Frank Merriwell's Athletes Part 6

"I don't know," said Frank, slowly. "It may be. I have not seen her in a long time, and I have seen many other girls, for some of whom I have had more than a pa.s.sing fancy."

"It is certain that some of them have had more than a pa.s.sing fancy for you, Frank," laughed Harry.

Merriwell did not smile.

"Harry," he said, gravely, "my thoughts are now of Inza alone. All other girls are forgotten. She always had the utmost confidence in me. She trusted me, and she believed I could do anything. If she knew I were in San Francisco she would find a way to appeal to me for aid. I can fancy her alone with her invalid father, whose one ambition is to make a good match for his child before he dies. I can fancy her appealing to him, begging him not to force her into this odious marriage. She is not the girl to cringe or cry. She is impulsive, hot-blooded, pa.s.sionate, and, as a last resort, to escape this English lord, she might do something desperate. Nay, she might commit suicide."

Harry was inclined to laugh at this, but he saw that Merriwell was very grave and earnest, and he refrained. He shook his head, however, saying:

"You cannot be in earnest, old fellow. Girls do not commit suicide nowadays."

"I a.s.sure you there is no telling what a girl like Inza Burrage might do. That is what worries me. I feel that it is my duty to aid her, but how-how can I reach her?"

"Pive it gup-I mean give it up, old man. Let us sleep over it to-night."

"Sleep-sleep after hearing this? Impossible!"

"But you can do nothing until daylight comes."

"That is true, and I am wondering what I shall be able to do then. That is why I cannot sleep."

In vain Rattleton urged Frank to lie down and rest. At last he gave it up and went into the other room to tell the boys how hard hit Frank was by the news concerning his old sweetheart.

"I don't doubt me," nodded Hans. "Thot am shust like Vrankie. He vos alvays thinking a great deal more of somepody else apout, than he vas himself of."

"Begorra," put in Barney, "it is no more than nacheral he should think a great dale av thot girrul. They wur the bist av swatehearts at Fardale.

Although they sometimes jist quarreled a bit it's true love thot nivver did run smooth at all, at all, and there's no telling what may happen betwane thim. For sure there is very little smoothness in their love affairs."

"Ah, Merriwell is always falling in love," said Diamond. "I do not believe it goes very deep with him."

"An' if it is yersilf thot thinks so!" cried Barney, contemptuously, "it's little ye know about him, thin!"

Jack flushed, and seemed on the point of resenting this plain speech, but bit his lip and remained silent, although he gave Barney a black look.

The Irish lad did not mind looks, however, and as for words, he had a proverbial Irish tongue that could send back a witty and cutting reply for any sort of speech.

After meeting Hans in San Francisco, Barney had been stopping with Hans at a boarding house to which they now decided to return for the night.

Before leaving, however, they had a few words with Frank, who made them promise to come around early in the morning.

"I may have thought of some plan of action by that time," he said.

"Think the matter over yourselves, boys, perhaps you may be able to aid me. You know Inza, and-well, you know me. You must know I would give anything I possess to locate her now."

"You pet mine poots we know dot," nodded Hans.

"Begorra, you're th' roight stuff, Frankie, an' Oi'm riddy to foight wid yer bist frind if he maloigns ye," said Barney, thinking of Diamond.

Frank pressed their hands and bade them good-night. Then they departed.

CHAPTER IV-INZA'S LETTER

Barney and Hans did not turn up on the following morning as soon as Frank expected they would, and as he had forgotten to ask where they boarded, he could not go to find them.

Merriwell had spent a restless, almost a sleepless night. But, although his face was pale, he seemed as full of energy as ever.

He had conceived a plan by which, with Barney's aid, he fancied he might find Inza. But Barney-where was he?

It was past nine o'clock when the Irish lad came tearing up to the hotel, followed by Hans, who was puffing and blowing like a porpoise, his eyes bulging from his head, his face expressing the wildest excitement.

"Frankie!" gasped Barney.

"Vrankie!" panted Hans.

"What is it?" asked Frank, seeing something unusual had happened.

"It's news, we hiv', me b'y!"

"Yah! id vas news we haf!"

"News!" exclaimed Frank, "what sort of news? Have you found Inza?"

"It's not found her yit we hiv', me b'y, but we'll foind her soon, or Oi'll ate me boots!"

"Yah! and I shall make a square meal mit mine coat off!"

Frank grasped Barney by the shoulder.

"You have found a clew-is that it? Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

"Begorra, it's a bit loait we stayed up last night, Frankie, an' Oi overslipt this morning. As for this Dutch chase, he nivver would, wake up at all, at all, av it wur not fer me. He would slape roight on fer a wake."

"Oxscuce me," said Hans. "No wake in mine. Vhat you took me for-an Irishmans, aind't id?"

"Tell me what it is you have found out," cried Frank, sharply.

With frantic haste Barney tore something from his pocket and waved it wildly in the air.

"Here it is, me b'y!" he shouted.

"Yah, thar it vas!" squealed Hans.

"What is it? Give it to me!" commanded Frank.

Then he s.n.a.t.c.hed the object from Barney's hands.