CHAPTER XX--HARRY RECEIVES BAD NEWS

As Harry dashed across the line, victor, pandemonium broke loose among the scholars; and when they overtook him he was given an ovation that entirely drove from his mind the unpleasant incidents of the morning and early afternoon.

Foremost in congratulations was Viola, and after his friends had thanked him for upholding the honor of Rivertown, and wresting the victory of the annual race from their old time Springtown rivals, Harry and Viola started down the river together.

They had covered about half the distance, when Elmer and Pud put in their appearance. Disagreeable, indeed, were the comments which the rich boy made when he saw the one member of the Rivertown High School he most detested skating with the girl he liked the best.

In vain Viola pretended not to hear the remarks passed by the bully and his companion, but they brought a flush of anger to her cheeks, and noting it, Harry let go her hands.

"If you're tired, Miss Darrow, suppose we wait till the others come up. Then you can skate away with your friends," suggested Harry.

A moment the girl looked at him: "I'm not in the least tired, Mr. Watson!" she exclaimed; "and I don't mind what those two boys are saying, if you don't."

"But I do," returned Harry, "on your account. For that reason I think it's best that you join your friends."

"But you're _my_ friend, aren't you?"

"I hope so, that is, I should like to be."

"Well, I certainly consider you so," returned the girl, and again taking hold of hands, they skated away, laughing and chatting merrily; and continued to skate together till it was time for them to go to their homes to supper.

Light of heart to think he had been cleared of the charges of depredations in the physical laboratory, and successful in defeating the skaters from Springtown, Harry was in a happy frame of mind as he mounted the steps of his aunt's house, and went in to supper. But one sight of his aunt's face drove all his joy away.

"What is it, Aunt Mary? Have you heard about the trouble at the school? Don't worry, because there's nothing in it."

The thought that her nephew had been concerned in some difficulty of which she was ignorant struck still further grievance to the woman.

"No, I haven't heard about it. What is it, tell me?"

"Oh, it doesn't amount to much. Merely that some apparatus was broken in the physical laboratory and they thought that I did it."

So distressed was the woman that, unmindful of how the words would sound, and the impression they would convey, she asked in a tone that was harsher than she would have used if she had been entirely herself.

"You didn't do it, did you?"

In surprise, Harry looked at her for several moments.

"No, indeed," he finally replied.

"Thank goodness. We have trouble enough without that."

Never before had the boy seen his aunt so upset, and her asperity was all the more striking because of her usual kindly humor.

"What's the trouble? Tell me, Aunt Mary, please?" he finally asked.

"It's bad news, Harry."

Instantly the boy became as solemn and serious as his aunt. His face grew white and the lines about his mouth grew deep.

"You mean you've had bad news from father?"

"Yes."

"Poor dad! I guess I'd better give up school and go back to Lawrenceburgh," announced the boy. "If Elmer and Pud ever hear about it, they'll make my life unbearable; and besides, it isn't right for me to be such a drain on father."

"You won't be a drain on him. You mustn't look at it that way!" exclaimed his aunt. "You know you are just as dear to me as though you were my own son, and I want you to stay with me _now_."

"But somebody ought to go down to Lawrenceburgh. It can't be true. There's something wrong somewhere."

"Somebody _is_ going down to Lawrenceburgh!" announced a shrill voice.

And looking up, Mrs. Watson and her nephew beheld the kindly face of old Jed Brown, whose usual happy smile had given way to an expression of solemnity.

"What do you mean?" asked Mrs. Watson.

"That I'm going down to Lawrenceburgh for a few days. I've been wanting to go for a long time. Just been looking for an excuse and now I've got it. I've known Amos since he was a kid in knickerbockers, and I know there isn't a mean or crooked hair in his head. It's all a mistake--and and I'm going to set it right."

"Oh, Mr. Brown! If you only could!" exclaimed the widow, as the old veteran ceased speaking.

"And I can. Don't worry," he returned. "It may take some time, but I shall find out who's at the bottom of it, and even if Jed Brown is a cripple and poor, he is honest, and he can fight just as in the days when he followed the flag through the campaign in the Wilderness."

So deeply moved were the aunt and nephew, they dared not speak in the fear that they would be unable to control their voices, and they expressed their appreciation of the old veteran's words by shaking his hand cordially.

Sad, indeed, was the little household during the rest of the day, and as soon as Harry could find an excuse he went to his room and to bed, where, after forming various plans for the undoing of his father's enemies, he finally dropped asleep.

