CHAPTER IV

In the morning following Aline's visit to Joan Valentine, Ashe sat in his room, the Morning Post on the table before him. The heady influence of Joan had not yet ceased to work within him; and he proposed, in pursuance of his promise to her, to go carefully through the columns of advertisements, however pessimistic he might feel concerning the utility of that action.

His first glance assured him that the vast fortunes of the philanthropists, whose acquaintance he had already made in print, were not yet exhausted. Brian MacNeill still dangled his gold before the public; so did Angus Bruce; so did Duncan Macfarlane and Wallace Mackintosh and Donald MacNab. They still had the money and they still wanted to give it away.

Ashe was reading listlessly down the column when, from the mass of advertisements, one of an unusual sort detached itself.

WANTED: Young Man of good appearance, who is poor and reckless, to undertake a delicate and dangerous enterprise. Good pay for the right man. Apply between the hours of ten and twelve at offices of Mainprice, Mainprice & Boole, 3, Denvers Street, Strand.

And as he read it, half past ten struck on the little clock on his mantelpiece. It was probably this fact that decided Ashe. If he had been compelled to postpone his visit to the offices of Messrs. Mainprice, Mainprice & Boole until the afternoon, it is possible that barriers of laziness might have reared themselves in the path of adventure; for Ashe, an adventurer at heart, was also uncommonly lazy. As it was, however, he could make an immediate start. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was being visited?
2. Who was reading?
3. What was wanted?
4. For what?
5. Who was influencing?
6. What time of day?
7. What time did the clock chime?
8. Was he very active?
9. When could he apply?
10. What chapter is this?
11. Was he employed?
12. Where was his clock?
Answer: 1. Joan Valentine
2. Ashe
3. good looking man
4. to do a dangerous job
5. Joan
6. In the morning
7. half past ten
8. No
9. between the hours of ten and twelve
10. Four
11. No
12. mantelpiece

Jack thought himself a basketball fan. He watched quite a lot of American NBA basketball games. Not only did he watch them, he spent much of his free time playing on the court too. Then came the final year of his middle school. All of his regular teammates stopped showing up on the court because they were simply too busy preparing for the high school entrance exam to play. He was, of course, under much stress himself, like everyone else. A good exam result meant a good high school; a mediocre score meant a mediocre school. _ . However, he loved basketball so much that he still found time to play, this time with a group of guys who were said to have skipped classes before. Some of his teachers started worrying about him. They asked his mother to go to school to let her know that Jack was hanging out with problem kids. When his mother returned home that day, she wanted to talk to Jack. Knowing the purpose of her visit to the school, Jack thought his mother would punish him for befriending those bad guys. To his surprise, his mother was not angry with him at all. She wanted to hear her son's side of the story. So Jack told his mother about what he knew of Simon and Peter. Simon's parents were badly ill; Peter's father had lost his job. They both seemed to Jack to be normal kids. Jack's mother thought for a moment, then went on to say that she was OK with her son playing with them and that she and her son should think of ways to help these kids. Soon Jack's mum introduced some part-time jobs to Simon and Peter, which they accepted. She believed in her son and cared about those who were less lucky. Jack's basketball friends and he have left for different places, but they still keep in touch. He knows Peter is now a manager of a local bank. Simon is currently a freshman at a university. Sadly, it is impossible to get together to play basketball again, but whenever they get on the phone, they talk about it all the time. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What sport was Jack a fan of?
2. What grade was he in?
3. What happened to the kids he played ball with?
4. Why did they stop?
5. Doing what?
6. How come he wasn't too busy studying as well?
7. Did he find new friends to play ball with?
8. Why was the teacher worried about these kids?
9. What did the teacher do about it?
10. Did his mom feel the same way about his new friends as the teachers?
11. How did she feel about them?
12. How did Jack feel about these kids?
13. Did Jack keep in touch with them when they grew up?
14. Do they still play basketball together?
15. What do they do instead?
16. What did Jack's mom want him to do for the kids?
17. Did she come up with any ways to help?
18. Why did she do for them?
19. Do either of them have jobs now?
20. Which one?
Answer: 1. basketball
2. final year of middle school
3. they stopped showing up
4. they were too busy
5. prepearing for the high school entrance exam
6. yes
7. yes
8. they skipped classes
9. They asked his mother to come to school
10. no
11. she cared about them
12. they were normal kids
13. yes
14. no
15. talk on the phone
16. think ofways to help them
17. yes
18. found them part-time jobs
19. yes
20. peter

Sam was outside playing. It was very hot out and he got really thirsty. He saw that Mr. Brown was setting up a table with sodas and snacks down the street. Sam was very excited because this would solve his problem.

He checked his pockets. They were empty. Where did his money go? This was a problem. In order to get a soda and snack he would need money.

Sam ran home as fast as he could. He was in a rush. He passed by Jim as he was running. He asked Sam why he was running. "No time," Sam Said.

When he got inside the house Sam was very happy. His money was on his dresser in his bedroom. Thank goodness. He had enough money to get a soda. Sam ran back outside, but this time he slowed down when he saw Jim. He told Jim to come with him to Mr. Brown's table. He had enough money to buy them both a soda. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was outside?
2. What was he doing?
3. What was the temperature like?
4. How did he react?
5. Who was down the block?
6. What was he doing?
7. How did Sam react?
8. Did he have cash on him?
9. Where did he search?
10. Why did he require it?
11. Where did he run?
12. Was he in a hurry?
13. Did he pass anyone he knew?
14. Who?
15. What did he say to him?
16. What did he respond?
17. What was his mood when he arrived?
18. Did he find the money?
19. Where?
Answer:
1. Sam
2. playing
3. hot
4. he got thirsty
5. Mr. Brown
6. setting up a table
7. he got excited
8. no
9. his pockets
10. to buy a soda and snack
11. home
12. yes
13. yes
14. Jim
15. He asked Sam why he was running
16. "No time,"
17. happy
18. yes
19. his dresser