Frank Roscoes Secret | Page 2

instant later Ned had passed the chagrined catcher and had touched the home plate, while the High School boys stood up on the bleachers and made themselves hoarse with cheers. Joining them came the shrill cries of the girls of Darewell, quite a throng of whom had come to see the game.
"Good, Ned!" cried Bart, as he ran up to grasp his chum by the hand.
"That's the stuff!" exclaimed Fenn Masterson. "I knew you could do it, Ned!"
"That's more than I knew myself," Ned answered, panting from his home run.
"Three cheers for the Darewells!" called the captain of the preparatory school nine.
The tribute to victory was paid with a will.
"Three cheers for the Lakevilles!" shouted Lem Gordon, pitcher on the High School team.
The winners fairly outdid their rivals in cheering. Then the diamond was thronged with girls and boys, all talking at once, and discussing the various points of the game.
"It was a close chance you took, Ned," remarked a tall, quiet youth, coming up to the winner of the game.
"I had to, Frank. I didn't risk much in being put out, but it meant a lot if I could get home, and I took the chance."
"Oh, Ned's always willing to take chances," said Bart Keene.
"Yes, and sometimes it isn't a good thing," replied Frank.
"Oh, you're too particular," came from Fenn Masterson. "What's the use of doing the safe thing all the while?"
"That's right, Stumpy my boy," commented Ned, "Stumpy" being Fenn's nickname because of his short, stout figure.
"Oh, I believe in taking chances once in a while," went on Frank, "but of course--"
He did not finish his sentence, and his three chums looked at one another, for Frank seemed to be dreaming of something far removed from the ball game.
"He's getting stranger than ever," remarked Bart to Ned in a low tone. "We'll have to get his mind off of whatever it is that's troubling him."
"That's right," agreed Ned.
"We ought to celebrate this victory in some way," suggested Fenn, as a crowd of boys, including several members of the ball team, joined the chums. "We ought to get up a dinner and have speeches and things like that."
"Nothing to eat, of course," said Ned.
"Oh, sure; lots to eat," Fenn hastened to add.
"Where could we have it?" asked Lem.
"In our barn," replied Fenn. "There's lots of room, and we don't keep horses any more. It's nice and clean. We could put some boards over saw-horses to make tables, and have a fine time. We can make all the noise we want, and no one would say a word."
"That's the stuff!" cried Bart. "The very thing! Stumpy, you're a committee of one to see about it."
"I'm not going to do all the work!" objected Stumpy.
"I'll help," put in Ned. "Where'll we get the stuff?"
"I guess there's enough in the club treasury for a little spread," said Bart. "This is the last game of the summer season, and we might as well spend some of our cash. We don't want to get too rich."
By this time most of the High School pupils had left the ball grounds and were on their various ways home. It was a Saturday afternoon early in June, and the fine weather had brought a big crowd to see the game, which was played on the Lakeville grounds. The members of the High School nine, including a few substitutes, rode home in a big stage, but trolley cars took the other Darewell boys and girls back.
On the way home the dinner was discussed in its various details, and it was voted to have it a week from that Saturday night.
"Better not talk too much about it," suggested Bart
"Why not?" asked Stumpy.
"I've got an idea that if too much is known about it there may be trouble."
"Trouble? What do you mean?"
"Well, you know the first-year boys have formed a sort of secret society. They call themselves the Upside Down Club."
"What has that got to do with our dinner?"
"Nothing, maybe, and again it may have."
"Have they any grudge against us?" asked Ned.
"No, nothing special, but it's part of their game to play tricks on all the other school societies, from the athletic teams to the debating club. Archie Smith, a cousin of mine, belongs, and I got that much out of him before he knew what I was after. Then he wouldn't tell me any more. So that's why I think the Upside Down boys may make trouble for us."
"Well, if they wish to make trouble we'll give them all they want," put in Fenn.
"Yes, but we don't want the dinner spoiled," said Bart. "There's a big class of first-year boys this term, and they could make a 'rough-house' of our spread in short order. That's why I think it would be better to keep quiet about the affair, at