mistake that it cost Jack a great effort to say, slowly,
“Yes, sir.”
Quite a thrill pervaded the school at this confession, for Jerry was
one of the wild fellows the boys all shunned, and to have any
dealings with him was considered a very disgraceful thing.
“Did you play?”
“No, sir. I can’t.”
“Drink beer?”
“I belong to the Lodge”; and Jack stood as erect as any little soldier
who ever marched under a temperance banner, and fought for the
cause none are too young nor too old to help along.
“I was sure of that. Then what took you there, my boy?”
The question was so kindly put that Jack forgot himself an instant,
and blurted out,
“I only went to pay him some money, sir.”
“Ah, how much?”
“Two seventy-five,” muttered Jack, as red as a cherry at not being
able to keep a secret better.
“Too much for a lad like you to owe such a fellow as Jerry. How
came it?” And Mr. Acton looked disturbed.
Jack opened his lips to speak, but shut them again, and stood
looking down with a little quiver about the mouth that showed
how much it cost him to be silent.
“Does anyone beside Jerry know of this?”
“One other fellow,” after a pause.
“Yes, I understand”; and Mr. Acton’s eye glanced at Joe with a
look that seemed to say, “I wish he’d held his tongue.”
A queer smile flitted over Jack’s face, for Joe was not the “other
fellow,” and knew very little about it, excepting what he had seen
when he was sent on an errand by Mr. Acton on Friday.
“I wish you would explain the matter, John, for I am sure it is
better than it seems, and it would be very hard to punish you when
you don’t deserve it.”
“But I do deserve it; I’ve broken the rule, and I ought to be
punished,” said Jack, as if a good whipping would be easier to bear
than this public cross-examination.
“And you can’t explain, or even say you are sorry or ashamed?”
asked Mr. Acton, hoping to surprise another fact out of the boy.
“No, sir; I can’t; I’m not ashamed; I’m not sorry, and I’d do it again
to-morrow if I had to,” cried Jack, losing patience, and looking as
if he would not bear much more.
A groan from the boys greeted this bare-faced declaration, and
Susy quite shivered at the idea of having taken two bites out of the
apple of such a hardened desperado.
“Think it over till to-morrow, and perhaps you will change your
mind. Remember that this is the last week of the month, and
reports are given out next Friday,” said Mr. Acton, knowing how
much the boy prided himself on always having good ones to show
his mother.
Poor Jack turned scarlet and bit his lips to keep them still, for he
had forgotten this when he plunged into the affair which was likely
to cost him dear. Then the color faded away, the boyish face grew
steady, and the honest eyes looked up at his teacher as he said very
iow, but all heard him, the room was so still,
“It isn’t as bad as it looks, sir, but I can’t say any more. No one is to
blame but me; and I couldn’t help breaking the rule, for Jerry was
going away, I had only that time, and I’d promised to pay up, so I
did.”
Mr. Acton believed every word he said, and regretted that they had
not been able to have it out privately, but he, too, must keep his
promise and punish the offender, whoever he was.
“Very well, you will lose your recess for a week, and this month’s
report will be the first one in which behavior does not get the
highest mark. You may go; and I wish it understood that Master
Minot is not to be troubled with questions till he chooses to set this
matter right.”
Then the bell rang, the children trooped out, Mr. Acton went off
without another word, and Jack was left alone to put up his books
and hide a few tears that would come because Frank turned his