Q: CHAPTER XVII.

NEAR TO DEATH.

The Irishwoman had come up behind Hal so softly--she wore rubbers--that the youth did not hear her, and he was, therefore, thoroughly startled when she made the exclamation quoted at the end of the preceding chapter.

Ferris and Macklin jumped to their feet and both rushed out in the hall.

"What's the row, Mary?" cried the latter.

"Sure an' that's phot Oi want to know," replied the woman. "Oi found this fellow pakin' in the kay-hole of your dure, so Oi did."

"It's Hal Carson!" exclaimed Ferris. "So this is the way you followed me, eh?" he continued.

"Who is Hal Carson?" asked Macklin, grasping the youth by the arm.

"Old Sumner's new clerk and office boy," replied Ferris. "Don't let him get away."

Macklin gave a whistle.

"Dat's kinder serious, if he follered yer here. Wot have yer got ter say fer yerself?" he demanded, turning to Hal.

"Let go of my arm," returned Hal. "Are you the only one who lives in this building?"

"No."

"Then I presume I have a right to enter the hall-way, haven't I?"

"That won't wash, Carson!" exclaimed Ferris. "You are doing nothing but following me, and you know it."

"Just you step inside, do you hear?" commanded Macklin. "That's all right, Mary, I'll take care o' him," he added to the woman.

"Oi wondher if he was up in me apartment," she said, suspiciously. "Oi'll go up an' see if there is anything missing."

The woman departed, and Macklin tried to shove Hal into the room.

Answer the following questions:
1. Who did Mary come up on?
2. Did she surprise him?
3. How?
4. What was he doing?
5. Whose door?
6. Who knew Hal?
7. What did he think he was doing?
8. Where did Mary go?
9. To do what?
10. What happened after she left?
11. Where?
12. Who was Hal?
A: 1. Hal
2. Yes.
3. She came up behind him
4. pakin' in the kay-hole of your dure
5. Ferris and Macklin
6. Ferris.
7. following him
8. Her apartment
9. See if there is anything missing.
10. Macklin tried to shove Hal
11. The room.
12. Old Sumner's new clerk and office boy,
Q: That was my grandmother's first Christmas without Grandfather. When my parents and I arrived at her little house ,we found she had waited up all night for us. Grandfather had always said that the Christmas tree was the most important decoration of all. So first we took out the beautiful tree that was stored in the closet . But the star was _ . It was my grandmother's favorite part of the tree. "Why? It must be somewhere in the closet," my grandmother said. As we opened up boxes one by one and found no star, my grandmother's eyes were full of tears. Grandfather had given it to her some fifty years ago, on their first Christmas together. But on her first Christmas without him, the star was gone. The next morning, my family sat down together to open the presents. "The last gift is to Grandmother from Grandfather," Father said, in a strange voice. "From whom?" There was surprise in my grandmother's voice. "I found this gift in Grandfather's closet when we got the tree down," Mother explained. My grandmother opened the box. There was a shinning golden star and a note in it: Don't be angry with me, dear. I broke your star while putting away the decorations, and I couldn't bear to tell you. I hope it brings you as much happiness as the first one. Merry Christmas! Love, Bryant ,A, B, C, D,. (10)

Answer the following questions:
1. Who is experiencing something for the first time?
2. Which holiday is it?
3. What is significant about it?
4. Did she come to her children's house?
5. Did they go there?
6. What had she done the night before?
7. What did they start to do?
8. What were they looking for?
9. Why?
10. What did he think of it?
11. Were they able to find it?
12. Was that okay?
13. Why not?
14. Did she start to cry?
15. Who gave her a present the next day?
16. Who handed it to her?
17. Was his voice normal?
18. Was it the first one?
19. Where was it found?
20. Was it the old one?
A: 1. grandmother
2. Christmas
3. first Christmas without Grandfather
4. No
5. Yes
6. waited up
7. decorate the Christmas tree Christmas tree
8. star
9. Grandfather had given it to her
10. unknown
11. No
12. No
13. Grandfather had given it to her some fifty years ago, on their first Christmas together
14. yes
15. Grandfather
16. Father
17. No
18. No
19. Grandfather's closet
20. No
Q: One hot summer day in August my family and I wanted to go to the beach. We had not gone to the beach in a very long time and felt that today was a great day to do it.

We piled everyone into the car-my mom, my dad, my sister, my dog, and me. I begged mom and dad to let me sit in the front seat, but they said no. I had to sit next to the smelly dog instead for the whole trip.

When we got to the beach and opened the car door our dog raced down to the water to play. I grabbed the large umbrella we brought and walked down to the sand with mom and dad. After we had found a spot, they let me go play in the water.

It felt really good to cool off in the ocean water on such a hot day. As I swam around I saw many cool things, like fish, seaweed, and shells. I brought the interesting shells that I found to a bucket I had on the beach and threw them in. They would be great to add to my collection at home.

When I got tired of swimming, my sister and I wanted to make a sand castle. We built towers using buckets and dug a huge ditch with our shovels. When our castle was complete we were about to take a picture, but then the dog ran it over and smashed it. I was about to yell at the dog, but then mom said it was getting late and we had to go home.

When we got home I was wiped out from playing all day, so I went to sleep almost immediately. It was a very good day that I'll always remember.

Answer the following questions:
1. Why did someone go to the beach?
2. Who hadn't?
3. How many people are in the family?
4. Any pets?
5. What kind?
6. Did you sit in the front of the car?
7. who sat with you?
8. When did you get in the water?
9. Was it warm?
10. Was there anything interesting there?
11. What were they?
12. such as?
13. What did you do with the shells?
14. Who yelled at the dog?
15. What did you build?
16. did anyone help?
17. Who said it was time to go home?
18. why?
19. Did you stay up late?
20. why?
21. so what did you do?
A:
1. they hadn't been in a long time
2. my family and I
3. Four
4. yes
5. my dog
6. no
7. the smelly dog
8. After we had found a spot
9. no
10. yes
11. many cool things
12. like fish, seaweed, and shells.
13. I put them in a bucket
14. no one
15. a sandcastle
16. my sister
17. mom
18. she said it was getting late
19. no
20. I was wiped out from playing all day
21. I went to sleep almost immediately