Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott

not break his promise, and so kept silence bravely. Jill asked no

questions, affecting to be anxious for the games they always

played together in the evening, but while they played, though the

lips were sealed, the bright eyes said as plainly as words, “I trust

you,” and Jack was very grateful.

It was well he had something to cheer him up at home, for he got

little peace at school. He bore the grave looks of Mr. Acton

meekly, took the boys’ jokes good-naturedly, and withstood the

artful teasing of the girls with patient silence. But it was very hard

for the social, affectionate fellow to bear the general distrust, for

he had been such a favorite he felt the change keenly.

But the thing that tried him most was the knowledge that his report

would not be what it usually was. It was always a happy moment

when he showed it to his mother, and saw her eye brighten as it

fell on the 99 or moo, for she cared more for good behavior than

for perfect lessons. Mr. Acton once said that Frank Minot’s moral

influence in the school was unusual, and Jack never forgot her

pride and delight as she told them what Frank himself had not

known till then. It was Jack’s ambition to have the same said of

him, for he was not much of a scholar, and he had tried hard since

he went back to school to get good records in that respect at least.

Now here was a dreadful downfall, tardy marks, bad company,

broken rules, and something too wrong to tell, apparently.

‘Well, I deserve a good report, and that’s a comfort, though nobody

believes it,” he said to himself, trying to keep up his spirits, as the

slow week went by, and no word from him had cleared up the

mystery.

Chapter 14 And Jill Finds It Out

Jill worried about it more than he did, for she was a faithful little

friend, and it was a great trial to have Jack even suspected of doing

anything wrong. School is a child’s world while he is there, and its

small affairs are very important to him, so Jill felt that the one

thing to be done was to clear away the cloud about her dear boy,

and restore him to public favor.

“Ed will be here Saturday night and maybe he will find out, for

Jack tells him everything. I do hate to have him hectored so, for I

know he is, though he’s too proud to complain,” she said, on

Thursday evening, when Frank told her some joke played upon his

brother that day.

“I let him alone, but I see that he isn’t badgered too much. That’s

all I can do. If Ed had only come home last Saturday it might have

done some good, but now it will be too late; for the reports are

given out to-morrow, you know,” answered Frank, feeling a little

jealous of Ed’s influence over Jack, though his own would have

been as great if he had been as gentle.

“Has Jerry come back?” asked Jill, who kept all her questions for

Frank, because she seldom alluded to the tender subject when with

Jack.

“No, he’s off for the summer. Got a place somewhere. Hope he’ll

stay there and let Bob alone.”

“Where is Bob now? I don’t hear much about him lately,” said Jill,

who was constantly on the lookout for “the other fellow,” since it

was not Joe.

“Oh, he went to Captain Skinner’s the first of March, chores round,

and goes to school up there. Captain is strict, and won’t let Bob

come to town, except Sundays; but he don’t mind it much, for he

likes horses, has nice grub, and the Hill fellows are good chaps for

him to be with. So he’s all right, if he only behaves.”

“How far is it to Captain Skinner’s?” asked Jill suddenly, having

listened, with her sharp eyes on Frank, as he tinkered away at his

model, since he was forbidden all other indulgence in his beloved

pastime.

“It’s four miles to Hill District, but the Captain lives this side of the