disguised anxiety under flippancy."Tummy out of whack? Or is it a case of ingrowing signals?"
"I don't know what the trouble is," answered Ned seriously. "I feelperfectly punk. And I--I'm scared, Laurie. I'd give a million dollars ifI didn't have to go to the field this afternoon. I wish to goodness Icould duck somehow. Say, feel my forehead. Isn't it hot?"
Laurie felt, and shook his head. "Cool as a cucumber, you old fakir.Buck up, Neddie! You'll feel better after a while. Did you sleep allright?"
"I guess so," replied the other dispiritedly. "I dreamed a lot. DreamedI was kicking goals over a bar as high as a mountain. And the ball wasas big as a hogshead. And there were about a million folks watching me,and Mr. Cornish was beating a bass-drum."
Laurie laughed. "Some dream, Neddie! Tell you what. After we get out ofhere, we'll take a nice, long hike. Mulford wants the players to stayoutdoors, doesn't he? Didn't you tell me he said you were to walk orsomething?"
Ned nodded. "I'm too tired to walk, though, Laurie. Guess I'll get abook and go over to the park. Or go down and jump in the river!"
"Fine idea!" scoffed Laurie. "What have you got against the river? Itnever did anything to you, did it?"
Ned, however, refused to smile. "You don't need to come along," he said."I--I guess I'd rather be alone, Laurie."
"You will be, if you're going to jump in the river, partner! The water'sa heap too cold to appeal to me. Well, cheer up. See you when we comeout."
There was a holiday feeling in the air this morning that didn't promisewell for recitations, and Mr. Brock's chemistry class was a sore trialto that gentleman. Yet, although he frowned often and sighed manydespairing sighs, he made allowance for the prevailing mood ofrestlessness and exhibited unusual patience. And finally it was over andthe class trooped out.
"You stay here," said Laurie, "and I'll run over and get a couple ofbooks from the room. What do you want?"
"I don't care--anything," answered Ned, listlessly.
When Laurie went off, Ned seated himself on a step and gazed forlornlyaround him. Groups of boys stood on the walks in animated conversation.Near at hand, a half-dozen juniors were discussing the game avidly,drawing comforting conclusions from a comparison of the season'sperformances of Hillman's and Farview. Suddenly the prospect of sittingon a park bench with Laurie became utterly distasteful to Ned, and, witha hurried glance in the direction of East Hall, he arose and made hisway along the drive and into Summit Street. There he turned to the leftand walked quickly to the corner. At Washington Street another lookbehind showed that he had made his escape, and he heaved a sigh ofrelief and went on past the library and into Cumber Street, headingunconsciously toward the open country eastward of town.
When Laurie returned to School Hall with a book for Ned and a magazinefor himself, he sat down and waited a few minutes, supposing that Nedwould be back. When he didn't come, Laurie went over to School Park,thinking that he had perhaps grown tired of waiting in the yard. But noNed was to be seen, and, puzzled but untroubled, Laurie dawdled intoPine Street. The white-and-red sign above the Widow Deane's little storeshone bravely in the sunlight. For an hour Laurie enjoyed the society ofPolly and Antoinette in the sunny garden, where, against the boardfence, a clump of hardy chrysanthemums made a cheery showing of yellowand lavender. Antoinette had retired to winter quarters, which meansthat a gunny-sack and a length of old red carpet had been draped overher box. But just now the drapery was lifted, and Antoinette was doinggreat things to a very large cabbage-leaf. Towser had establishedhimself in the sunshine atop the porch roof and gazed down benignly atthe pair below.
Laurie and Polly talked, of course, about the game. He and George wereagain to act as escorts to the two girls, a fact that had eaten a largehole in Laurie's remaining allowance. About ten o'clock he took himselfaway, reminding Polly to be ready at half-past one, since it took a goodten minutes to walk to the field, and because, wisely, he realized thatto Polly "half-past one" would mean a quarter or two. Climbing the fenceinto Bob's yard, he discovered that young man with a new crowbar aboutto begin an attack on the remaining posts of the arbor. So he removedhis sweater, moistened his hands in the time-honored and onlyefficacious manner, and joined the assault. After the posts were addedto the pile beside the fence, the two boys went indoors and refreshedthe inner man with piping-hot ginger cookies. Thus it was that it wasnearly noon when Laurie got back to Number 16, to find, to hisuneasiness, that Ned was not there. Nor, as far as any evidences showed,had he been there since before breakfast.
Laurie threw himself on the window-seat and tried to apply himself tothe magazine that he had carried all morning. But he began to be reallyworried about Ned. He didn't understand where he could be. Even if hehad gone off by himself, mooning along the roads, which was what Lauriesuspected he had done, he should have been home before this, for, asLaurie knew, the players were to go to lunch at twelve. Presently hedropped the magazine and strode across the corridor to Number 15. Kewpiewas not in, but Hop was there--a more than ordinarily serious-faced Hop,who replied to Laurie's inquiry in an absent-minded manner suggestingthat some one had placed him in a trance and gone away without awakeninghim. Hop hadn't seen Nid all morning. Kewpie had just gone over to WestHall. He hoped there wouldn't be any wind this afternoon. Farview had apunter that could do fifty yards easily, and a wind would lengthen hiskicks frightfully. Did Nod think those clouds meant wind?
