The record-union., 1899-06-18
BUNhY'S SISTER.
A Tale ofi schoolboy Diplomacy.

and Ellis minor was reclining beside
his friend Urquhart, better known to
| fame as Bunny There are unwritten
laws of every public school, and at
Wellborough no self respecting fellow
| can watch school cricket match with
out rug, cushion. or. in school lam
guage, 'keish,'' and one or more bags
of fruit. 1t was at a period of the
afternoon when the school was gorged
and content, and was peacefully watch
ing the eleven piling up runs, that Ellis
minor made a discovery. At such mo-
ments the intellect of the school was
at it's highest, and the wags had been
known to devise jokes that lasted for
| terms.
II say, Bunny Ellis minor remarked
suddenly, Il believe Old Jimmys
mashed on your sister,
IF you don't want to be kicked,
young Ellis his companion replied.
you'd better leave my sister alone"
"Beastly sorry, old chap" Ellis minor
said, "but I thought you'd like to
know"
"Rot!" Bunny said shortly. 'It isn't
bit funny"
! well, just look at Them" Ellis minor
announced. sinking into a recumben,
| position and searching in the bottom Of
the cherry bag.
| After several minutes Bunny raised
himself torpidly and contemplated his
sister. Maude was, Bunny always
| thought, rather responsibility. She
| occupied the position of gOverneSs to
the head-master's children, and, to do
| justice to Wellborough, that fact in it
self was no disgrace. Being a pretty
girl, she even did Bunny credit in some
| ways, and at least one member of the
eleven was in love with her, but her
presence about the place was discon-
certing. It led to frequent invitations
| to the head masters and embarrassing
acQuaintanceships with other masters
wives. His friends sometimes avoided
Bunny because his companionship
| dragged them into female society. OF
course Bunny did his best to check the
nuisance. That afternoon, for instance,
he had merely nodded to her, and given
her to understand that she must keep
at a proper distance.
She was, at the moment when Bunny
sighted her, conversing with the indi-
vidual alluded to by Ellis minor as "Old
Jimmy" As a matter Of fact, his age
was about thirty. and his name was
Arthur Baker. He enjoyed the doubtful
privilege of teaching the Upper Fourth.
in which form both Bunny and Ellis
minor had been located for the last
year Three terms in the same form
are not calculated to increase the mu-
tual affection of masters and boys
AS Bunny watched them his brow
clouded. The colloquy certainly ap-
peared interesting, and Old Jimmy was
apparently making himself both agree
able and amusing.
What an ass he's making Of him
self" Bunny remarked in disgust
HE always does,'' Ellis minor agreed.
"I told her what a beast he was"
Bunny continued.
"She doesn't seem to think so," the
other observed.
81 don't suppose girl could really
| fall in love with Jimmy" Bunny said.
| "I don't know his companion re-
piled meditatively. You see, girls are
| such awful fools about men, They
| never really know what they're like.
| One of my sisters married an utter
| howler last holidays.
But Jimmy's such cad,' Bunny OBJ
| jected, '.and after the way he's treated
me, I do think she might be rude to
him.
| '.Of course he went on, after
pause II know she was bound to
| marry one of the masters. Old Beetles
eovernesses always do, but I do draw
the line at Jimmy. hoped she'd marry
Turner"
! Now Turner, though a double blue,
| was a shy and unfedged young man,
and appealed more to the schoolpoy
| than the female heart. Ellis minor
thought her scarcely good enough for
him, but refrained from saying SO.
Are you going to stop it?" he in
quired.
IF it's necessary, I shall have
shot," Bunny said loftily.
.I should hurry up if I were you"
| Ellis minor suggested. When they be-
gin to look like that there's generally
something on
.tShe does look a bit rummy," Bunny
admitted, as his sister turned smll-
ing glance at Old Jimmy.
eff she was my sister," Ellis minor
continued, I'D manage to make it jolly
hot for him. You can make it rather
| nasty for a chap when he's in love
with your sister. You ought to be able
to get your promo this term if you run
the thing properly"
"Get my promo?" inquired the less
astute Bunny.
"Yes." his friend replied. Every time
he makes a cad of himself to you, you
Just go and rux her up about it. She
won't mind badgering him a bit; If
she's like my sisters she'll enjoy it. l
only wish Old Jimmy was mashed on
my sister You might tell her what
a. beast he is to me. too"
I've a jolly good mind to try" Bun
nv said. Its not half bad, idea. Let's
go and have an ice"
They strolled to the town together,
while Ellis minor. with wisdom De-
| yond his years, and gathered from
| many sisters, explained the modus op-
erandf to the still doubling Bunny.
Unconscious of their doom, the vic
tins on the cricket ground chatted on.
and if Bunny could have heard their
| conversation he might have been reused
to even deeper indignation AS a mat
ter of fact his sister had been engaged
to Old Jimmy for upward of a week,
| and was at that moment discussing
their future projects without thought
| of Bunny or his i'll usage. Possibly, If
she had been aware of his proposed
| interference, she also might have been
somewhat apprehensive. For The pres
| emit the engagement was necessarily a
secret. Most Of the Wellborolgh mas
ters migrate in the fullness of time to
become head masters of smaller schools
and at that same moment Mr.. Baker
was busy stalking the trustees Of a
| i