Again the name acted as a spur on Ross. "With your collar and boots all dirty?" he jeered. "They won"t know you"re callin"."

The boy in the road stopped short in his dusty tracks. He was an intense creature, and he whitened at the tragic insinuation, longing for the wholesome stay and companionship of freckle-faced Ross. "I put the dirt on o" purpose so"s to look kind of careless," he half whispered, in an agony of doubt. "S"pose I"d better go into your house and try to wash it off? Reckon your mother would let me?"

"I"ve got two clean collars," announced the other boy, proudly generous. "I"ll lend you one. You can put it on while I"m getting ready. I"ll tell mother that we"re just stepping out to do a little calling on the girls."

Here was an ally worthy of the cause. Abner welcomed him, in spite of certain jealous twinges. He reflected with satisfaction that there were two Claiborne girls, and though Alicia was so stiff and prim that no boy would ever think of calling on her, there was still the hope that she might draw Ross"s fire, and leave him, Abner, to make the numerous remarks he had stored up in his mind from _Hints and Helps to Young Men in Social and Business Relations_ to Champe alone.

Mrs. Pryor received them with the easy-going kindness of the mother of one son. She followed them into the dining-room to kiss and feed him, with an absent "Howdy, Abner; how"s your mother?"

Abner, big with the importance of their mutual intention, inclined his head stiffly and looked toward Ross for explanation. He trembled a little, but it was with delight, as he antic.i.p.ated the effect of the speech Ross had outlined. But it did not come.

"I"m not hungry, mother," was the revised edition which the freckle-faced boy offered to the maternal ear. "I--we are going over to Mr. Claiborne"s--on--er--on an errand for Abner"s father."

The black-eyed boy looked reproach as they clattered up the stairs to Ross"s room, where the clean collar was produced and a small stock of ties.

"You"d wear a necktie--wouldn"t you?" Ross asked, spreading them upon the bureau-top.

"Yes. But make it fall carelessly over your shirt-front," advised the student of _Hints and Helps_. "Your collar is miles too big for me.

Say! I"ve got a wad of white chewing-gum; would you flat it out and stick it over the collar b.u.t.ton? Maybe that would fill up some. You kick my foot if you see me turning my head so"s to knock it off."

"Better b.u.t.ton up your vest," cautioned Ross, laboring with the "careless" fall of his tie.

"Huh-uh! I want "that easy air which presupposes familiarity with society"--that"s what it says in my book," objected Abner.

"Sure!" Ross returned to his more familiar jeering att.i.tude. "Loosen up all your clothes, then. Why don"t you untie your shoes? Flop a sock down over one of "em--that looks "easy" all right."

Abner b.u.t.toned his vest. "It gives a man lots of confidence to know he"s good-looking," he remarked, taking all the room in front of the mirror.

Ross, at the wash-stand soaking his hair to get the curl out of it, grumbled some unintelligible response. The two boys went down the stairs with tremulous hearts.

"Why, you"ve put on another clean shirt, Rossie!" Mrs. Pryor called from her chair--mothers" eyes can see so far! "Well--don"t get into any dirty play and soil it." The boys walked in silence--but it was a pregnant silence; for as the roof of the Claiborne house began to peer above the crest of the hill, Ross plumped down on a stone and announced, "I ain"t goin"."

"Come on," urged the black-eyed boy. "It"ll be fun--and everybody will respect us more. Champe won"t throw rocks at us in recess-time, after we"ve called on her. She couldn"t."

"Called!" grunted Ross. "I couldn"t make a call any more than a cow.

What"d I say? What"d I do? I can behave all right when you just go to people"s houses--but a call!"

Abner hesitated. Should he give away his brilliant inside information, drawn from the _Hints and Helps_ book, and be rivalled in the glory of his manners and bearing? Why should he not pa.s.s on alone, perfectly composed, and reap the field of glory unsupported? His knees gave way and he sat down without intending it.

"Don"t you tell anybody and I"ll put you on to exactly what grown-up gentlemen say and do when they go calling on the girls," he began.

"Fire away," retorted Ross, gloomily. "n.o.body will find out from me.