Laurie withdrew without venturing an opinion in the matter. Football, hereflected, was a far more dangerous pastime than folks generallyrealized, when it could affect a fellow's brains like that! Downstairs,he searched the little group about the dining-hall door, and finallymade inquiry of Dave Murray. Dave was worried and excited and a bitshort-tempered.
"Nid Turner? No, I haven't seen him. He'll be here pretty quick, though.We eat at twelve."
He left Laurie, to push his way toward the entrance to accost Mr.Mulford, who was coming in; and Laurie went out and sat down on the stepand watched. Kewpie came striding across from West Hall, smiling andevidently very fit. But when Laurie questioned him the smile faded.
"Nid? No, I haven't set eyes on him. Isn't he here? Are you sure? Say,you don't suppose the silly guy has bolted? He was in mean shape lastnight, Nod. But he wouldn't do that! He's no quitter. He'll be here in aminute or two."
"Suppose--suppose he isn't?" asked Laurie, anxiously. "Would it mattermuch?"
"Matter?" Kewpie shrugged, one eye on the dining-hall door, throughwhich his team-mates were beginning to pass. "It wouldn't matter to thegame, I guess. I was only trying to cheer him up last night. Youunderstand. It isn't likely Pinky will use him. But it would be a badthing for him, Nod. It would be an awful black eye, in fact, if he cutthe game. Guess Pinky would just about can him for all time! I say, I'vegot to hustle in there. Why don't you have a look around for him? Maybehe's in the library, or over in West, or--or somewhere. See you later,Nod!"
Kewpie disappeared into the dining-hall, and a moment later the door wasclosed. Laurie acted on Kewpie's suggestion, and made a thorough searchof School Hall and the other dormitory, and even poked his head into thegymnasium, where only an empty floor met his gaze. After that thereseemed nothing to do but wait. Ned had already missed his lunch, for thefellows were coming out into the corridor when Laurie returned to EastHall. Murray nailed him as he tried to pass unnoticed to the stairs.
"Say, Nod, where's that brother of yours?" he demanded indignantly."Didn't he know that lunch was at twelve? Where is he, anyway?"
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br /> "I don't know, Dave," Laurie answered, miserably. "He went for a walkthis morning, and I haven't seen him since. I guess he went too far andcouldn't get back in time. I've been looking all over for him."
"That's fine!" said the manager, bitterly. "Mulford asked for him, and Isaid I'd look him up. You'd better find him mighty quick, Nod. Tell himto get something to eat somewhere and be at the gym not later than one.There's a floor drill then. I'll make it all right with Mulford,somehow. But there'll be the dickens and all to pay if he doesn't showup!"
Hoping against hope, Laurie hurried up to the room. But there was noNed. One o'clock came and passed. Time and again Laurie went to the gateand looked up and down the street, but without result. Ned haddisappeared utterly, it seemed, and the unwelcome conclusion grew inLaurie's mind that Ned had shown the white feather and had deliberatelyabsented himself. Laurie didn't like to think that, and there weremoments when he couldn't. But here it was nearly half-past one, and Nedhadn't come, and facts are facts! It looked, he thought sadly, like abad day for the honor of the Turners!
At half-past one he found George Watson in his room, and handed over oneof his tickets. "I can't go to the field with you," he said, "but I'llfind you over there. Try to keep a seat for me, will you?"
"What's the big idea?" asked George, blankly. "Why can't you go with us?That's a fine game to play!"
"I'll tell you later. I--I've got something to do. Be a good fellow,George, won't you? And tell Polly how it is, will you?"
"How the dickens can I tell Polly how it is when I don't know how it ismyself?" asked George, indignantly. "Oh, all right! But you want to getthere pretty quick, Nod. It's hard to hold seats when there aren'tenough of them in the first place. There's a regular mob going out therealready!"
Disconsolately Laurie hurried out and stationed himself at the dormitoryentrance. Presently the players emerged from the gymnasium in their togsand passed through the little gate to Washington Street. Laurie watchedthem file past, hoping hard that Ned would be among them. But, althoughall the rest were there, twenty-one in all, there was no Ned.
From Washington Street and Summit Street came a steady tramping of feet,accompanied by a swishing sound as the pedestrians brushed through thefallen leaves. Occasionally an automobile went by with a warning honk ofits horn at the corner. Looking over the withered hedge, Laurie couldsee the colors of Hillman's and Farview marching past, banners of darkblue bearing the white Old English H, maroon-and-white flags adornedwith the letters "F. A." Laughter and the merry, excited chatter of manyvoices came to him. The yard was empty, except for a boy hurrying downthe steps of West Hall, and he too quickly disappeared through the gate.
Presently Laurie looked at his watch. The time was eighteen minutes totwo. He left East Hall and turned toward the gymnasium. Out of theshelter of the dormitory a little breeze fanned his face, and heremembered Hop Kendrick's dread of a wind that would put more power intothe toe of the Farview punter. It might be, he reflected, that Hop wasdue for disappointment; but the matter didn't seem very important tohim. The locker-room in the gymnasium was empty. Over the benches laythe discarded underclothing of the players, and sometimes the outerclothing as well, suggesting that excitement on this occasion hadprevailed over orderliness. Laurie made his way to Ned's locker. It wasclosed, and behind the unfastened door hung his togs.
The Turner Twins Page 19
