The Chums of Scranton High | Page 3

say disagreeable things on the spur of the moment, and then
perhaps afterwards feel sorry for having done so. Evidently, he had
taken a notion to dislike the said Owen, and did not care who knew it.

"That fellow had been a mystery ever since he and his ancient
granddaddy came to Scranton, and started to live in that old house
called The Rookery, and which used to be thought a haunted place. I've
always had a hunch they must be some relation to the notorious Luther
Dugdale who has had a bad reputation as a dishonest operator down in
the Wall Street district in New York. Why, lately I even asked my
cousin in a letter about that man, and he wrote me the old chap had
strangely disappeared some years ago, carrying off a big bunch of
boodle dishonestly gained. Well, I'm not saying it's the same old rascal
who's living in our midst right now, but, fellows, you can draw your
own conclusions, for they came here just two years ago this summer!"
"Wow! that's something new you're telling us, Eli!"
"It takes you to pick up clues, and you'll miss your vocation if you don't
look for a job with the Government Secret Service, believe me, Eli!"
"So Hugh Morgan has taken up with that gloomy looking chap Owen,
has he?" remarked Nick Lang, with a suggestive wink at his crony,
Leon. "Mebbe, now, I might badger him into having a friendly little
bout with fists through that kid. As the rest of you happen to know I've
tried about every other way to make the coward fight, and he only gives
me one of his smiles, and says he's opposed to scrapping. That wise
mother of his has tied little Hughy to her apron strings, seems like; but
I'll get him yet, see if I don't."
The other fellows exchanged significant looks and nods. Hugh Morgan
had apparently always been more or less of an enigma to them. They
knew he was no coward, for only the last winter he had leaped boldly
into the river at the risk of his own life, and saved little Tommy Crabbe
just when the unfortunate child was about to be drawn by the fierce
current under the ice. Still, no one had even known Hugh to be engaged
in a fight. There was some deep object back of his reluctance so to
demean himself, most of the fellows believed, and as he was so well
liked, they respected his motives.
Just then keen-eyed Andy McGuffey was heard to cry out:

"Speak of an angel and you'll hear the rustle of his wings, and there
comes our Hugh right now. See, he's waving his hand to us, and is
hurrying along at almost a run. Say, it may be he's fetching some news
from the committee, because he told me he had an idea they'd reach an
understanding this afternoon. Yes, he's looking mighty wise, so I
reckon we're going to hear something drop."
CHAPTER II
THE BOYS OF OLD SCRANTON
The boy advancing toward the comrades perched on the campus fence
was bright of face, and with laughing eyes that made him hosts of
friends. Few had ever seen Hugh Morgan angry, though there was a
report that on a certain occasion he had stopped to give old Garry Owen
the truckman a piece of his mind, and threaten to have him arrested if
he was ever seen beating his poor horse when the animal was stalled
with a load too heavy for his strength. Yes, and although Garry was
known to have a fiery Irish tongue, he had been subdued by the
arguments which Hugh hurled at him, and meekly promised to go easy
with his stinging whip after that.
Hugh seemed to be a trimly built lad, who evidently believed in
keeping not only his mind but his body also well trained, since so much
depended on good health. He lived with his mother and smaller sister.
His father had been dead some years now, but apparently the widow
had plenty of means to afford them a good living. They resided in a
nice house and kept one servant.
Most of the boys of Scranton High thought Hugh a fine fellow, and
envied Thad Stevens the privilege of being his closest chum. A few,
however, had no use for Hugh, and among them were such fellows as
Nick Lang and Leon Disney. They pretended to dislike him because he
had no "nerve," which was only another method of saying that he
absolutely declined to be egged into a dispute, and had a wonderful
way of cooling off all would-be fighters who dared him to a fist test.
Those who knew Hugh best felt certain there must be some