The Gayton Scholarship: A School Story Read online

  Produced by Al Haines.

  THE GAYTON SCHOLARSHIP

  _A SCHOOL STORY_

  BY

  HERBERT HAYENS

  Author of "At the Point of the Sword," "An Emperor's Doom," "Clevely Sahib," "Under the Lone Star," &c. &c.

  THOMAS NELSON AND SONS _London, Edinburgh, and New York_ 1904

  *CONTENTS.*

  I. THE DEANERY CANDIDATES II. THE CHALLENGE SHIELD III. A NEWSPAPER PARAGRAPH IV. FURTHER NEWS OF THE "MORNING STAR" V. JIM STARTS WORK VI. THE EXAMINATION VII. "IT'S ALL MY FAULT" VIII. "DID I SAVE HIM?" IX. THE RESULT OF THE EXAMINATION X. GOING DOWN HILL XI. IS JIM A THIEF? XII. WHERE IS THE MISSING MONEY? XIII. AN AMATEUR DETECTIVE XIV. CURLY AND COMPANY XV. "WHEN THIEVES FALL OUT" XVI. A FRESH START XVII. A STARTLING SURPRISE

  *THE GAYTON SCHOLARSHIP.*

  *CHAPTER I.*

  *THE DEANERY CANDIDATES.*

  "Good-morning, Mrs. Hartland. Isn't Jim ready? All right; I'll waitfor him. Do you think Susie would care for these wild flowers andgrasses? I picked them this morning. Rover and I have been for asplendid run over the common, nearly as far as the forest."

  "Thanks, Dick," said Mrs. Hartland, with a pleased smile; "Susie will bedelighted with them. Poor girl! it's little chance she has to see themgrowing herself. What a pretty white dog-rose!"

  "Isn't it a beauty? I thought Susie would like that.--Hullo, Jim!" ashis chum appeared from an inner room; "come on, old lazy-bones. Iexpected to find you in a tremendous hurry this morning.--Good-bye, Mrs.Hartland; I hope Susie will be pleased with the flowers."

  Most people liked Dick Boden. He was a comical youngster, fond of allkinds of fun and frolic, and always keeping an eye on the bright side ofthings. In school he was a regular pickle, and yet his teachers spokewell of him, for there was nothing mean about Dick, and he was as honestas the day.

  "Full of animal spirits and a trifle impetuous, but a good little chapat bottom," said Mr. Holmore, the head-master of the Deanery School.

  He was a round-faced, curly-haired fellow, with laughing blue eyes, amost engaging smile, and such an innocent expression that a lady artistonce painted his portrait as a study of an angel. This greatly amusedthe Deaneryites, who promptly dubbed him the Angel.

  Of course he was very popular with his school-fellows, but his oneparticular chum was Jim Hartland, a sailor's son, and one of the headboys in the school.

  "Grinding for the exam.?" he asked, as they waved a last adieu to Mrs.Hartland, who stood on the doorstep watching them as they went down thestreet.

  "Hardly," said Jim, "until we know who are to be the candidates."

  "Oh, you'll be one for certain, and Perce Braithwaite another."

  "And you."

  "If Holmore gives me the chance, I'll work like a nigger for the honourof the school. The scholarship wouldn't be any good to me though; itonly pays for the fees and books, and you have to stay till you aresixteen. Mother couldn't afford to keep me at school as long as that."

  There was at this time great excitement among the boys of the elementaryschools in the seaport town of Beauleigh. The governors of GaytonPublic School had offered a scholarship, to be competed for by threeselected candidates from every school in the town, and the offer hadproduced a feeling of intense rivalry.

  The names of the chosen boys from the Deanery were to be made known thatmorning, and every one was on the tiptoe of expectation.

  "We're late," said Dick, as the two boys turned into the long, straightroad leading to the school, "most of the fellows are in the playground.I'll race you to the gate. Ready? One, two, three--off!" and away theysped for a good two hundred yards' run.

  Jim was the taller and stronger, but Dick was very nimble, and havinggot the lead, he kept it. On they went, flushed, panting, and strainingevery nerve, while a group of boys coming from the opposite directionencouraged them with loud cries.

