"Wha--what do you--er--mean by that, Lawrence?"

"I hate very much to bring this subject up, Mr. Haskers, but you practically compel me to do it. If you will only promise to give us a fair chance to make up our lessons, I won't say a word about it."

"Just what do you mean?" faltered the teacher.

"I know something about your doings in the past--doings which are of no credit to you. If you disgrace Ben and me by degrading us in cla.s.ses, we'll disgrace you by telling all we know."

"And what do you know?" demanded Job Haskers, hastily.

"We know a good deal," put in Ben.

"All about your dealing with the poor widow, Mrs. Breen," added the shipowner's son. "How you still owe her for board, and how you borrowed money to publish a book that was never issued."

"Who told you that?" cried Job Haskers, stepping back in consternation. "Who told you that I had borrowed money from her, and that I owed her for board?"

"Never mind who told us," said Ben. "We know it is true."

"And you went to that lawyer, eh?" stormed Professor Haskers. "You got him to threaten a suit, didn't you? I got his letter only this afternoon."

"We went to no lawyer," answered Phil.

"I know better! I see it all now! You want to get me into trouble--to disgrace me here!" Job Haskers began to pace the floor. "It is--er--a mistake. I meant to pay that lady but it--er--slipped my mind. And the book has been issued, but the publishers have not--er--seen fit to push it, that is why you and the world at large have not heard of it."

"Mr. Haskers, we haven't told anybody about this," went on Phil, pointedly. "You can settle with that lawyer, whoever he may be,--and we'll not say a word to anybody--that is, providing you'll give us a fair chance in our lessons."

"Ha! maybe you wish me to pa.s.s you without an examination," cried the teacher, cunningly.

"No, sir!" answered Phil, stoutly.

"We simply ask for more time, that is all," added Ben. "We don't ask any favor. We can make up the lessons if you will give us as much time as the other teachers would give us."

"You have not told anybody of this--this--er--affair of Mrs. Breen?"

"No."

"It is all a mistake, but I should not like it to get abroad. It would hurt my reputation a great deal. I shall settle the matter in the near future. I do not owe that lady as much as the lawyer says I do,--but that is not your affair." Job Haskers continued to pace the floor. "Now about your lessons," he continued, after a pause. "If I--er--thought that I had really been too hard on you----" He paused.

"You certainly have been hard," said Phil.

"And if you really need more time----"

"Give us two weeks more and we'll be all right," put in Ben.

"And if--er--if I should decide to do that, you will--er----"

"We'll make good--and keep our mouths shut," finished Phil.

"Very well. I will think it over, young gentlemen, and let you know to-morrow morning, before cla.s.s. And in the meantime----"

"We won't say a word to anybody," said Ben, with a little grin.

"So be it;" and Job Haskers bowed. "There is the supper-bell. You may go now. Come to me just before cla.s.s to-morrow," he added; and then the two students pa.s.sed out of the room, and the teacher shut the door after them.

CHAPTER VIII

AN UNUSUAL COMPACT

"He'll do it--he is bound to do it!" cried Ben, as he and Phil hurried down to the dining-room.

"I think so myself, Ben," answered the shipowner's son. But, for some reason, he did not seem as joyful over the outcome of the interview as might have been expected.

"He won't dare let this news become public property," went on the other student. "He is too afraid of public opinion."

"Ben, he thinks we got that lawyer to take the case up."

"You told him we hadn't."

"But he didn't believe it--I could tell that by his manner. And, Ben, do you know, after all, this looks to me as if we had, somehow, bribed him to be easy on us," continued Phil, with added concern.

"Oh, don't bother your head about that, Phil. We only asked for what is fair, didn't we?"

"Yes, but----" And then the shipowner's son did not finish, because he did not know what to say. In some manner, Phil's conscience troubled him, and he wondered what Dave and Roger would say when they heard of what had occurred.

During the meal that followed but little was said by any of the boys.

Once or twice our hero looked at Phil, but the latter avoided his gaze. As soon as the repast was over, Phil rushed outside, followed by Ben; and that was the last seen of the pair until it was time to go to bed.

"They have been up to something, that is certain," was the comment of the senator's son.

"Well, we can only wait and see what turns up," answered Dave, thoughtfully. "I don't think I care to ask them."

In the morning, when Dave got up he looked over to where Phil was in the habit of sleeping. The bed was empty, and the shipowner's son was gone.

"Dressed half an hour ago," said another of the dormitory inmates.

"Went off again with Ben, I'll wager," murmured Roger. Ben was in another room, across the hallway, that term.

Dave and Roger had been hard at work the evening before, doing their best to make up the lessons they had missed while away from the school. They doubted if Phil and Ben had studied at all. With considerable curiosity they awaited the opening of the morning cla.s.ses, to see what might happen. They felt that something was "in the air."

Just before the last bell rang Phil and Ben appeared, their faces wreathed in smiles.

"It's all right, fellows!" cried the shipowner's son, merrily. "It's all right!"

"Now we can take our time making up those missed lessons," added Ben.

"You went to old Haskers?" queried Roger.