Witch Winnie's Mystery, or The Old Oak Cabinet Part 21

"How many of our friends are going to Europe in the summer," Adelaide remarked. "Professor Waite told me he intended to return to France for a term of years, and Tib here is going over to study----"

"I'm afraid not," I replied doubtfully.

"Oh, yes you are," Milly insisted; "that will all come out right."

"What a lovely day for the games," Mrs. Roseveldt remarked. "What is your favorite school, Milly? Columbia, Berkeley, Cutler, Morse? Oh! yes, I remember--the cadets. But where is your badge? I see that Miss Armstrong and Miss Smith wear theirs quite conspicuously, and Mr. Van Silver, too, has decorated his whip and the coach horn with the cadet colours."

"Adelaide has a brother among the cadets, which accounts for her preference," Milly replied evasively; "but I don't see why I should prefer them to any other school."

"Why, have you forgotten," Mrs. Roseveldt asked, much surprised, "your old friend Stacey Fitz Simmons is a cadet?"

Milly tossed her head disdainfully. She could not tell the story of the intrusion of the two boys whom we believed to be cadets, for we had promised Madame not to bruit it abroad; but her reason for not wearing the cadet colours was her indignation on account of this act. She believed, or affected to believe, that one of these boys was Stacey, and she had determined to punish him for the outrage. "Girls," she had said, before leaving, "after the insult which our school has received from the cadets, I do not see how any of you can wear their colours."

"We do not know certainly that those interlopers were cadets," Adelaide replied; "and, even if they were, my brother is still a member of the school. He rides in the bicycle race and he expects to see me wear his colours."

I sympathized with Adelaide and made myself a badge to encourage little Jim.

"Stacey is a friend of mine," Mr. Van Silver a.s.serted. "I expect to see him carry off several events to-day, and I have come out prepared to wave and cheer and bawl myself hoa.r.s.e in his honour."

What a charming drive it was through the park, where many of the trees and shrubs were in blossom. We pa.s.sed many a merry party bound in the same direction, and several great stages laden with boys, who carried flags, tooted horns, and shook immense rattles. Arrived at Morris Heights the sight was even still more inspiring, for every train emptied several carloads of pa.s.sengers, who hastened to the grounds to be in time for the opening. As we drove in we could see that the grand stand and the long rows of seats on either side were well filled. There were at least four thousand spectators gathered to witness this athletic contest between the champions of the princ.i.p.al schools of the city. Some of the contestants were grouped on the verandas of the Pavilion waiting for their turn to take part. Others were already on the field, practising the long jumps, or pacing about with "sweaters," or knit woollen blouses, over their scanty running costumes.

On the grand stand and the "bleaching boards" the adherents of the different schools had collected in groups, which displayed the school colours as prominently as possible. These groups were now engaged in making as hideous an instrumental and vocal din as possible. Each orchestra, if it might be called so, was led by a sort of master of discord, who called at intervals upon his const.i.tuency for cheers for the different school favorites, as, "Now, boys, a loud one for Harrison.

One, two, three, 'rah! 'rah! 'rah! C-u-t-l-e-r, Cutler!--Harrison!"

While the Columbia grammar boys would reply, "C-o-l-u-m-b-i-a--Burke!"

and the Berkeleys would yell forth the name of Allen, who has so long covered the school with glory.

b.u.t.tertub was conspicuous as leader of the chorus for the cadets. He wore an immense c.o.c.kade, made of sash ribbon, pinned to the front of his coat, while his hat and a great cane with a k.n.o.bby handle, too large for insertion even in his wide mouth, also flaunted the school colours.

Our coach had hardly taken its position before Stacey and Jim spied it and came toward us. Stacey was in running costume--"undress uniform," he called it--but he had knotted a rose-coloured Russian bath gown about him to keep him from taking cold.

"Doesn't he look exactly like a girl?" Milly remarked as he approached, and then she gave him a curt little bow and turned with great _empress.e.m.e.nt_ to Professor Waite, who had come out on horseback, and who now rode up, hoping for a word with Adelaide. But Jim had clambered up on the wheel on the other side of the coach, and Adelaide was glad of this excuse to turn her back squarely on Professor Waite, who felt the avoidance and would have turned instantly away had not Milly insisted on introducing him to her mother. Meantime Stacey stood quite neglected. I longed to speak to him, but as I had never been introduced, did not dare to do so. Just as a hot flush was sweeping up toward his forehead, Mr.

Van Silver, whose attention had been taken up with his horses, noticed him. "h.e.l.lo, Stacey," he cried, "make that little chap get down off that wheel, will you? These horses are pretty nervous, even with the grooms at their heads. They are not used to all this racket. See how they are pawing up the driveway."

Stacey laughed. "Jim is a splendid wheel-man," he said. "You needn't be afraid for him. But aren't you going to get down? You can see ever so much better from the grand stand. Did the girls get the tickets that Jim and I sent?"

Adelaide acknowledged the receipt of the tickets, and spoke so pleasantly that Stacey seemed a little comforted. One of the grooms set up the steps and we all climbed down, Stacey a.s.sisting. When it was Milly's turn he spoke to her very earnestly in a low tone, but Milly did not reply. Mr. Van Silver called to us to keep together, and led the way to seats near the centre of the stand; and Stacey retired to the field, much displeased and puzzled by Milly's conduct.

Professor Waite looked after us longingly. He did not dare to leave his horse, and he was disappointed that we had left the coach, near which he had intended to hover.

