“But, I say, Don, I’ve got some voice in the business, haven’t I? What right has Professor Beck or Professor Wheeler or – or any of them got to make me develop my muscles if I don’t want my muscles developed? When it comes to study, you know, why, that’s another – ”
“Well, if you’ll take my advice you’ll stop worrying about your rights and obey the rules.”
“But – ”
“Because if you don’t, Wayne, you’d much better have stayed at home. I – I tried asserting my rights once and it didn’t pay. And since then I’ve tended to my own affairs and let the faculty make the laws.”
“Just the same,” answered Wayne, with immense dignity, “I don’t intend to put up with injustice, although you may. I shall tell Professor Wheeler just what I’ve told you, and – ”
Don looked up from his book with a frown.
“Wayne, will you shut up?”
“But I’m telling you – ”
“But I don’t want to hear. It’s all nonsense. And, besides, if you’re going to say it all to ‘Wheels’ what’s the good of boring me with it? Talk about injustice,” groaned Don, “look at the length of this lesson!”
Wayne opened his book and, as a silent protest against his friend’s heartlessness, began to study.
CHAPTER V
PRINCIPAL AND PRINCIPLES
Wayne’s opportunity to protest came earlier than he expected. When he entered Bradley Hall in the middle of the forenoon to get his French grammar he found an official-looking note in the mail box. It proved to be from the principal and requested Wayne’s presence at the office at noon. The latter made hard work of the French recitation, and took no interest in the doings of Bonaparte in Egypt for thinking of the approaching interview and strengthening the arguments which were to confuse the principal and put the iniquitous school law to rout.
He found the principal’s secretary and two pupils, who assisted in the work, occupying the outer office. Professor Wheeler was engaged, but would see him in a moment. Wayne took a chair, resenting the delay which required him to nurse the state of virtuous indignation into which he had worked himself. The quiet of the room, disturbed only by the scratching of the pens or the rustling of paper, presently exerted a depressing effect, and he felt his courage oozing out of him. Then the secretary arose and went into the inner room. When he returned a moment later he left the door ajar and Wayne caught a glimpse of a warm-toned apartment, a portion of a high bookcase, and the corner of a broad mahogany desk. From within came a slight shuffling of uneasy feet and the noise of a turned page. Then came the sound of a closing book, and a voice, which Wayne recognized as belonging to the principal, broke the silence:
“Now, my boy, I’ll speak with you. What is your name?”
“Carl Gray, sir,” answered a very boyish voice.
“Ah, yes; you’re in the lower middle class?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I have received a complaint from Porter, in the village. He informs me that you have owed him a bill since last term and that he can not get his money. Is that true?”
“Yes, sir.” The boy spoke in low tones, and Wayne, without seeing him, knew the state of trepidation he was in and wondered if he would behave so cravenly when his turn came.
“You knew the rule about such things?” asked the principal. “You knew that pupils are not allowed to contract debts?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then why did you do it, Gray?”
“I – I wanted some things, and so – Porter said that he would trust me – ”
“Let me see. You played on one of the nines last spring, didn’t you?”
“Yes, sir; on the junior class nine.”
“Yes. Well, Gray, when you knock a good clean base hit what do you do? Do you run over toward the grand stand and then back toward the pitcher’s box and so on to first base, or do you go there as directly and as speedily as you know how?” A moment of silence followed and Wayne grinned.
“Directly, sir,” said the boy inside finally.
“Yes, I should think so. Well, now, when you start to make an explanation apply the same rule, my lad: go just as directly and quickly as you can to the point. As a matter of fact, you knew that you were disobeying the rules of the Academy, and preferred to do that than to go without some things that you wanted. Isn’t that so?”
“I – No, sir, I didn’t – ”
“That isn’t just the way you would put it, Gray, but isn’t it correct?”
“Yes, sir, I suppose so.”
“Do you have an allowance, Gray?”
“Yes, sir; fifty cents a week.”
“But you don’t find it large enough?”
“I wanted some baseball things and some clothes. We had to have uniforms.”
“I see. Did you think when you had the things charged to you that you could pay for them?”
“Yes, sir. I meant to pay a quarter every week, but somehow, sir – ”
“The quarter wasn’t there when you wanted it; I see. Well, Porter must be paid. He is not blameless in the affair; he knew what the rule is about giving credit to the pupils, and I shall see that he gets no more of the school trade. But that doesn’t alter the fact that you owe him the sum of twelve dollars. Can you pay it?”
“No, sir, not right away. I will pay him fifty cents a week. I offered to do so a week ago and he said he must have the whole amount, and I was saving it up.”
“H’m! How much have you saved?”
“A – a dollar.”
“Slow work, Gray. Now, I shall settle this bill and send the account to your parents. Have you anything to say about that?”
“Oh, sir, please don’t! I’ll pay it as soon as I can, sir; I will give him every cent I get. Only please don’t send it home!”
“Your family is not well off, Gray?”
“No, sir. I have only a mother, and she couldn’t pay it without – without missing the money dreadfully, sir. If only you will not let her know!”
“You should have thought of that before, Gray. I should like to spare your mother as much, perhaps, as you; but the rules are strict and I can’t see my way to making an exception in your case. I shall have to send the bill to your mother, sir. Let it teach you a lesson. There are lots of things in this world, Gray, that we think we must have, but which we can do very well without if only we realize it. It is hard sometimes to see others possess things that we want and can not have. But luckily the world doesn’t judge us by our possessions, but by our accomplishments. I don’t believe that the football clothes which you got from Porter enabled you to play better ball or stand better in your class, and it’s very unlikely that any of the boys thought you a finer fellow for having them. In future live within your income – that is, your allowance – and if you want to pay off the debt save your money instead of spending it, and when the amount is saved return it to your mother. That would be an honest and a manly act. That is all I have to say to you, my boy.”
“I will, sir,” answered the culprit earnestly. “But won’t you – couldn’t you please, sir, not send – ”
“That can’t be altered, Gray,” answered the principal kindly. “I am sorry. Good day.”
A slender and very white-faced boy passed out with averted eyes, and a moment later Wayne found himself in the inner office. The principal was leaning back in his big armchair thoughtfully polishing his glasses. He did not look up at once,