CHAPTER XXX.

TRUE LOVE’S TELEGRAPHY.

Two days later Frank Merriwell and Bart Hodge stepped off the Congressional Express at Union Station, Baltimore. They took a cab and drove directly to the home of John Loder. They had planned a surprise for the girls, and a happy one it was.

Happening to look from the window, Inza saw them get out of the cab in front of the door.

“Elsie,” she cried, “Elsie, Frank and Bart are here! Come—come quick!”

She ran down the stairs and Elsie followed as swiftly as possible. There was no waiting for any one else to answer the ring at the doorbell.

Frank stepped in and caught Inza in his arms, kissing her.

“Oh, Frank!” she murmured, as she clung to him; “oh, Frank, I’m so glad!”

Bart’s face was aglow as he saw Elsie.

“Here we are!” he said, attempting to be commonplace in his manner. But a moment later he was imitating Merriwell’s action.

“Bart!” whispered Elsie; “dear Bart!”

Five minutes later they were seated in the parlor, but they were still greatly excited over the meeting.

“You’re a pair of bad, bad boys!” said Inza. “Why didn’t you let us know you were coming?”

“Oh, we thought it would be jollier to give you a surprise,” answered Merry. “We didn’t know we’d be able to get here so soon. Canceled our last lacrosse game and the team disbanded. Met with only one defeat, and that was in Canada. For a fact, those Canadians can give us points at some things.”

“Lacrosse, polo, ice hockey, and such sports,” nodded Hodge. “But we lost our game with them by only one point, and we did defeat one Canadian team. Beyond question, we had a team that could walk away with anything in the United States.”

“And is that the end of your tour?” questioned Inza.

“Yes, it’s all over,” answered Bart regretfully. “We’ve had a royal good time.”

“We’ve had a royal good time,” echoed Frank; “but now we’re going to work.”

“Our day of play is over,” sighed Hodge.

“It’s Mexico for me, with very little delay,” said Merry. “The Central Sonora Railroad is under construction, and it’s my duty to be on the ground.”

“But we’re going to take you with us, girls,” declared Bart.

“Then you are going, too?” asked Elsie quickly.

“We’ve talked about it. Frank wants me to go. You know how we’re going to take you.”

Elsie shook her head, sadly yet firmly.

“I couldn’t take the trip,” she said. “It would be too much for me—now.”

A shadow came to Bart’s face.

“Why, Elsie——”

“Please, please don’t urge me, Bart!” she entreated. “You know I’d be glad to go, but you cannot know how disappointed I am because I cannot.”

“I’ll have to talk to you alone,” said Hodge grimly. “I’ll have to get some foolish notions out of your head, little girl.”

“I hope you can!” cried Inza.

“Leave it to me,” he said.

Inza was doubtful if he would succeed, but she did not tell him so. She hoped he might, but she knew Elsie had quite made up her mind on that point.

“We have but a day or two to spend in Baltimore,” said Frank. “You must go out to dinner with us, girls. What do you say to dinner at the Belvidere? At nine this evening I am to meet some friends at the University Club. Before that I am yours to command.”

“I’m another,” smiled Bart. “The Belvidere looks good to me. Eh, Elsie?”

To his surprise he saw that her face was colorless and her figure drooping.

Inza noted this and flew to her friend.

“The excitement, the shock has upset her!” she exclaimed. “You should have let us know you were coming.”

She knew what to do to restore Elsie, but the delicate girl with the golden hair was quite weak and exhausted as she lay amid the pillows with Bart Hodge, repentant and anxious, hovering over her. Hodge was conscience-stricken.

“It was my fault!” he declared. “I suggested to Frank that we should give you this surprise. Oh, I’m sorry, Elsie—I’m sorry! I didn’t mean——”

Forcing a faint smile, Elsie lifted her hand and gently pressed her fingers over his lips.

“No one is to blame,” she said. “It was fine of you to wish to give me pleasure by such a surprise. But you see how weak I am. I can’t go out to dinner to-night. Oh, what am I good for in the world anyhow?”

Bart was deeply touched by this cry which came from her heart. His fine, dark eyes glowed with tenderness and love.

“Don’t—don’t speak that way, sweetheart!” he murmured entreatingly. “I never dreamed you were like this, or I should not have left you.”

But Elsie, with the unselfishness which had always marked her as the rarest and noblest of girls, retorted:

“I didn’t wish you to know, for I felt that it was right that you should be with Frank, and I would not rob you of one moment of pleasure.”

“She’ll be all right in a few minutes,” said Merry encouragingly. “We must have that dinner at the Belvidere.”

“I’m afraid you do not understand, Frank,” said Elsie. “I overdid when you were here last. I made a mistake in attending that lacrosse game, and it set me back. Oh, I’d love to go to dinner with you and Inza and Bart at the Belvidere, but I dare not attempt it.”

Hodge was now more troubled and distressed over Elsie’s condition than he seemed. Had she not understood him so well, she might have fancied him unsympathetic; but between them there was that mental telegraphy which seems to unite the hearts of all true sweethearts, and she knew that, manlike, while he did not betray the softness of a woman, his emotions were even deeper than her own.

Elsie turned to Inza.

“You must go out to dinner with Frank,” she said. “Yes, I insist upon it.”