  "Keep it up, Angel!"

  "Another spurt, Jim; he's nearly done!"

  Dick's legs were getting tottery, and Jim was close on his shoulder, butthe open gate was only ten yards off, and the plucky youngster pulledhimself together for a last effort.

  "Jim's got him!" "No, no; the Angel wins! the Angel wins!"

  A yard from the gate they were neck and neck; but then, using up all hisremaining strength, Dick flung himself forward--the winner by scarcelyhalf a foot.

  Unlucky Dick! In the excitement of the last half-second he had gonelike stone from catapult straight against the vest pocket of a portlygentleman who was strolling leisurely across the playground to the gate.Jim's onset completed the mischief, and the three rolled together on theground.

  The boys in the road, unable to see the catastrophe, ran up with a brisk"hurrah." But suddenly every tongue was still.

  If you have ever felt the shock of an earthquake, or been shipwrecked,or in a railway collision, you will have some faint idea of the frightwhich held the handful of Deanery boys spellbound.

  "The inspector!" whispered Tompkins in a tone of awe, and a shiver ranthrough the little crowd.

  Then, as the gentleman and boys rose to their feet, Tompkins, with animbecile kind of smile, said, "Please, sir, it's only the Angel!"

  Only the Angel! Had His Majesty's Inspector been a Deanery boy he wouldnot have required any further information. As it was, the look ofsurprise in his face deepened.

  Now Dick, with all his faults, was a little gentleman. His face waswhite and his voice husky, but, standing cap in hand, he said bravely,"I am very sorry, sir. We were racing, and Jim Hartland had almostcaught me, so I put on a last sprint, and--"

  "And won?"

  "Yes, sir," answered Dick modestly; "but Jim was close behind."

  "Yes," observed the gentleman with a grim smile, "I am painfully awareof the fact. However, there is not much harm done. Ask your master tolend me a brush."

  "Isn't he a brick?" said one of the boys as they ran to their places."He didn't even look angry. Have you hurt your leg, Jim?"

  "It's a bit painful--that's all."

  "I hope it will be right for the match to-morrow." And then, at soundof the bell, all talking stopped, and the boys marched into the assemblyhall.

  After prayers, the inspector, looking none the worse for his mishap,came into the room and talked with Mr. Holmore, who then proceeded tomake a little speech concerning the Gayton Scholarship.

  "You know," he said, "that only one boy can win it, and there will becandidates from nearly every school in the town. We have three goodchampions, and whether they obtain the great honour for the Deanery ornot, I am sure they will do their best. Come to the desk as I call yournames. Richard Boden."

  There was a hum of pleasure as Dick went up, flushed with joy, yetfeeling rather uncomfortable at having to face the inspector a secondtime that morning.

  "Percy Braithwaite."

  A well-dressed, spruce-looking boy, known as Dandy Braithwaite, cameforward with alacrity and, to the delight of the school, was followed byJames Hartland.

  "Now, boys," said their master, "I hope your work will show we have madea wise selection. Remember, once your names are given in, we cannot makeany alteration." Then turning to the inspector, he added, "These areour candidates, sir."

  "Ah," exclaimed that gentleman genially, "I ha
ve made the acquaintanceof two of them, Mr. Holmore, and I can assure you they are tremendousfellows--at a sprint.--Well, my lads, one thing is certain: thisscholarship won't be gained without plenty of hard work. The chosenknights are buckling on their armour in every quarter of the town, andthe tournament will be a keen one."

  Fortunately, school closed at noon for the day, as the boys were tooexcited to pay much attention to lessons. They were well satisfied withtheir master's selection, and many of them at once put down thescholarship as a "good thing" for Jim Hartland.

  Some thought Braithwaite might get it, others pinned their faith to DickBoden, "if the little beggar would work;" and when one wretched urchinhinted that the St. Paul's boys had won a lot of prizes lately, he waspromptly "sat on."

  "It's bound to come to the Deanery," declared Tompkins, who was himselfstill struggling with the mysteries of long division. "The onlyquestion is, Who's to get it?"

