Frank Merriwell's Son; Or, A Chip Off the Old Block

by Burt L. Standish

  CHAPTER XXI.

  AT MERRY HOME.

  On arriving in Bloomfield, they found Frank Merriwell at the stationwith carriages to accommodate them all.

  Imagine their feelings as they once more greeted their old comrade andleader. Even Buck Badger, the big breezy man of command, seemed to takea second place in the presence of Frank.

  Many of the Bloomfield citizens had somehow learned that several ofMerry's friends were coming on that train, and, as a result, there was agathering at the station. The curious ones stared at Merriwell's oldflock, and it was generally remarked that these friends of Frank were"all right."

  Eli Given, Uncle Ed Small, and Deacon Elnathan Hewett were there in atriangular group, and they nodded and chuckled and shook hands with eachother as Frank shook hands with the members of his old flock.

  "Purty 'tarnal good-looking people, Eben," said Eli. "Look at that bigfeller with the wide hat that has the leather band round it. There's areal man for ye."

  "Yep," nodded Eben, leaning on his crooked cane and looking the partyover. "He's a man, the hull of him, but even at that I don't cal'late hequite comes up to our Frank. What do you think, deacon?"

  "Boys," said Elnathan, "I ain't never yit seen the man that comes up toour Frank. All Bloomfield is proud of him to the bustin' point, and theyought to be."

  "By jinks!" grinned Eli; "that tall feller jest introduced one of thedark-eyed gals as his wife. Wush! but she's a beaut! He's homelier thana barn door with the paint washed off, but she's a peach. Wonder how heever ketched her."

  "She's Spanish, or French, or something ferrun," asserted Uncle Eb. "Iheerd her say something in some outlandish language to that otherdark-eyed gal."

  "Speakin' 'bout good-lookers," put in the deacon, "what's the matterwith the one the big feller pushed for'ard as his wife? I don't guessFrank needed no introducin' to them, for it seems to me that he's met'em both before."

  "But, my jinks," gasped Eben, "look at the sparklers in the ears of thatone in brown! S'pose them is real dimints? If they me, I bet they costmuch as twenty-five dollars apiece!"

  "Twenty-five?" said the deacon, with an intonation of contempt. "Youain't no judge of dimints, Eben! I bet they cost thirty!"

  "Most of them seem to know Frank's nigger, Toots," said Eli. "Look athim show them ivories and nod and bow. By jinks! he'll snap his headoff if he keeps that up. See that mouth of his'n stretch! The cornersare going to pass each other at the back of his neck in a minute. If hekeeps on, he'll lose the whole top of his head. It'll jest naturallycrack right off."

  "Well, well, boys, this makes me feel mighty good, myself," said thedeacon. "Never used to be no sech things as this going on here in ourtown. I tell you if I wasn't a temperance man, I feel so good I'd jestgo down to Applesnack's store and open up two or three bottles of gingerale."

  "A little hard cider for me," laughed Uncle Eb. "Rufus has it in hisstoreroom. I know where we kin git at the keg, boys, and I think webetter celebrate ourselves."

  "That's a good idee, Eben," said Eli. "We'll all go over to the groceryand wash the dust out of our throats with Applesnack's cider."

  "Now, boys," protested the deacon, "I don't think I'd better go. If itshould come out, people would talk. I think I'll keep away."

  "No, ye don't! No, ye don't!" declared Given, as he grasped one of thedeacon's arms. "Git hold of his other wing, Eben. We'll lead him up tothe keg and pour it into him, if we have to. There won't nobody see us,deacon. We'll be in the back room, and we'll have Rufus shet the door. Iguess you kin trust us, can't ye? I guess you ain't afraid we'll goround tellin' folks 'bout it, are ye? You know we're your friends,don't ye?"

  "Course I know it," retorted the deacon. "But it's some agin' myprinciples, boys. It ain't jest right."

  "Oh, fudge!" laughed Uncle Eb. "On a grand occasion like this you'dbetter set them air principles aside a little while. Frank is gittin'them into the carriages now. We'll see them off, and then we'll strollover to Applesnack's and have jest one little taste of that cider."

