“Oh!” said Russell. “But, look here, Jimmy, I couldn’t take a loan of that size!”
“Why not? Oh, very well, we won’t argue about that. I’ll buy Patterson’s interest from you as soon as you get it from him. That is if you don’t object to me as a partner. Of course I wouldn’t be a very active partner after next June, but we could make some arrangement that would be fair to you. The main thing now is--”
“But have you got permission to go to New York?” interrupted Russell.
Jimmy grinned and shook his head. “Permission? I couldn’t get it if I tried, you idiot. And I’ve no notion of trying. No, what I do is just unostentatiously walk away about half-past nine. No one’s going to know anything about it. I’ll have to cut chapel and two classes in the morning, but I’ve been a pretty good boy so far this term and that’ll be all right. I’ll be around for dinner and no one need know I’ve been away.”
“I don’t like it,” protested Russell. “Suppose Coach Cade got wind of it?”
Jimmy sobered perceptibly and then shrugged. “Let’s not be Glooms,” he said, grinning. “Of course there’s a slight risk, but the end excuses the means, or whatever the saying is. What time is it now?” He looked at his watch.
“Never you mind what time it is,” said Russell firmly. “You’re not going to do it, Jimmy. It’s corking of you to want to, and all that, and I’m awfully much obliged to you, but you’re staying right here.”
“Yes, you are! Look here, Jimmy. If Mr. Cade ever found out you know what would happen. You’d be dumped off the team in a minute. No matter if you were the mainstay of it, the only fellow who could win us a victory over Kenly, you’d go just the same. You know that. You know Johnny Cade well enough. Isn’t it so?”
They eyed each other straightly for a moment. Then:
Jimmy shrugged. “All right. That’s that. Only thing left to do is telegraph.”
“No good. I thought of that. This is Tuesday and dad will be in town. I’ll send a wire to the office, but I don’t believe the money will get here in time. I’ll try it, though. I’ll ask him to telegraph it. Now let’s see.” Jimmy crossed to a writing table and brought back a sheet of paper. While he frowned and wrote, erased and rewrote Russell fell into thought. He didn’t really believe that Jimmy would get the money, and he sought in his mind for some other way out of the dilemma. He had said that there would be nothing gained by an appeal to Stick, and yet perhaps he was wrong. At least, he would try the appeal. In spite of some faults, Stick had heretofore always acted straight. Russell’s cogitations were interrupted by Jimmy, who thrust the written message in a pocket and got to his feet.