The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-01-07
CHAPTER vn-Continued

hands and looked the freshman
over.
Kane didn't beat about the bush.
"You've played football, haven't
you, Merriwell?" he asked.
"Yes, sir, some"
"Where?"
"With Bloomfield high"
''What position?"
"Backfield."
"Why haven't you come out for
Fardale?"
There's reason why I can't.
Mr.. Kane"
"What reason?"
Frank could feel the heat getting
into his cheeks. 81 can't answer that
question, SIR"
The coach's heavy eyebrows rose
slightly. "That's odd. You must
know how it sounds, Merriwell."
81 do" Merry's embarrassment
was growing. "But can't help it,
SIR"
"Huh! Were you any good?"
swell, now, Mr.. Kane, you
wouldn't expect me to brag about
myself, would your"
"I've seen you running in the gym
and I've been told you can drop-kick
a football pretty neatly. You're built
right. You keep yourself in shape.
We lost half our best men last year.
We've got big squad now, but it
isn't so hot. You don't look like a
Stacker"
81 hope I'm not, SIR"
s'Well, whatever your reasons are
for not joining the squad, there must
be some way to get around them.
I'd like to see you out on the field
tomorrow afternoon"
Now Frank looked positively ill.
"But ! can't come" he replied as
if denying himself something he
would like to do more than anything
else in the world. "If I could, /
would. I hope you believe me, SIR"
Kane was silent a few moments,
gazing searchingly at the freshman
who appeared uneasy and dis
tressed "All right" he said pres
emily. "We'l drop it for the time
being, but I'm not at all satisfied"
Merriwell went away from there
feeling low. Something in Spring
ais face had cut him deeper than
the doubt and puzzlement of the
coach. The captain of the team
had classed him, and it wasn't any
thing to advertise in the newspa-
pers.
Frank didn't want to talk to any
body about it. Not even Barney. It
was sore spot that he wanted to
hide. But hidden sore spots have a
way of becoming Internally uncom-
Portable. Somebody always gets to
prodding around them.
He tried to put the whole thing
out of his mind, but it simply
wouldn't let him. He had been able
to shake thoughts Of Inza Burrage
much more easily, for he was con-
WINGED that she just didn't stack
UP. Her brother was all right, all
right, but plenty of first-string
brothers had sisters who paid no
dividends. They were not in the
preferred class.
Frank continued to avoid the foot
ball field. Whatever Coach Kane or
Dick Springall thought of him. he
couldn't help it.
Two days later, Mulloy came gal
looping into their room and found
Frank there, alone, and up to his
ears in a math problem. The Irish
boy was as calm as the Atlantic
ocean in bowling gale.
'sDo We see me fist?" he cried,
shaking it in the air. ''Do We see
it, lad?"
IT don't need a microscope for
that" said Merry.
''Well, I'm looking for handouts
to hold it. Already it's taken the
power of my mighty will. Right in
the middle of the campus, too"
''Now who was the careless Of
fender who escaped death by the
breadth OF, a hair, Barney?"
"There were six of them and they
were talking about you, frankie.
They put a question to me that
touched me off. They wanted to
know if it's true you're carrying ice
cream feet in your shoes since you
got little bit hurt in game of
high school football last season.
That, they said, is the low-down
some goofy guy has dug up about
ye, me lad
Franks face had gone white. The
sore spot had been uncovered.
Somebody had done it and then had
made haste to dish the dirt.
Barney Mulloy couldn't get it. Ev-
cry time he went into huddle with
himself and tried to find the answer
the thing just wouldn't boil down.
Still he was ready to bet his life
that Merriwell was no gutter. He
had seen plenty to make him dead
sure of that.
About most matters Frank was as
frank as his name, but when it
came to telling why he couldn't play
football he was as stingy as slot
machine. He simply wouldn't give
slown.
s'Nosey people are annoying, Bar
neS" he had said, "but every time