Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-05
Chapter XXIII

SDdptcE -AAIA
Copyright, 1917, Star Company. !
Il wonder," Tom Morton suggested
| timidly. If you could coach me?"
1 laughed aloud. ~" 1 calculated.
Never! my dear boy, didn't 1 con-
| fess to you that I myself failed along
! the same lines in which you failed.
As it was, 1 only passed mathematics
( by the skin of my teeth"
| Then" his face falling, 1T means
a summer school for me-"
II don't see why" l argued. Your
father could engage some one to come
! to Hillcrest TO coach you. OF course,
| it would have to be some one whom
he liked-some agreeable person. But
there are SUCH"
Tom started to his feet, struck by a
swift inspiration.
1--WE got it," he exclaimed. 'Mr.
Parker might come, oh, if he oriy
would If father will only have him!
| You see," sitting down by me again.
that's right in his line. l guess he
has a little money of his own-and
more coming to him when his mother
dies-at least one of the boys told me
/ so.
| "OId Mr.. Parker left everything to
his wife, and at her death Mr.. Hugh
Parker will have enough to live on
/ comfortably. But he loves to teach,
and he's fond of boys. So he makes
/ a living for himself by coaching vari-
Gus chsps up at school who are back
ward in their work. He lives in the
school town, you know, and can be
near his mother. l wonder If he'd
be willing to spend the summer in
Connecticut with us"
! "I had not thought of Mr.. Parker's
coming" 1 said truthfully.
Tom had rushed on eagerly, but
now his manner changed. IT'S too
L GOOD n ha frIla ha said draa rilV
IF want it, father win oppose it,.
''Why?" I argued. Doesn't he like
: Mr.. Parker?"
Yes" the boy acknowledged. HE
says he likes him very much, and
that he was surprised to find him
| it for granted that any friend of nine
would be a pill of some Sort
Tom" l said gently, don't talk
| like that of your father. He is fond
and proud of you-and you must
know he is"
A Little Plea
| He shrugged his shoulders. after
certain fashion he's fond of me
He's never proud of me. He hasn't
cause to be. 1 guess fathers don't
love their sons as they do their daugh-
\ ters. Father loves Grace. So does
Aunt Adelaide. They want her with
them all the time. They sent me
away W SNhOol NhSh was Ohiy
little chap"
Didn't you want to go?" I ques-
toned curiously.
'I don't know-but 1 guess I did
I didn't get on we'll at home But
I don't want to talk about that now
Miss Dart. You're awfully kind to
me. and some time when l know you
better perhaps you'll let me spill over
my grouches to you now and then"
Certainly I will" I said. "You
know that III all goes we'll / shall be
at Hillcrest myself next summer"
"I know it. and I'm mighty glad
And if Mr.. Parker could only come
wouldn't 1t be great? I'd promise tc
study like a bear-honestly I would
But what's the use of talking about
it2 The very fact that I propose ii
will make father take the other
side"
''Then why propose it?" I asked
why not let me do it?"
"Oh, I say" his face lighting ur
again. you're all right! Are you
sure you don't mind?"
Sure" replied. Only. Tom
you must let me choose my own
time. And meanwhile don't antago-
nize your father by being gIum ard
sulky. Forgive me for saying that
- but really. you know. all this is
I had always liked the lad. Now
I knew that he had good stuff n
him as he looked me squarely in
| the face.
"Fll promise you to do my best,
Miss Dart"
His eyes rested on me with that