The New Boys at Oakdale Part 7

The other three were Charley Shultz, Roy Hooker and Phil Springer.

Shultz was scowling darkly and Hooker did not seem exactly pleased; but, like Cooper, Springer appeared to accept the situation good-naturedly.

"Bub-bub-bet he hasn't any coin with him," said Phil.

"Come in, Billy," invited Osgood. "Your unexpected appearance rather upset us. I thought it might be Mrs. Chester or the maid, although we haven't been making any noise."

Piper was only too willing to accept the invitation. "You seem to be having a rather nice little game," he said, as he entered the room and Osgood relocked the door. "What's the limit?"

"Oh, we're just playing for amus.e.m.e.nt," a.s.sured the host. "It's nothing but penny-ante, with a ten-cent limit; just enough to make it interesting, you know. Do you play?"

Now one of Sleuth's weaknesses was cards, although his limited finances had never allowed him to play much for money. On this particular occasion, however, he happened to have in his pocket between two and three dollars, and, although he protested that he did not wish to b.u.t.t in, he was more than willing to take a hand.

"It will get me on the inside with this bunch," he thought, "and if there's anything going on likely I'll catch a hint of it." So, to the surprise of Springer, he displayed his money, announcing that a ten-cent limit just suited him. A place was made for him between Osgood and Springer, and he sat down at the table.

"We'll play this hand off," said Ned; "you can come in on the next.

You're dealing, Cooper, and the pot is all level. I'll take three cards."

When that hand was played off Piper was given a dollar's worth of chips, together with some advice about maintaining silence concerning what was taking place in Osgood's room.

"The people in this village are so straightlaced and narrow," said Ned blandly, "that they would regard a little game of this sort, played merely for amus.e.m.e.nt, as we play it, as something bordering on the criminal. I'm sure you won't say a word about it, Piper."

"Better impress it on him harder than that," broke in Shultz offensively. "I'm not so sure."

"What do you take me for?" exclaimed Piper, with a touch of indignation.

"I'm playing in this game, ain't I? Don't I know what folks around here are? Think I'd take a hand and then go out and shoot my face off?"

"He thinks," explained Osgood smoothly, "that you might let a careless word drop among the fellows, not realizing that they would be likely to spread it. That's the way such things leak out; a fellow tells a friend under pledge of secrecy, and the friend tells another, and soon the secret is public property. We've taken pains to keep our little social gatherings very quiet."

Sleuth was quite aware of this, and their efforts to keep the matter quiet had awakened his natural suspicions and led him to that room.

"If I'm fool enough to blow about it after playing," said he, "any one or the whole of you will have the liberty to kick me good and hard. I think I can keep a secret when it's necessary."

"Sleuthy won't pup-pup-peach when he talks like that," said Springer.

"Go on with the gug-game."

Even though it seemed that he had done some bad guessing regarding the object of these quiet meetings in Osgood's rooms, Piper was, after the first throb of disappointment, rather glad of it; for, in a way, he was not very popular with the boys of Oakdale. At one time they had regarded his aspirations to become a detective with considerable amus.e.m.e.nt and had taken no little pleasure in jos.h.i.+ng him. But of late his ability to uncover secrets and lay bare unpleasant facts concerning people with whom he came in contact had changed ridicule to a certain respect that was not wholly free from apprehension, causing him to be avoided.

In desiring companions.h.i.+p and friends, Piper was perfectly normal, and he had felt the coldness and slights of his fellows. Even Nelson, although regarding him valuable as an outfielder on the nine, had seemed to hold him at a distance. And so, when the turn of affairs and the singular behavior of the Osgood clique had seemed to point to scheming of some sort, Sleuth had not hesitated to make a bid for Jack's appreciation and grat.i.tude by offering to discover and reveal what crookedness those chaps were planning.

It now appeared that he had been misled in his reasoning, for the secrecy of the boys who did not wish it generally known that they were playing poker seemed, in the light of his discovery, perfectly natural and excusable.

As Ned skilfully rippled the cards, pa.s.sed them to Cooper to cut and began dealing, Sleuth sat back on his chair, feeling that Fate had served him a good turn by getting him in with this little gathering of "sports." In these days nearly every fellow who really amounted to anything played cards, and it was surely far more interesting and shocking to play poker for pennies and dimes than to play it for matches or beans.

