The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-18

girls, even Nnen ne was not cO1SClous
that they were hunting him down and
now felt his lirs were doubly sealed.
But no 80 Emmeline. She began the
bOmbardment without wasting a mo-
ment
"Oh" (Emmeline's remarks, like the
Irish alistociacy. were never without
the prefix OH, "Oh, Mr.. Mortimer! how
fond you must be of those dear little
boys of yours. DO tell me something
about them. please. for I am fond of
boys.
Now, Emmeline Grover was q NICE
looking girl, with kind heart and an
aniEhlc temper but she had failed
to learn two of the principla Jules Of
the game of dinner conversation: first
ly, that until the entrees have passed
from the region of hope to the limb of
memory. and the edge is thereby taken
of the gentleman's appetite, the lady
should talk to him without even eN-
pecting him to listen: and secondly.
that If the gentleman is over forty
years of age he likes the lady TO agree
with him; but If he is under forty he
prefers her to differ. as he is still young
enough to believe that his arguments
will have power to convert her. But
these things were as vet hidden from
Emmeline, and so, conversatiOnally,
she went wrong from the beginning.
"Fonds Of boys, are you, Miss Glo-
yer? remarked Jack, pcrNcrsely; II
wish were"
"Oh, aren't you Mr. Mortimcr-aren't
you really? How shocking of you!"
Jack spooned up his soup in silence,
70
Emmeline was not to be daurted.
II read your testimonials, with such
interest, Mr.. Mortimer, and they said
what Il wonderful man YOU are with
boys, and how you are one of them
in their games as in their studies.
Those were the exact words. learned
them by heart; they seemed to be so
beautiful and so expressive of what
is really needed in the proper training
of boys"
Jack laughed. Good gracious, Miss
Grover YOU don't mean TO say that you
are taken in by testimonials? They are
the greatest rot in the world: and, OF
course, the more people want to get
rid of a man, the better testimonials
they write fer him"
"Oh, Mr.. Mortimer, how naughty OF
you to say Il thing like that! Surely
surely, it cannot be true. It would
destroy all my faith in human nature
! if | believed it and it is so sad to lose
ones faith in human nature, don't you
| Think
Jack wished that Miss Growers
! knowledge of human nature equalle6
her faith therein but as he did rot fec
| called up to repestal that young lady.
| tottering idols, he remained duh anC
! uninterestinS for the remainder of tn,
meal; and though Emmeline bravely
| continued TO gush over boys in general
and to treat Jack as iG he were an en-
| thusiastic Sunday school teacher, hel
! efforts only succeeded in making hin
less communicative than usual
The next aspirant for Jacks vacan
half-throne was Sophy Slater, who, o
course, fell to his lot at the Skaters
dinner party. SOphy was one of thOs
useful little women who seem to b.
made of horsehair-hard and prickly
but warranted to stand any amount o
wear and tear. She talked very sen
sibly to Jck about the school and every
thing that appertained to it, and CAV
him most sound advice on many mat
ters.
The first thing you ought to do /
to build a sanatorium," she remarked
"Do you think so?"
"Of course | do. How should yo
manage if an epidemic broke on
among the bOarders?"
I'm sure l don't know" answere
the headmaster feebly.
You will have to build a sanitoriur
that is the only thing you can do
and you ought to lose no time in settin
about it. Be sure YOU have it at 'leas
a hundred and fifty yards away fror
the other school buildings, or it will b
worse than useless. That is the grea
disadvantage Of a school where board
ers and day scholars are mixed; tn
day boys are sure to bring childish an
infectious complaints from their var
Gus homes. and the boarders are equal
sure TO assimilate and disseminate I'll
same"
Jack felt as if he We're listening to
medical lecture. and ought to he tab
ing copious notes instead of eating an
drinking; and he asked humbly:
How, then, should you advise me
go about it, Miss Slater?"
II should advise you first to call
meeting of the governing body to dis
cuss the matter, and after they hay
! formulated scheme, that schen
/ should be submitted to the Town Cour
! ell. You will have no difficulty aboI
funds, | imag gine, as many Of the scho
) governors and Town Councillors hay
boys az the school. and 80 in their ow
| interests would be glad TO insure in
r munity from epidemic disease there
= for which reason the parents OF boarC
2 ers would probably literally subscril
5 also"
E "Yes. yes, of course"
2 "You will not want very large su
of money for you must not go in Il
$ anything extraVagant or ornamental
= lust a plain, square, red brick builC
/, ing, with plenty of windows for vel
: tilating purposes, will be all you need
Jack shuddered as he thought of II
beautiful school building, of which J
was already so proud, being suppl
| | mented by a staring, red-brick sant
torlum; but he wisely held his peace.
As he sat smoking in his study la
that night, he meditated upon what
| helpmeet for a schOolmaster Sopf
! Slater would prove. Her commonsen'
and efficiency knew no bounds; but ;
for making love to her!-Jack remen
bered two old horsehair sofa cushion
in the nursery at home, which he pr
tended were little brother and siste
named respectively Blackie and Wee
From his third TO his sixth year /
loved them with a devoted though III
d requited affection, and felt deeply the
| m hpa ~
II 1t now struck him that making love
l. Sophy Slater would be quite as uph
q work as performing the part of To-
a l.. IL