Oh, yes, answered Myles, whose self-esteem had just received the severest shock of the day by learning the secret of his recent success, which he had fondly imagined was owing to something far different. Yes, it worked all right; but Ive always heard that clothes did not make the man, while here is proof positive that clothes can at least make a reporter. It is awfully humiliating, and the worst of it is that I havent a dress-suit.
Why, I have seen you wear it time and again? exclaimed Van Cleef.
Yes, but I found it necessary to raise a little ready money to-day, answered Myles, though he hated to make the admission; so I sold it along with some other things I thought I should never need again to Johnny, the old-clo man.
You dont mean it! cried Van Cleef. Well, that is bad, and the only thing for you to do is to go to Johnny first thing in the morning and make him let you have it back.
But I am afraid I havent money enough to redeem it, said Myles, with a heightened color. In the set to which he had so recently belonged poverty was the thing most sneered at, and Myles had not yet learned that it was one of the last things to be ashamed of.
Oh, I can make that all right, answered the other, cheerfully. I have a few dollars put away against next years term-bills, and you are more than welcome to them. Yes, indeed, you must take them, he added, earnestly, as he saw the shadow of a refusal in his companions face. We must get hold of that dress-suit again if it is a possible thing. It will really be doing me a favor besides; for while I have them Im always tempted to spend those dollars. If they are invested as a loan, though, I cant spend them, and I shall have the satisfaction of knowing they are safe.
Myles had tried, unsuccessfully, to borrow a small sum of money that morning from several of his wealthy classmates. Now, to have this generous offer made by one of the very poorest among them was so overwhelming that he hardly knew what to say. He hated to accept money from one who was so little able to spare it. He also feared to hurt his friends feelings by refusing, and he realized the importance of recovering that dress-suit. These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and then he did exactly the right thing, by heartily thanking Van Cleef for his kind offer and accepting it.
The Oxygen was a club occupying a small but well appointed club-house, supported by one of the college Greek-letter fraternities of which Myles had recently been made a member. He was very proud of belonging to this, his first club, but he foresaw that, with his altered circumstances, it was a luxury that he could no longer afford. He had therefore made up his mind to hand in his resignation that very evening.
After a particularly nice little dinner, for Myles, like many another, was inclined to be very generous in the expenditure of his last dollar, and after he had written a line to his mother, the friends sat in the reading-room. Here they talked in low tones of their future plans and of their college life, which, to Myles, already seemed to belong to the dim past. The only other occupant of the room was a small, rather insignificant looking old gentleman, who was carelessly glancing over some papers at a table near them. Finally Van Cleef asked to be excused for a short time, as he had an errand that would take him a few blocks from there, and which must be done that evening.
He had hardly left when the old gentleman looked up from his papers and said to Myles:
I beg your pardon, but are you not Mr. Manning, captain of the X College Varsity crew?
Yes, sir, answered Myles, I am that is, I was I mean my name is Manning, and I was until this morning captain of the crew; but I have resigned.
Indeed! I am very sorry to hear it, replied the old gentleman, with an air of interest. Would you mind telling me why you found it necessary to do so? I am an old X College man myself, and take a great interest in all its athletic sports, especially its boating. I have been much pleased with the performance thus far of this years crew under your captaincy, and regret seriously that you feel obliged to give it up.
Encouraged by the old gentlemans friendly manner, and very grateful for his sympathy and kindly interest in himself, Myles readily answered his questions, and within a few minutes was surprised to find how freely he was talking to this stranger. He could not have told how it was brought about, but before their conversation ended he had confided to the other all his trials, plans, and hopes, including the facts that he was on the morrow to begin life as a reporter on the Phonograph, and that he intended resigning from the Oxygen that evening.
When Myles realized that he was becoming almost too confidential, and checked himself as he was about to relate the dress-suit incident, the old gentleman said:
I have been greatly interested in all this, and now, to show that I appreciate the confidence you have reposed in me, I am going to ask a favor of you.
Which I shall be only too happy to grant, sir, provided it lies within my power, answered Myles, who had taken a great fancy to the old gentleman.
It is that you will not resign from the Oxygen.
But I must, sir, much as I hate to.
Not necessarily, replied the other. You know that at the business meetings of the club all members are allowed to vote by proxy if they are unable to be personally present. Now I am nearly always compelled to be absent from these meetings. In fact, I rarely find time to visit the club at all; but, as one of its founders, I am most anxious for its success, and desirous of still having a voice in the conduct of its affairs. This I can only do by appointing a regular proxy, and if you will kindly consent to act as such for me I will gladly pay your dues to the club, and shall still consider myself under an obligation to you.
The temptation to accept this friendly proposal was so great that Myles only protested feebly against it. His faint objections were quickly overruled by the old gentleman, who had no sooner gained the others consent to remain in the club and act as his proxy than he looked at his watch and, exclaiming, Bless me, it is later than I thought! bade Myles a cordial good-night and hurried away.
What did you say his name was? asked Van Cleef, after he had returned and listened to Myles enthusiastic description of his new friend and account of their interview.
His name? repeated Myles, hesitatingly, why, I dont believe he mentioned it. Ill go and ask the door-tender.
But the door-tender had just been relieved and gone home, while the boy who acted in his place of course knew nothing of who had come or gone before he went on duty.
Well, that is good, laughed Van Cleef, when Myles returned and, with a crestfallen air, announced that he could not discover the name of the person for whom he had just consented to act as proxy. The old gentleman has shown himself to be a better reporter, or detective, which is much the same thing, than you, Manning. He has gained a full knowledge of you and your plans, while you have learned absolutely nothing about him. He may be an impostor, for all you know.
Not much he isnt, answered Myles, somewhat indignantly; Id trust his face for all that he claimed, and a good deal more beside. Anyhow he is a Psi Delt, for he had the grip.
Oh, well, said Van Cleef, good-naturedly, seeing that his companion was a little provoked at being thought easily imposed upon, I dare say its all right, and youll hear from him in some way or other.