"Then will you--that is would you--er--that is----"

"Of course I will," answered Mabel, taking pity on her companion's embarra.s.sment. "Won't it be lovely, with Madge and Ruth, and her brother and Mr. Parsons. We'll be quite a party."

"It'll be immense!" declared Sid with great conviction. Thereafter he seemed to find it easier to keep the conversation going.

The little group came to the end of the campus. Phil, Tom, Madge and Ruth waited for Sid and Mabel.

"Well, we'll see you girls to-night," said Tom, for he and his chum were anxious to get to their room and "tog up." Then he added: "It's a pity Miss Harrison isn't going. If I had thought----"

"Miss Harrison is going!" cried Sid with sudden energy.

"What?" cried Tom and Phil together. Then, realizing that it might embarra.s.s the girl, Tom added:

"Fine! We'll all go together. Come on, Sid, and get some of the outfield mud sc.r.a.ped away."

The girls waved laughing farewells, and Sid, rather awkwardly, shook hands with Miss Harrison.

"What's the matter, old chap?" asked Tom of him, when they were beyond hearing distance of the girls. "Are you afraid you'll never see her again?"

"Shut up!" cried Sid.

"Wonders will never cease," went on Phil. "To see our old misogynist being led along by a pretty girl! However did you get up the s.p.u.n.k to ask her to go to-night, sport?"

"Shut up!" cried Sid again. "Haven't I got a right to?"

"Oh, of course!" agreed Tom quickly. "It's a sign of regeneration, old man. I'm glad to see it! What color are her eyes?"

"Blue," answered Sid promptly, before he thought.

"Ha! Ha!" laughed Phil and Tom.

"Did you get her photograph?" asked Tom, clinging to Phil, so strenuous was his mirth.

"Say, I'll punch your head if you don't quit!" threatened Sid, and then, as he saw Wallops, the messenger, coming toward him, with a letter, there came to Sid's face a new look--one of fear, his chums thought.

He read the note quickly, and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he turned, and hastened after the three girls.

"Here, what's up?" demanded Tom, for Sid had acted strangely.

"I can't go to the theatricals to-night, after all," was the surprising answer. "I must apologize to Miss Harrison. Will you take her, Tom?"

"Of course," was the answer, and then, as Sid hastened to make his excuses to the girl who, but a few minutes before, he had asked to accompany him, his two chums looked at each other, and shook their heads. The mystery about Sid was deepening.

CHAPTER IV

ELECTING A MANAGER

Sidney Henderson fairly broke into a run in order to catch up to the three girls. They heard him coming, and turned around, while Tom and Phil, some distance off, were spectators of the scene.

"I say!" burst out poor Sid pantingly, as he came to a halt, "I'm awfully sorry, Miss Harrison, but--er--I can't take you to the theatricals to-night, after all. I've just received bad news."

"Bad news? Oh, I'm so sorry!" and the blue eyes of the pretty girl, that had been merry and dancing, as she chatted with Ruth and Madge, took on a tender glance.

"Oh, it isn't that any one is sick, or--er--anything like that," Sid hastened to add, for he saw that she had misunderstood him. "It's just that I have received a message--I have got to go away--I--er--I can't explain, but some one is in trouble, and I--I'm awfully sorry," he blurted out, feeling that he was making a pretty bad mess of it. "I've arranged for Tom Parsons to take you to the theatricals, Miss Harrison."

"You've arranged for Mr. Parsons to take me?" There was no mistaking the anger in her tones. Her blue eyes seemed to flash, and she drew herself up proudly. Madge and Ruth, who had shown some pity and anxiety at Sid's first words, looked at him curiously.

"Yes, Tom will be very glad to take you," went on the unfortunate Sid.

"Thank you," spoke Miss Harrison coldly. "I don't believe I care to go to the theatricals after all. Come on, girls, or we will be late for tea," and without another look at Sid she turned aside and walked on.

"Oh, but I say, you know!" burst out the second baseman. "I thought--that is--you see--I can't possibly take you, as it is, and I thought----"

"It isn't necessary for anyone to take me!" retorted Miss Harrison coldly. "It's not at all important, I a.s.sure you. Good afternoon, Mr.

Henderson," and she swept away, leaving poor Sid staring after her with bewilderment in his eyes. It was his first attempt at an affair with a maiden, and it had ended most disastrously. He turned back to rejoin his chums.

"Well?" questioned Tom, as Sid came up. "Is it all right? Am I to have the pleasure of two young ladies to-night?"

"No, it's all wrong!" blurted out Sid. "I can't understand girls!"

"That's rich!" cried Phil. "Here you have been despising them all your life, and now, when you do make up to one, and something happens, you say you can't understand them. No man can, old chap. Look at Tom and me, here, and we've had our share of affairs, haven't we, old sport."

"Speak for yourself," replied the pitcher. "But what's the row, Sid?"

"Hanged if I know. I told her I couldn't possibly go to-night----"

"Did you tell her why?" interrupted Phil.

"Well, I said I had received word that I had to go away, and--er--well I can't explain that part of it even to you fellows. I've got to go away for a short time, that's all. It's fearfully important, of course, or I wouldn't break a date with a girl. I can't explain, except that I have to go. I tried to tell her that; and then I said I'd arranged with you to take her, Tom."

"You what?" cried the amazed pitcher.

"I told her I was going to have you take her."

"Without asking her whether it would be agreeable to her?"

"Of course. I didn't suppose that was necessary, as you and Miss Clinton and Miss Tyler were all going together. I just told her you'd take her."

"Well, of all the chumps!" burst out Phil.

"A double-barreled one!" added Tom.

"Why--what's wrong?" asked Sid wonderingly.