Winning His W | Page 6

Will
Phelps stopped and whistled.
At first there was no response, but when the signal had been thrice
repeated both boys heard the voice of their friend apparently coming
from behind the bushes growing on the bank directly beside them.
"All alone, Will?" called Peter John timidly.
"Yes. Yes. Where are you, Peter John?" responded Will, peering about
him, but as yet unable to determine where his friend was hiding.
"Here I am."
"Where's that?"
"Right here."
"Come out here where we are. Stand up like a little man and be
counted."
"Sure nobody's with you?"
"Foster's here, that's all."
Slowly Peter John arose from his hiding-place and peered anxiously
about him. "It's all right. Come on!" called Will encouragingly. Thus
bidden, Peter John stepped forth, still holding tightly in his grasp his
precious carpet-bag. Will Phelps did not even laugh nor did he have
any inclination to do so as he perceived how genuine was the suffering
of the terrified boy.
"You needn't be afraid now, Peter John," he said soothingly. "You're all
right."
"That was a close call."
"Call for what?" demanded Foster sharply. Will turned and looked in
surprise at his room-mate, for the tone of his voice was very unlike that

which he had used when he had insisted that they should go to the aid
of their classmate.
"I tell you they were after me!" said Peter John, wiping his brow with a
huge handkerchief as he spoke.
"Who were after you?" demanded Foster still more sharply.
"The sophomores."
"Don't you believe it!"
"Why, they'd have got me if I hadn't put in my prettiest."
"Nobody would have paid any attention to you if you hadn't run. You
drew it all on yourself and have no one else to blame."
"Guess you weren't there when I landed! They gave such a yell when I
started from the cars as I never heard before in all my born days."
"Did you think they were yelling for you?"
"Of course I did. I knew they'd be waiting for me."
"Peter John, you've made a fool of yourself. There wasn't a soul there
except Will and me that knew there was such a fellow in all the world
as Peter John Schenck. Everybody in college will know it now,
though."
"What made 'em yell so, then?" demanded Peter John.
"They weren't yelling for you at all. They were cheering for Baker, the
captain of the football team. He was just ahead of you."
"They were?"
"That's what I said." Foster smiled slightly as he spoke, for the
expression upon the face of Peter John was a study. Consternation,
incredulity, and partial unbelief in what Foster had said were all

expressed there, and his entire attitude was so indescribably ludicrous
as almost to be pathetic.
"Swan! I didn't know that," he said at last slowly.
"Well, you know it now."
"What shall I do?"
"'Do'? Do nothing. Just attend to your own business and let everything
else go."
"I thought I was attending to my own business," said Peter John
woefully.
"Oh, well, never mind, Peter John," broke in Will with a laugh. "It's all
over now and no bones broken."
"I wish it was all over," said Foster in a low voice to Will.
"I wish it was too. He'll be the center of interest by to-morrow. And
really, Foster, it did beat anything I ever saw."
Foster Bennett smiled but made no reply, and together the three boys
began to retrace their way to the station. Peter John evidently was
somewhat crestfallen and seldom spoke. At the station no students were
seen, and the trio at once started up the street toward the college.
"I suppose my things are in my room," Peter John ventured to suggest.
"Yes, they're there all right. I went over this morning to see about
them."
"Thank you. I'll be pretty busy for the rest of the days I take it."
"That won't do you any harm. You can come over and sleep on the
couch in our room to-night if you would like to," suggested Foster.
"Are you all settled?"

"Pretty much. Enough so that we can make room for you. There's
always room for one more, you know." Foster spoke pleasantly and
Peter John was quick to respond. They were now near the college
grounds, however, and the interest of Peter John was quickly taken up
in his surroundings. Both Will and Foster were familiar with the name
of every building by this time, and their residence of three days in the
college town had already given to them a sense of part possession, and
they glibly explained to their classmate the name and use of each
building as they passed it until at last they halted before Leland Hall,
where Peter John