  "Let's start a cheer for Frank Merriwell and his friends as they go,"suggested the deacon.

  The others caught at this eagerly, and, as a result, when the carriagesstarted away from the station, the villagers on the platform, led by thethree "old boys," gave an irregular but hearty cheer for Frank Merriwelland his friends. Frank turned a laughing face toward them and waved hishand.

  "The people around here seem a-plenty stuck on you, Merry," observedBadger, who was in the carriage with him.

  "Oh, I have lots of friends in Bloomfield," answered Frank. "I hadenemies enough at the start, but my worst enemies--the most ofthem--have turned into friends."

  "Same old story," said the Kansan. "It was that way at college. Youalways made your strongest friends out of your bitterest enemies.Browning, for instance, was an enemy at the start, and I certain didn'tcotton to you any at all. We had some hot old times in those days,Merry. That's whatever!"

  "Hot old times! Grand old times!" came from Frank's lips. "I often thinkof them. You'll find Browning, Diamond, Hodge, and Carson at the house.And away back in the days at Fardale, long before I met you, Buck, BartHodge was a bitter enemy. Browning and Diamond are two of my instructorsin the A. S. of A. D. Hodge is my overseer at the mines. Bruce and Jackhave had their hands full this afternoon rushing the boys through theregular work in order that they might get off for the afternoon. Hodgeand Carson have been helping. I've kept Carson at work during the lastweek or so. It was necessary. Certain unpleasant affairs of his put himin a bad way, and the only thing was to take up his mind by work. Ihaven't given him much time to think and brood."

  "I opine we've got a brooder with us in the carriage behind," saidBadger, in a low tone. "Carker shows it in his face and eyes."

  "Oh, he's still suffering mentally over the troubles of the masses, Isuppose," said Frank.

  "There's something beyond that--something that has affected him stillworse," explained Buck. "You noticed Winnie's chum, Mrs. Morton?"

  "Of course I noticed her," smiled Frank. "Didn't you introduce me? She'srather pretty."

  "Well, to the surprise of both Winnie and myself, we discovered on thetrain when Madge and Greg met that there had been some sort of an oldlove affair between them. I reckon that's two-thirds the trouble withCarker."

  Over the bridge rumbled the carriages. As they rolled past Applesnack'sstore the grocer and several of his friends stood on the steps and waveda salute at them. All these villagers were smiling as if the reuniongave them almost as much enjoyment as it gave Frank and his old flock.

  After leaving the village they soon came in sight of the buildings ofFarnham Hall. These structures, located on a splendid site, broughtexclamations of astonishment and pleasure from all who had not seen thembefore.

  Then they saw Merry Home setting back amid the tall trees whichsurrounded it. The old Colonial house seemed to open its arms to them inwelcome.

  And on the veranda were Inza, Elsie, Jack Diamond, Bruce Browning, BartHodge, and Berlin Carson.

  It's impossible to describe adequately the meeting as the newcomers leftthe carriages and were greeted by those waiting for them. The chatterand laughter of the girls made merry music, but for the most part theyoung men shook hands in silence, looking deep into one another's eyesand letting the grasp of their fingers express the emotions their lipscould not speak.

  The two colored men, Toots and Jumbo, together with the young Irish manof all work, who had also acted as a driver, took the turnouts round tothe stables, where the three of them joined hands and did a crazy dance.

  "Bah golly, Jumbo, you big stiff," cried Toots, as he struck the hugedarky a resounding blow on the back, "Ah'ze the happiest nigger in dishull unumverse! Wasn't dat de finest-looking bunch ob people yo' eberset yo' homely eyes on, Jumbo? Bah golly! dat's de kind ob folks MarsaFrank trains round wid. Ain't dem gals jes' de slappinest good-lookersyo' eber see?"

  "Now don' yo' git familiar talkin' 'bout Marsa Frank's lady
friends!"warned Jumbo. "Ah'ze a friend to you, Toots, but dis familumarity don'sot well on mah stomach."

