Frank Merriwell's Athletes Part 27

"Miss Burrage said I'd be sickened of him when I came to know him well.

He is looking for an American heiress, and he tried to force her to marry him till he found out she is not rich. Then his ardor cooled swiftly. What a contemptible man he is."

When the dance was over Frank and Effie strolled out on the balcony, where the soft breath of a perfect summer night brought them the sweet perfume of flowers.

The moon had arisen above the Santa Yenz Mountains, and its brilliant light was shimmering with silver the sea that lay away to the westward.

The sound of the surf came like subdued and distant organ peals. The scene was entrancing, but it did not appeal to Frank.

He was ill at ease. He felt his guilt, and a great wave of shame and self-contempt swept over him.

With characteristic impulsiveness he suddenly resolved to put an end to it. To seek out Inza and apologize.

As he made the resolution a low, musical laugh came from the other side of a bank of flowers.

Then a deep voice followed. It was Inza and Bart.

"Miss Random," he said, hurriedly, "will you kindly pardon me if I escort you back to the room? I-I-have an engagement and--"

Effie started and glanced at him with mingled surprise and pique. She, too, had heard the laugh. Her eyes flashed, and her lips compressed ominously.

"Certainly, if you wish it, Mr. Merriwell," she replied, coldly. "But may I ask if your extremely sudden engagement is connected with Inza?"

The impertinence of the question pa.s.sed unheeded by Frank. His mind was engrossed by his new resolution.

"I confess it is," he replied, frankly. "Pray excuse me."

With that he was gone. Effie watched him disappear with eyes filled with tears of rage and humiliation. Gripping the railing of the balcony until her hands ached, she muttered:

"You will regret this, Frank Merriwell. You will regret this insult to me. I will find means to make you suffer for it."

Bart Hodge strolled past the bank of flowers, and started on seeing her.

"You here," he stammered, impulsively. "I thought you were dancing with Frank?"

Effie greeted him so cordially that the youth flushed with pleasure. He gladly stepped to her side in obedience to her invitation.

"Yes, I was dancing with Mr. Merriwell," she replied, "but he had a pressing engagement and was compelled to leave. Where is Inza?"

"She returned inside," said Bart, indifferently.

"And you permitted her to go alone?"

"Yes. I wanted to look for you," was the blunt reply, given with a glance of admiration.

"A weapon ready for use," murmured Effie, softly. "I will strike Frank Merriwell through him."

In the meantime Frank had eagerly searched for Inza. To his extreme disappointment, he found that she had left for home. Five minutes later he, too, was missed.

CHAPTER XIV-A GOOD START

The day of the tournament at Santa Barbara arrived and brought with it large crowds of visitors from various parts of the State. There was a great swarm of strangers in the beautiful little town that lies between the blue Santa Yenz Mountains and the dreaming sea.

The field for the sports and contests lay outside the town, and there the crowd gathered at an early hour.

It had been arranged that such contests as putting the shot, throwing the hammer, jumping, vaulting, wrestling, and so forth, should come before the races.

Browning had been induced to enter the hammer-throwing and shot-putting contests, while Barney was anxious to show what he could do at the high jump and the long jump. Diamond had decided to take part in the pole vaulting.

The boys' bicycles had arrived by express the day before, having been forwarded from San Francisco, and Rattleton entered for the two-mile bicycle race, after vainly trying to induce Frank to go into it.

"I'll have quite all I want to do in the hundred yards' dash and the two-hundred-and-twenty yards' hurdle," smiled Frank. "I am not going to break myself all up at the very beginning of our new tour."

"That's right," said Hodge, significantly; "and you will find Wallace Random a sharp rival in both of those contests. It won't surprise me, Frank, if you are unable to defeat him."

"Indeed!" exclaimed Merry, lifting his eyebrows and regarding Bart coolly. "There was a time when you thought no person could defeat me."

Bart flushed and moved uneasily.

"You're a dandy, old fellow," he said; "but Random has a record. He is the amateur champion of this State."

"And still you are going to be in the hurdle race! That is remarkable.

What do you expect to win?"

"Well, I can't do worse than get last position," returned Bart, somewhat sulkily. "I do not expect to beat Wallace Random."

Frank turned away.

Inza Burrage was present to witness the contests, but Frank could not get a chance to speak to her. Effie Random held several conversations with her brother.

Ephraim Gallup, who happened to pa.s.s near them as they were talking, heard a few words from each.

"Beat him if you can," said Effie, "beat him in both races."

"I will," confidently declared Random. "You may be sure of that."

"You don't know him, or you would not speak thus confidently. He always wins at everything he tries. I wish to see him defeated."

"Don't worry: your wish shall be granted."

Then Ephraim heard no more.

"Wal, darn my punkins!" he muttered. "I'd like ter know who they be talkin' abaout. You don't s'pose it's Frank!"

He was startled by the possibility, but quickly decided that such a thing could not be.