“And I will remain here with Elsie,” said Hodge. “That is best.”

In this manner it was arranged.

“Whom do you meet at the University Club to-night, Frank?” asked Inza.

“Some Yale men. I’ll cut it out if you wish. Have you anything you’d like to do——”

“Oh, no! I wouldn’t have you fail to meet your friends for anything.”

“Then I’ll bring you back here after we’ve had dinner. There’ll be plenty of time.”

“And you’ll find me here,” said Bart.

Suddenly Merry stepped to the portières which separated the parlor from the reading room. With a sweep, he flung them back and stepped between them.

“Hello!” he exclaimed. “I thought there was some one behind these curtains.”

He had found Fred Fillmore standing there in a threatening attitude.

Angered at being thus discovered, Fillmore aimed a swift blow at Merriwell’s face. Like a flash of light Merry caught the fellow’s hand, gave it a twist and locked his other arm round Fred’s. With his free hand Fillmore attempted to strike again, making a sweeping blow at Frank’s head.

Merriwell pressed downward sharply and firmly on the hand of the imprisoned arm, and Fillmore’s blow stopped before he had reached Frank, while a cry of pain broke from his lips.

“I wouldn’t repeat the trick, Fillmore, if I were in your place,” said Merry quietly. “You’ll simply hurt yourself by it. If you attempt to kick me on the shins I shall use still more pressure on your arm.”

The baffled fellow glared sidelong at his master.

“Curse you!” he hissed.

“Save your curses. You know they have a way, like chickens, of coming home to roost.”

“Let go!”

“In a moment. I didn’t know you were in the house, but I fancied some one was listening behind these curtains.”

“I have a right to do what I please in this house. You are an intruder here! You’d better get out!”

“You have a right to do what you please anywhere if you behave yourself. I did not intend to touch you, but you struck at me, and I was compelled to defend myself. The last time you struck at me I was unprepared and could not defend myself. I have a little scar on my head now.”

“I wish I had brained you!”

“I can’t understand your folly. It doesn’t seem possible that you can hold a silly grudge because you and Hackett failed in your little trick to get me full at Hastings’ road house and have me hammered by a paid ruffian. That can’t be the reason why you hate me so intensely.”

“It isn’t.”

“I thought not. I’ve never done you harm, and I have no desire to harm you. Miss Burrage and Miss Bellwood have been stopping beneath your sister’s roof——”

“Which you seem to forget.”

“If they had not been stopping here I might be inclined to handle you without gloves. Let’s not make more of a scene before them. Miss Bellwood is not well. I shall be in Baltimore a day or two. If you wish to see me, call at the——”

“No, Frank—no!” cried Inza. “For my sake—and Elsie’s! Fred is unreasonable; he’s out of his senses. Please consider us!”

“Of course I will,” said Merry quickly.

“Of course you’ll be glad to hide behind petticoats!” panted Fillmore. “But petticoats cannot protect you. You are my enemy, and I hate you! When a Fillmore hates he’s never satisfied until he crushes!”

“Don’t bring disaster on yourself through your unreasonable and unwarranted hatred.”

“Don’t give me advice, but look out for yourself!”

“I think I can look out for myself.”

“You’re very self-confident, but you’re not the smartest chap in the world, and you’ll find it out.”

“I’m afraid you have been annoying these girls.”

“No!” declared Inza quickly. “Anything he might do could not annoy us.”

This seemed to enrage Fillmore. He ground his white teeth together and attempted to break from Frank with a jerk. A slight pressure on his arm caused him to desist.

“Go ahead!” he groaned; “go ahead and break my arm!”

He had been caught with a jujutsu hold.

“You think you’re smart, I suppose!” he went on pantingly. “Just because you happened to get this hold on me I presume you fancy you are a great master of the art of jujutsu. Bah! You’d be a baby in the hands of one who actually knew something about it.”

“We’re not discussing that,” said Frank. “I was forced to this to defend myself without getting into a disgraceful fight with you here in the presence of the girls.”

“You may have a chance to defend yourself before you leave Baltimore,” declared Fillmore significantly.

“I presume you mean that you are going to force me into a fight. Well, forewarned is forearmed. I’ll try to be ready for you.”

“See that you are!”

In vain Inza tried to interpose and pacify Fillmore.

“You can’t blame me,” he said. “You know why I hate him. I have a right to hate him!”

“You are not gaining favor in my eyes by such disgraceful behavior.”

These words from Inza’s lips were enough to open Merry’s eyes to the true situation. His faith in Inza was absolute, but he knew Fillmore had been trying to pay her attentions. This and the fact that Mrs. Loder was Fillmore’s sister made the matter most embarrassing.

Merry saw at once that it would be necessary to take Inza from that house as soon as possible.

“Please, Fred,” entreated Elsie; “please, for my sake, don’t make any more trouble here!”

“All right,” he said. “Let Merriwell release me. I’ll make no more trouble—here.”

Instantly Frank set him free.

“Take my advice,” he said, “and make no more trouble anywhere. It can do you no good.”

“I want no advice from you!” snarled the infuriated fellow, moving his wrenched arm to make sure it was not seriously hurt. “All I have to say to you is: Look out for yourself!”

With which he turned and hurried away.