"Now you must try to forget that things are not as they always were," whispered his aunt in the boy's ear as he started for school the next morning. "Just appear your usual self, and do not let any of your friends know that you are not happy."

"It isn't my friends I'm afraid of; it's the fellows who don't like me," returned Harry.

"All the more reason why you should keep a stiff upper lip," declared Mrs. Watson. And, promising to do his best, the boy set out for the bluff on which the Rivertown High School was, situated.

But it seemed as though Fate had conspired against Harry!

As he entered the main hallway, Elmer stepped up, having evidently been on the lookout for him.

"See here, Watson, I saw you skating with Viola Darrow yesterday afternoon!" he exclaimed.

"Well, what of it?"

"Just this much--don't do it again!"

"Why not, pray?"

"Because I tell you not to, that's all!"

"Well, you've got to give me some better reason than that, Elmer Craven," flashed the sorely troubled boy. "If Miss Darrow is willing that I should skate with her, I don't see that it is your business or anyone else's, as far as that is concerned."

"You'll find it is, though. I tell you, you've got to stop going with her! You remember the laboratory business? Well, it will be just as easy to put a stop to your going with Viola as it was to frame that up on you. So just take my advice and leave her alone!"

So vicious did the rich boy's face become as he uttered his threat that Harry could scarcely believe he was talking with a fellow member of Rivertown High. For the moment, he thought of resenting the boy's words with his fists; but the sound of footsteps and the voice of the principal, from behind, caused him to abandon the idea.

"Well, are you going to take my advice?" demanded his enemy, sullenly.

"I'm going to do just as I please, Elmer Craven. Neither you nor anyone else can stop me!" retorted Harry. And turning on his heel, he stalked away to his classroom.

But though he had maintained a defiant manner, at heart he was sick. Coming as it did on top of the news from his father, the thought that he would now be obliged to guard himself against underhand attacks from his rival, with whom he had held many angry words, made him deeply anxious, and again the idea which had come to him on the previous night when his aunt had made her announcement,--that he should leave school,--recurred to him.

A happy nod and smile from Viola, who chanced to be passing through the hall on her way to one of her recitations, however, decided the day for Harry.

"I'll not let Elmer Craven make me give up my friendship for Viola!" he told himself. And with this resolve, he proceeded to his various duties.

Having no recitations after the noon recess, Paul suggested that Jerry, Harry and he should take a sail on his new iceboat _Lightning_, which had just been delivered to him.

Glad of any diversion that would take his mind from his troubles, Harry readily accepted and the boys went to their several homes for dinner.

Angry that he had failed to scare his rival, Elmer had brooded all the morning over some means of making good his threat, and at last, unable to think of any scheme that would be both adequate and feasible, he dropped into the village butcher shop to consult his friend, Pud.

To his amazement, he found the bully laughing and in high spirits, in striking contrast to the surly gloom he had maintained since the eventful day in Lumberport.

"What's making you feel so gay?" demanded Elmer.

"The fact that I've got Harry Watson now just where I want him!"

His eyes big with incredulity, the richest boy in Rivertown stared at the bully.

"What on earth do you mean?" he finally asked, when he found that Pud made no move to explain his statement.

"Just this!" returned the bully. And he tapped a newspaper which was spread out over one of the chopping blocks.

"But I don't understand?" persisted Elmer.

"Then listen to this!" and Pud read the following:

"'Amos Watson's appeal was denied by the court and he will now be compelled to serve five years in prison to which he was sentenced for forgery.'"

"Well?" exclaimed Elmer, still mystified.

"What's the matter with you? Have you suddenly lost your senses?" stormed the bully.

"But I don't see what that has to do with that young cur."

"You don't, eh? Well, it has just this to do with it--Amos Watson is Harry's father!"

For several minutes the rich boy stood silent, as though endeavoring to grasp the magnitude of the news which had come to him--and then, with a sudden cry of delight, he struck Pud a resounding whack on the back.

"That's great--provided it's true!" he exclaimed.

"True? Of course it's true. Isn't it in the paper?"

"Yes, but where did you get the paper?" demanded Elmer, picking it up and looking at the name and date line.

"Uncle Briscoe always sends it up from Lawrenceburgh to my mother. She used to live down there, you know."

"No, I didn't, but the paper seems straight enough, so I suppose it's all right."

"You bet it's all right. And now come on, we'll spread the news--and if Harry Watson doesn't wish before night he'd never been born, I'll miss my guess!"

And together the two boys who hated Harry so bitterly set out to scatter the news of his father's misfortune broadcast.