CHAPTER XX
SUCH GLORIOUS LUCK
Paul walked down the street, swinging the baseball bat carelessly, andsoftly whistling to himself.
He left the street on which his chum's house fronted, and presently cameto his own thoroughfare.
"H'm!" he said to himself, as he boldly turned in here; "looks kind ofhalf dark for a fact; but that always suits fellows up to a mean dodge. Imusn't hit too hard, for this is an awful tough old bat, that has broughtme in more than a few home-runs. Well, it's helping me make one now," andhe actually snickered at the conceit.
As he advanced he braced himself for the expected fray. Of old he knewTed Slavin was a muscular fellow, capable of enforcing obedience from hisslavish followers.
What was that? He certainly heard the sound of voices a little furtheralong. And somehow one of them seemed to give Paul a strange feeling;for he was positive that it was a girl's tones; and he recognized themtoo!
Ward Kenwood was taking Arline home; and for some unknown reason chose toselect this very street as a part of his route, although it was a littleout of the way.
How strange that they should all come together just at that veryidentical spot, where the trio of ambushed boys were crouching, ready tospring out.
Ah! Paul caught sight of something moving close by. He felt sure that itmust be the concealed fellows, launching their boom. Yes, now he couldmake out their figures as they emerged from the bushes on the jump.
Some one screamed. It must be Arline, frightened by the appearance ofthese ugly, uncouth forms dancing upon the pavement.
Instantly the greatest confusion existed, with the ambushers attackingPaul, to shout in consternation when he began to thump them heartily onthe legs and backs with his baseball bat; and the girl standing theretrying to shut out, with her clasped hands, the strange sight, seen sodimly in the half darkness.
The patter of feet down the street told only too well where her protectorhad gone; but he was valiantly calling lustily for help as he ran.
Met by such a determined opposition, overwhelmed by the shower of punchesand whacks that seemed to be freighted with painful reminders; andstartled by the cries of the fleeing Ward, not to mention the littleshrieks of Arline, the three boys who had been the cause of all thisexcitement soon had enough.
"Skip out, fellers!" roared Ted, as he almost doubled up when theswinging bat came with considerable force against his ribs.
The others were only too willing to obey. Away they clattered after thefleeing Ward, who, hearing what he took to be a hot pursuit, let loosemore vigorously than ever, still crying for assistance.
Paul was laughing now, for the comical side of the thing seemed to haveoccurred to him. He took out a match and struck it. As the light flamedup, Arline, who had by now ceased her cries of alarm, possibly guessingthe truth, stared at the face of the victor.
"Oh! Paul! is it you?" she said; and somehow he seemed to understand thatshe was more than glad of the opportunity to make up with him.
Boylike he pretended to hold back, and as the light went out, leavingthem once more in the gloom, he remarked:
"Yes, those fellows were lying in wait for me. They expected to giveme a sound thumping; but I was warned and ready. I'm sorry that you wereannoyed by the row, Miss Blair. I'll stay here with you until yourcompany comes back. I think he must have gone for help!" this with somebitterness and scorn.
She moved closer to him. Possibly the darkness made her afraid; and thenagain some other cause may have influenced her.
Paul felt her hand on his arm, and was thrilled when she said:
"Please don't mention him to me again. Oh! what a miserable coward, torun off and leave a girl that way. Won't _you_ take me home, Paul?"
He could not say anything for a minute, he was so overcome. And perhapsArline thought he must still be angry because she had treated him soshabbily of late.
"Please, please do, Paul. I want to tell you how sorry I am for believingwhat came to me in a roundabout way. I'll never forgive myself, never!"she went on, clinging to his arms.
Paul could hold out no longer.
"Of course I will, Arline, and glad of the chance. Come on before anybodyhurries out to see what all this noise means."
So they walked down the street together, Paul with his faithful battucked under one arm, and a pretty girl clinging, oh! so confidinglyto the other.
But the boys of Stanhope often made more or less of a noise on thestreets after dark, being filled with exurberant spirits; and so no onethought it worth while to investigate what all the racket meant.
Paul heard what had been carried to the ears of Arline, and had notrouble in proving to her complete satisfaction that he was entirelyinnocent of the charge.
"And to think that I allowed myself to believe it," said the girl, almostcrying; "oh! Paul, will you ever forgive me? Nothing can ever make melisten to anything wrong about you again. I wonder if he had a hand inhatching that wretched story up. If I knew it I would tell him to hisface what I thought of him!"
"You mean Ward. Please don't do that. I really can't believe any fellowwould be so mean and low. It must have been just accident that coupled myname with that affair. But I'm satisfied if you say we're going to bejust as good friends as ever," Paul said, warmly.
"Better than ever, I hope, Paul. I've had my lesson. It will never happenagain, I promise you," she answered, pressing his arm as she spoke.
So Paul saw her safely to her door, and then said good-night; but Arlineinsisted upon shaking hands with him; and the tingle of his fingers as hewalked down the street made him laugh with joy.
"What luck!" he kept saying to himself, as he made out to shake his ownhand; "and what a mess of it Ward made of his chances. He thought to havethe laugh on me if we met, and here the shoe is on the other foot. Oh!I'm not complaining a little bit. Everything's coming my way now."
Nothing further happened on his way home. But when he reached the househis father met him with the announcement that Jack was holding the wire,and waiting for him.
"On deck there!" he said, briskly, and heard an exclamation of relief.
"How is it, Paul? Anything doing? Seemed to me I heard an awful racketover your way; but the nine-forty train was just coming in at thestation, and drowned it out. Did they tackle you, son?" demanded Jack,eagerly.
"Did they? Well, I guess some! Ask Ted," chuckled the one addressed.
"You're laughing, and that tells me you enjoyed the circus. What did youdo to poor old Ted and his cronies, Paul?" entreated the other.
"I could tell you easier what I didn't do to 'em, Jack. I gave the boysabout every style of punch and jab I could think of, and with my home-runbat too. Oh! make up your mind they're going to be a sore lot in themorning. And if you run up against Ted, just sniff the air for arnica. Myword for it, he'll empty the bottle to-night on his bruises."
"Bully! bully! and again bully! I would have rushed to assist you onlyyou made me promise to keep my hands off; and you're my superior officer,you see. Besides, I reckoned that with such a hunky-dory bat you'd beable to give just pie, which you did, Paul."
"But the half hasn't been told yet," went on the narrator.
"What! do you mean there's a sequel to this story?" asked Jack, burningwith eagerness apparently, to hear.
"I guess that's what it is. Listen. Ward was just taking a young ladyhome. He chose to pass along our street, though now he wishes he hadn't;for they arrived just when Ted and his backers jumped out of the bushes.She screamed, and her escort sprinted down the street for help. After Ihad punched and pounded the three Hallowe'en left-overs from last yearuntil they faded away, I had the pleasure of seeing the young lady to herdoor, yum! yum!"
"Hurrah! and I bet all differences are patched up again between you!"cried Jack.
"Everything is lovely, and the goose hangs high," sang Paul.
"Meaning poor old blundering Ward. He showed himself for a coward tothe girl he's sweet on. Oh! my, oh! me, how is the mighty
fallen.Congratulations, good friend, and then more of them. So the clouds havedisappeared along your horizon, just as they did on mine. I only wish I'dhad a hand in clearing your skies."
"So you did. You kept that baseball bat of mine until the right minutecame. Only for that my name might have been mud," laughed Paul.
"And if you'd only open your heart now, and give me a hint about thefellow you believe has been playing that trick on me with my oldcoins--"
"Just you wait a little. It's coming soon. So-long!" and with a click theconnection was cut off.
The Banner Boy Scouts Page 20
