The recitation was about half done, when suddenly Ward started up in his seat. His face flushed as he almost spoke aloud.
Jack looked at him in astonishment, but Ward made no reply as he hastily turned again to his book, and apparently was only following the recitation. And yet in a flash it had come to him what Mr. Crane had meant by his questions. At first he felt somewhat resentful, but as his mind ran rapidly over the events of the past few days, he could not conceal from himself the fact that he had given too much justification for the implied rebuke of his teacher.
All through the day his mind kept going back to that brief interview with Mr. Crane, and the recollection was not always a source of pleasure.
That evening a group of boys was assembled in his room, Little Pond, Jack, and Big Smith all being there, as well as Ward and his room-mate. The conversation had been almost entirely on the game with the Burrs, which to them at least, and most of all to Ward, was still a topic of great interest.
"Well," Jack was saying, "we’ve got this game, thanks to Ward, and even if we lose the return game in the spring we’re not so badly off as we might be. The valedic will help us out then too, won’t you, Ward?"
"There’s no knowing who the valedic will be, I’m thinking. Your friend Luscious is making a pretty strong bid for it, and Little Pond here says his big brother is coming back next week."
"Is that so?" said Jack eagerly, turning to the lad as he spoke. "Is that so? Why I thought he wasn’t coming back till after the Christmas vacation."
"He didn’t expect to," replied Little Pond; "but it’s turned out so that he can come next week, and I’m expecting him next Wednesday."
"That’s fine," said Jack enthusiastically. "I tell you, Pond’s got the right stuff in him. Now Luscious has had a good influence on me, and I’ve braced up wonderfully under his valuable example, and if Pond comes back I think I shall make a try of it myself for the valedic. ’Us four, no more,’ will be in it then."
The boys laughed at Jack’s declaration that he was about to try for the honors of the class, for they all knew that the impulsive boy was not over fond of study, and that the improvement in his class work had been almost entirely due to the efforts which Berry had made in his behalf.