Dead men tell no tales. If I"m fool enough to go, I don"t expect to come out of it alive."

Abner rose, white and shaking, and thrusting three fingers into the b.u.t.toning of his vest, extending the other hand like an orator, proceeded to instruct the freckled, perspiring disciple at his feet.

""Hang your hat on the rack, or give it to a servant."" Ross nodded intelligently. He could do that.

""Let your legs be gracefully disposed, one hand on the knee, the other--""

Abner came to an unhappy pause. "I forget what a fellow does with the other hand. Might stick it in your pocket, loudly, or expectorate on the carpet. Indulge in little frivolity. Let a rich stream of conversation flow.""

Ross mentally dug within himself for sources of rich streams of conversation. He found a dry soil. "What you goin" to talk about?" he demanded, fretfully. "I won"t go a step farther till I know what I"m goin" to say when I get there."

Abner began to repeat paragraphs from _Hints and Helps_. ""It is best to remark,"" he opened, in an unnatural voice, ""How well you are looking!" although fulsome compliments should be avoided. When seated ask the young lady who her favorite composer is.""

"What"s a composer?" inquired Ross, with visions of soothing-syrup in his mind.

"A man that makes up music. Don"t b.u.t.t in that way; you put me all out--"composer is. Name yours. Ask her what piece of music she likes best. Name yours. If the lady is musical, here ask her to play or sing.""

This chanted recitation seemed to have a hypnotic effect on the freckled boy; his big pupils contracted each time Abner came to the repetend, "Name yours."

"I"m tired already," he grumbled; but some spell made him rise and fare farther.

When they had entered the Claiborne gate, they leaned toward each other like young saplings weakened at the root and locking branches to keep what shallow foothold on earth remained.

"You"re goin" in first," a.s.serted Ross, but without conviction. It was his custom to tear up to this house a dozen times a week, on his father"s old horse or afoot; he was wont to yell for Champe as he approached, and quarrel joyously with her while he performed such errand as he had come upon; but he was gagged and hamstrung now by the hypnotism of Abner"s scheme.

""Walk quietly up the steps; ring the bell and lay your card on the servant,"" quoted Abner, who had never heard of a server.

""Lay your card on the servant!"" echoed Ross. "Cady"d dodge. There"s a porch to cross after you go up the steps--does it say anything about that?"

"It says that the card should be placed on the servant," Abner reiterated, doggedly. "If Cady dodges, it ain"t any business of mine.

There are no porches in my book. Just walk across it like anybody.

We"ll ask for Miss Champe Claiborne."

"We haven"t got any cards," discovered Ross, with hope.

"I have," announced Abner, pompously. "I had some struck off in Chicago. I ordered "em by mail. They got my name Pillow, but there"s a scalloped gilt border around it. You can write your name on my card.

Got a pencil?"

He produced the bit of cardboard; Ross fished up a chewed stump of lead pencil, took it in cold, stiff fingers, and disfigured the square with eccentric scribblings.

"They"ll know who it"s meant for," he said, apologetically, "because I"m here. What"s likely to happen after we get rid of the card?"

"I told you about hanging your hat on the rack and disposing your legs."

"I remember now," sighed Ross. They had been going slower and slower.

The angle of inclination toward each other became more and more p.r.o.nounced.

"We must stand by each other," whispered Abner.

"I will--if I can stand at all," murmured the other boy, huskily.

"Oh, Lord!" They had rounded the big clump of evergreens and found Aunt Missouri Claiborne placidly rocking on the front porch! Directed to mount steps and ring bell, to lay cards upon the servant, how should one deal with a rosy-faced, plump lady of uncertain years in a rocking-chair. What should a caller lay upon her? A lion in the way could not have been more terrifying. Even retreat was cut off. Aunt Missouri had seen them. "Howdy, boys; how are you?" she said, rocking peacefully. The two stood before her like detected criminals.

Then, to Ross"s dismay, Abner sank down on the lowest step of the porch, the westering sun full in his hopeless eyes. He sat on his cap.

It was characteristic that the freckled boy remained standing. He would walk up those steps according to plan and agreement, if at all.