  "Aw, go on dar, you big brack jollier!" yapped Toots. "Ah'ze known MarsaFrank eber since he was knee high to a grasseshopper. Ah guess Ah knowsmah place. He's tol' me more'n once, 'Toots, yo'se a gemman distinctiveob yo' color.' Dar ain't no udder nigger dat could gib Marsa Frank apiece of device de way Ah can. He'd took it off'n me when he'd up andslam any udder brack sassbox right ober de crannyum whack-o! Don' yo'git no notion, Jumbo, jes' beca'se Ah injuiced Marsa Frank to gib yo' ajob, dat yo' ken hab de same familiar acquaintance wid him dat Ah has.Now back up an' look arter dem hosses! Git onto yo' job befo' Ahdischarges yo'!"

  "Well, wouldn't dat ar gib a ring-tailed elephant a cramp!" mutteredJumbo warmly, as he went about his work.

  An hour after the arrival at Merry Home the visitors were ushered intothe large, light, airy dining room, where they found seats at a longtable. There were servants enough for the occasion, and everything wasserved promptly.

  Mrs. Morton sought to secure a seat at Greg Carker's side, but in aclever manner Carker had avoided such proximity to her, without seemingto do so intentionally. Instead of having her at his elbow, it wasJuanita who sat there.

  "Well, senyorita," said Carker, smiling on her, "what do you think ofFrank Merriwell's home and his friends?"

  "Oh, eet ees the most splendeed theeng I evaire see," she murmured. "Eetmakes me feel so happy for you all."

  "Happy?" said Carker, regarding her closely. "Why, I fancied you werelooking rather unhappy. To me you seemed downcast. Has anything occurredto make you sad?"

  "Oh, eet ees that I am so far from home--perhaps," she answered. "Whydeed you not seet by the beauteeful lady you meet again one time moreon the train?"

  "Whom do you mean?"

  "The friend of Senyorita Badgaire. I theenk she ees so veree pretty. Sheees marreed, eh?"

  He shrugged his shoulders.

  "Yes, she's married," muttered Carker.

  "You are sorree?"

  "Sorry?"

  "_Si, senyor._ Eef she was not marreed, perhaps you would beside herseet."

  "I don't think so--at least, knowing her as I do now. Still, I don'tblame her. I'm the cause of it all."

  "You feel veree, veree bad?"

  "I'll be honest with you, senyorita--I can't tell whether I feel very bador not. I have felt rather upset, I confess. But, my dear girl, humannature is peculiar. It's a strange thing, but I believe most men andmost women take melancholy delight in feeling themselves to be martyrs.We all delight to moan over lost loves. That is the poetry in ournatures. Occasionally we spend our time grieving over some lost lovethat reason and good judgment tells us would have come to naught underany circumstances. I hope Mrs. Morton is happy and satisfied. Perhapsyou'll think me fickle, senyorita, but let me confess to you the factthat I'm not feeling as much like grieving as I was--before I met you."

  For a few moments Juanita did not seem to grasp his meaning, but whenshe did the soft, warm color mounted to her cheeks, and her confusionwas plainly evident.

  On the opposite side of the table Gallup nudged Teresa, who had beenplaced at his left.

  "Hey, Teresa," he whispered, "get onto Carker. Gol rap him! He's makinghay in a hurry."

  "What ees eet you mean to make the hay?" questioned Teresa, puzzled. "Tome it seem that he make the love. He talk so verree low that nobodyexcept Juanita hear what he say, and Juanita she blush."

  "That's right," chuckled Ephraim, "and, by Jim! Mrs. Morton is lookingdaggers and hoss pistols."

  Then he lifted his voice and addressed Carker.

  "Hold on there, Greg!" he called. "You can't eat your soup with yourfork! Why don't you use a spoon?"

  It was Carker's turn to be confused, but he forced a laugh.

  "I have a lamentable habit of becoming abstracted in pleasant company,"he said.

  "Evidently you find your company extremely pleasant, Mr. Carker,"observed Mrs. Morton, with a little toss of her head.

  "Extremely is not quite the word, madam," he replied, with a bow."Absorbingly pleasant is far better."