The room was rather warm, and both Shultz and Hooker were in their s.h.i.+rt-sleeves. Osgood wore a handsome house coat, with a collar, lapels and cuffs of purple plush. He was really a fine-looking chap, with his clean-cut face and his curly dark hair, a lock of which had strayed over his forehead. His hands were shapely and well formed, and a rich seal ring adorned the one that held the pack of cards. He had lighted a fresh cigarette. Shultz was smoking a cigar. A thin haze of blueish tobacco smoke floated like incense in the room.

Sleuth's swift appraising eyes had taken in the general appearance of that room as it could dimly be seen beyond the circle of light thrown over the table by the shaded hanging lamp. The furnis.h.i.+ngs were unusually excellent. Beneath his feet there was a thick carpet, soft and pleasant to the tread. There was a bookcase, a couch piled with cus.h.i.+ons, and heavy portieres hung parted at the entrance to the adjoining bedroom. There were pictures on the walls and many photographs and knick-knacks belonging to Osgood upon the old-fas.h.i.+oned marble mantel, which had been hidden by a drapery. There were likewise banners, boxing-gloves, dumb-bells and a tennis-racket, disposed in various ways with a seeming carelessness that was really effective. Above the mantel hung some dim old portraits, which Sleuth immediately fancied must be the pictures of Osgood's t.i.tled ancestors.

"It's great," Piper thought. "It was a streak of luck that threw me in with this bunch. I'll be one of the gang after this."

He was aroused by the unpleasant voice of Shultz. "Come, wake up there, Vidocq; you haven't even anted. Shove out a white chip before you look at your cards."

CHAPTER VIII

A HOT GAME.

As the game progressed Piper found himself losing steadily, and, what was most annoying, almost always he was beaten by Shultz, who himself was having bad luck and growling over it.

"Good thing for me you came into the game, Eagle Eye," said Shultz, laying down three Jacks, which topped Piper's three tens, and pulling in the chips. "These other sharks would have had me skinned to the bone by this time, only for you."

"Oh, my turn will come," declared Sleuth. "Give me another stack, Ned; that one's gone."

Osgood counted out another dollar's worth of chips and received Billy's money, which he deposited in the handsome chip case.

"You're the right sort after all, Sleuthy," he smiled. "You're a good loser. I realize that I haven't known you very well up to date."

"A man," said Piper loftily, "should take his losings without squealing."

"What do you mean by that?" snapped Shultz. "Are you knocking me?"

"Oh, no-no, not at all," Piper hastened to disclaim, aware that the fellow's bad fortune had aroused his belligerent nature.

"Because if you are," warned the ruffled gamester, "you'd better cut it out. I don't like it, and I won't stand for it."

"Oh, come, Charley," protested Osgood; "don't be so raw. I've seen you lose twice as much without growling."

"But I can't afford to lose to-night," was the retort. "I'm not very flush, and my old man thinks I'm blowing too much geldt, anyhow. That's the worst of having a close-fisted father. If I were in your shoes, Ned, I could stand a loss; but you're usually lucky, and you seldom quit behind the game."

"I've been having a streak, that's all," explained Osgood. "Luck runs that way occasionally, but it usually turns in time. You fellows will get into me if you keep at it; you're sure to."

Hooker, likewise a loser, was keeping quiet and attending strictly to business. Unlike Shultz, he had not shown an inclination to force his luck, and doubtless he was waiting for his turn to come. Springer was also slightly behind, while Cooper was a small winner and therefore cheerful. The large pile of chips in front of Osgood denoted how the game was running.

With the suspicion that was characteristic of him, Piper had watched Osgood's playing closely to discover, if possible, whether or not Ned was winning legitimately, and he had arrived at the conclusion that there was nothing underhanded about it. Moreover, he was falling beneath the subtle spell of the young fellow's influence, which had been so strangely felt by others. Surely Ned was a whole-souled, genial chap that any one might be proud to claim as a friend; surely Nelson's suspicions were unfounded; not a word concerning baseball or the management of the team had been spoken by any of these lads since Sleuth entered the room.

It was Hooker's turn to deal, and Roy tossed the pasteboards around.

Piper, picking up his hand, was surprised and delighted to find it contained two pairs, aces up, and while he was secretly congratulating himself Osgood chipped.

"Come on, Mr. Good Loser," invited Shultz. "What are you going to do?

Play faster. You make the game drag."

"Oh, I'll come in," said Sleuth, "and I think-I think I'll raise it."

"What do you know a-bub-bub-bout that!" exclaimed Springer. "Sleuth is plunging! Well, he can't frighten me; I'll peg along."

"Oh, let's make it interesting," said Shultz, tossing several chips into the middle of the board. "I'll boost it some more."