  Then the talk turned to the great cricket match fixed for the next day,which was to decide the possession of the challenge shield for thefollowing year. St. Paul's held it, but the Deanery intended having agood try to wrest it from their near and dear rivals.

  "Hartland's in fine form," said one. "You should have seen him hit atpractice yesterday. If he comes off we ought to stand a chance."

  "And the Angel's bowling a treat! I don't think the 'Magpies'" (as theSt. Paul's boys were called) "will do much with his curly ones."

  "He bowled the inspector out before school, didn't he?"

  They were still laughing at the recollection of Dick's mishap whenSimpson, the reserve man of the team, came up, trying, but with poorsuccess, to look sorry.

  "Heard the news, you fellows?" he asked. "Hartland's cricked his legand won't be able to play."

  The boys gazed at one another blankly, hoping against hope that the newswas not true.

  "There he is," cried one suddenly; and sure enough there he was, leaningon his chum's arm, and hobbling slowly across the playground.

  They crowded around him eagerly, asking more questions than could beanswered in a week.

  "What's the matter, Jim?"

  "Can't you play?"

  "Are you hurt?"

  "Hurt!" cried Dick scornfully. "Of course not! He is doing this justfor fun, you silly duffers."

  "It isn't much," exclaimed Jim, "and I'll play to-morrow if I can stand.We'll have that shield yet."

  "Anyhow," said Dick, with a laugh, "if Jim can't turn out, we haveSimpson to fall back on," at which the Deanery boys shook their headsdoubtfully. They had no very high opinion of Simpson's powers.

  "I'm awfully sorry," said Dick ruefully, as the two chums went up theroad. "There'll be no practice for you this afternoon, at all events."

  "No," agreed Jim. "I'd better lie by till the morning. Never mind, oldchap; it wasn't your fault; and besides, I shall be all right. Motherwill see to that, I'm glad the match is to-morrow. We'll have a goodtry for the shield, and then peg away for the scholarship."

  "Won't the Magpies get their monkey up if we pull off both? What abeastly nuisance! There's Temple coming!"

  Temple was the captain of the St. Paul's team--a tall, nice-looking lad,immensely proud of his school, and noted for playing the game like atrue sportsman.

  "Hullo, Hartland!" he cried; "crippled? I say, that's hard lines on theDeanery. I wonder if the committee would put the game off for a week?"

  "No, no," said Jim; "it isn't much. I shall turn up in the morning."

  "You're a brick, Temple," exclaimed Dick, "and a jolly good sort, thoughyou are a Magpie. 'Pon my word, I'm half sorry we're going to take thatshield from you."

  "And you're a little humbug," laughed Temple, giving him a playful digin the ribs.--"Take care of yourself, Jim. I wouldn't give a toss tobeat the Deanery if you're out of the team."

  "Proper sort of chap, ain't he?" said Dick, when the Magpie passed on."Just fancy his proposing that the match should be put off! My stars,there aren't many captains who would do that. How's the leg now?"

  "Painful rather, but 'twill be better when I lie down."

  Dick helped his chum home; and while Mrs. Hartland doctored the bruisedlimb, he chatted gaily with Susie, telling her all about the match andthe scholarship, and making merry jokes for her to laugh at.

  Owing to a weak spine, Susie spent most of her time lying on the sofa;but she was a bright, intelligent girl, very fond of mischievous Dick,and immensely proud of her brother.

  She was very glad when her mother said Jim's leg would soon be well, forthis cricket match was to be a great event in her life--a gleam of goldin a gray sky.

  Mrs. Hartland had hired an invalid chair, and the two boys had promisedto take her to the county ground, where the game was to be played.

  "I do hope it will be fine," she exclaimed rather wistfully, for therewere few pleasures in her life.

  "It's bound to be," cried Dick, with a merry laugh. "The sun will comeout on purpose to see you. Now I must be off for the practice. GiveJim plenty of goose-grease, Mrs. Hartland, and make him stay in bed tillthe last minute.--I'll be round in good time in the morning, Susie.--Ta,ta, Jimmy. This will teach you not to go about knocking inspectors overin the future."

  "I like that," said Jim. "Why, you little fraud--"

  But Dick had picked up his hat, and was outside the door before he couldfinish.