The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-03-17

came QUITE pduSeO3 0nalaea lnTeSnOl0
long enough tossa $ And If you please,
DR.. Shoreditch, don't mention it to the
fellows. They'd laugh il he failed. .
The next day Marvin, IN closing
very dignifed interview with the doc.
tor, said: I'D take it as a great favor,
DR.. Shoreditch, if you would not con.
slider it necessary to speak Of this at.
fair to Gregory or Little Topper. Greg
Dry has his opinion of things, you
know" i@..s% ...
The doctor replied with the pro-
nounced gravity which he sometimes
observed toward Marvin: Certainly,
my dear sir" Z 3. ,'..
Gregory, when his request for an
hour two evenings in the week had been
granted, said bashfully: "You see,
DR.. Shoreditch, if you don't mind, !
hope you won't say anything about
this to Marvin and the little chap. It
might strike them funny FL
= "Sir?" said DR.. Shoreditch.' >
II beg your pardon; but books and
teaching and that are not-not-'
The doctor helped him out: "You
have been doing better lately, Gregory"
Shortly after this q curious feeling
manifested itself among Marvin, Greg
DRY and Little Topper. Each felt the
others were keeping secret which he
must not share, and the secret, which
was an open one to the faculty, might
have been common property at any
time.
Topper perhaps Jared worst. He
tried variety of friendships. but he
felt forsaken without the society of his
big friends. AS for Marvin and Gregory,
the head-master declared the temper
airy estrangement added much to the
amount of work done.
At Easter the friendship, which had
been likened to triangle, threatened
to so to pieces. DR.. Shoreditch thought
seriously of arranging an explanation.
.)ackins, who had kept more secrets In
the last four months than in all his life
before, told Jane every night in the
week that somebody ought to say some
thing.
The boys came back from the holi-
days on Tuesday. and at night, as Jack.
ms sat porting over the paper and Mrs
Jackins was putting batter to "rise,' u
there came at once rap on the back
and front doors.
II say" sailed Gregory from the
kitchen, 'bet you I've got the biggest
-" When he caught sight of Marvin he
stopped.
The host was uncomfortable. The
boys sat on opposite sides of the room
and talked baseball.
AS the clock struck seven there was a
scampering of feet up the steps, the
door flew open and Topper ran into the
room. He held up new book and
shouted:
Look here, Jackins, I've got the
hardest book I ever saw. I don't be-
lieve the president himself knows some
of the words. Let's begin. We haven't
much time"
When he saw his friends his kind lit
tie face grew red. He wished either
Marvin or Gregory had not been there.
By and by he said:
II might as well own up. Jackins let's
me help him twice a week with his read
ing. 1 found hard book and the doc
tor said I might bring it. This isn't
my night, but I didn't expect to find
anybody here"
"Nor l." said Marvin.
"Me, too," said Gregory.
"And I didn't tell you fellows, be-
cause" Topper went on, "Iwas afraid if
Iackins failed you'd laugh. intended
to tell you afterward. I've felt pretty
mean when you've both been so good
helping me out, and all that"
Mrs. Jaclins came in with flour on her
hands ands an odor of spices about her.
"Look here. the lot of you" she said;
"Jackins, too. If you don't tell that lit
tie fellow all about it, I'll tell myself.
Honey" she called Upper so some.
times, he was such little chap, "your
friends have been doing just the same.
Two hours every week, and Marvin
say, "Jackins, be sure you don't tell
Gregory and Tupper,' and Gregory'd
say. Jackins, don't tell the Others Just
like you'd stand out. o, Jackins. what
ever you do, don't tell 'em!' And here's
poor Jackins been working like mad
and so much obliged to you all, and feel
ing so mean, knowing all the time and
not daring to tell; though how you
kept it from each other is a wonder
Girls couldn't. Girls'd told each othe,
long ago."
Marvin and Gregory did not go into
detail. Both told Topper he was first.
class. and then they sat around the
table while Jackins attacked odd para.
graphs in the new book in a very loud
voice, or wrote sentences with so much
effort that perspiration stood in beads
on his forehead.
For the first time in a long while
the boys crossed the campus arm in
arm. They sang one of their most
absurd songs, with Tupper's shril
treble high above the others.
The head master looked up from the
heap of exercises he was correcting
MATTERS have arranged themselves
he thought, and smiled good-naturedly
as he went back to his work.
Jackins' examination came off in
April. DR.. Shoreditch's boys had half.
holiday. They went up to- town and
waited around the rooms in which the
trial was held until Jackins came out
"passed."
Then there were great many cheers
and shouts, and caps thrown up in al,
and struggles for each to obtain his
own, and a rush down to the station
where Jackins' engine in a little while
was made gay with bunting and looked
as festive as possible. In fear and
trembling Jackins had FURNISHED all
the bra sses in the morning. If he sue