"How very provokingly things do arrange themselves," I thought to myself. "Cupid must certainly be playing a game of cross purposes with us. Here is Stacey longing for a kind word from Milly, and Milly breaking her little heart for Professor Waite, and Professor Waite desperate because of Adelaide's indifference, Adelaide trying politely to entertain Mr. Van Silver, who, in his turn, is provoked because Winnie has not come; and I, who would be very grateful if any of these gentlemen would be agreeable to me--left quite out in the cold, without the shadow of an admirer."

I soon forgot this circ.u.mstance, however, in my interest in the games.

"There is the cup," said Mr. Van Silver, "on that table with the gold and silver medals, Berkeley holds it now. See, it is draped with blue and gold ribbons, the Berkeley colours. The school which wins the greatest number of points will take it after the games are over. This is the first heat of the hundred yard dash. Now we shall see some fun. It's a foregone conclusion that Allen of Berkeley will win. He does not enter for long distances, but as a sprinter he has no equal in the other schools." Very easily and handsomely Allen won this race and several others.

Then we admired the light and graceful way in which an agile youth took the hurdles, and the professional style of two walkers, and after this my glance wandered for a time over the spectators.

Cynthia Vaughn and Rosario Ricos had come out in the cars, chaperoned by Miss Noakes. They did not desire her company, and it was a great bore to her to come, but Madame would not let the girls come unattended. I was much surprised presently to see a gentleman make his way to her side. I nudged Adelaide, exclaiming under my breath, "Only see, Miss Noakes actually has an admirer!"

Adelaide lifted her opera-gla.s.s. "Tib," she e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, "it is Mr.

Mudge. You know he said she was a most discriminating woman. See, she is so much entertained that she does not notice that Ricos and b.u.t.tertub have made their way to Cynthia and are talking with her."

"Mr. Mudge notices them, though," I replied; "see how sharply he eyes them."

Mr. Mudge came to us presently, and chatted pleasantly in regard to the games.

"I did not know that you were so much interested in athletics," I remarked.

"A lawyer and a detective must be interested in everything which interests his clients," he replied.

"Did you come out alone?" I asked, more for the purpose of making conversation than from any desire to know.

"No; I had very charming company," he replied.

"Miss Noakes?" Adelaide asked mischievously.

Mr. Mudge looked at her with stern reproof in his gray eyes.

"Lawn Tennis," he remarked snappishly. "I came out with that young lady, though she is quite unconscious of my escort."

"What! is Polo here?" I asked.

"One of the most interested spectators. Her eyes are nearly popping out of her head with every strain of the muscles of that tug-of-war team."

The team to which Mr. Mudge referred was now pulling, and was made up of members of the Cadet School. They were finely developed young men, and in their leather ap.r.o.n-like protections, with their muscular arms and glowing faces, looked like blacksmiths' apprentices. They lay on the cleats, pulling at the great rope, and the cords swelled in their necks, as from time to time they ground their teeth, and threw their heads back with a jerk, which told how intense was the strain. The trainer of the team, a wiry, eager young man, in a jockey cap, stood with his hands on his knees, watching the white mark on the rope, which the team were very slowly working toward their side.

"That is a professional trainer," said Mr. Van Silver. "He has coached the cadets, and is intensely interested in their success."

At intervals, the captain and anchor of the cadets uttered exclamations of encouragement to his team, or vituperated at the other. "We're in it, boys, we're in it," he shrieked, as he gave another twist to the rope.

"Steady, hold your own, and you'll pull 'em right off the cleats. Heave, now--heave! Oh! those fellows don't know how to pull," he cried again; "they're weakening! See how purple they're getting in the face. Hold on another two seconds, and you'll pull them into the middle of next week."

"What a noisy fellow!" Adelaide remarked. "Why doesn't Colonel Grey shut him up?"

"Not he," replied Mr. Van Silver. "See how his ribald and irreverent remarks put new courage into the team. I should not wonder if they won back that three inches which the other side pulled away from them during the first minute. Time's up. Which side won?" for the announcement of the judges was drowned in a roar of the cadet claque, led by b.u.t.tertub, who had struggled back to his place in time to head the 'Rah! 'Rah! 'Rah!

Stacey had been looking on close to the rope, and he now shouted across to Mr. Van Silver, "The cadets have it by half an inch!" and waving the skirts of his bath-robe with great _abandon_, he threw himself into the arms of the little man in the jockey cap, and hugged him enthusiastically.

"Now, notice your friend," Mr. Mudge said to me, in a low voice; and, looking in the direction in which he pointed, I saw Polo standing on one of the front seats of the bleaching boards, waving her Tam O'Shanter, and shouting as wildly as the cadets.

"I did not know that Polo knew any of the boys who go to that school,"

I said, much puzzled.

"I don't believe she does," Mr. Mudge replied, "but Terwilliger, the trainer there, is her brother, and he hasn't the best record that was ever known. He was a jockey in England, but outgrew that profession, and has been a little of everything since. He came over to this country on the Earl of Cairngorm's yacht. He was a.s.sociated shortly after with a noted pickpocket called Limber Tim, and some months since was sent with him to the Island to serve a term of imprisonment for partic.i.p.ation in a confidence swindle. All of which, you see, has a rather damaging look for your friend Lawn Tennis. What I would like to know is, how he ever came to get the position of trainer at the Cadet School."

"The boys seem to be very fond of him," I ventured.

"Naturally; it was his training which has just won the school this event. Did you notice that young swell, Fitz Simmons, give him a greenback as soon as the victory was a.s.sured. I have not been able to discover yet whether Terwilliger has renewed his friendship with Limber Tim. If he has, it is more than likely that they are the two unknown boys who introduced themselves into your school on the night of your party."

"Has Adelaide shown you her brother's letters?" I asked. "We think that the young man who leads the applause and Rosario Ricos's brother are the scamps."