The Jester of St. Timothy's

tments which it had caused him. During the whole summer month for which he had now been in attendance as Mr. Beasley's clerk, the arrival of the mail had constituted his ch

utside the partition; then he opened the envelope and read the type-written enclosure. A flush crept up over his cheeks, over his forehead; when he raised his eyes, the brooding look was no longer in them, but a quiet happiness instead, and his li

table in the back of the store. He read the letter again and mused over it for a few m

s pocket some papers-French exercises

and Irving was undisturbed. He helped himself to the crackers and dried beef which were his luncheon perquisite

wrence always go on confusing some of the forms of être and avoir? Wo

attered volume of Blackstone's Commentaries on the English Common Law. He did not get on very fast with this book, and sometimes he wondered what bearing it could have on the practice of

ntrance caused

in less than a month now

h, have you?" aske

. Timothy'

may t

New Ham

ose you don't mind that much-

o to college this fall, and he and I will be pretty near each othe

ll like to have you wait on 'em; you're so polite and tidy. But I know clerking in a country

e in. And your giving me this chance has meant that I could stay on here and tutor Lawrence this summer and at

like you're too shy and quiet ever to make much of a la

e I'll get over that

. "It's of no manner of use to anybody-not

ome from the haying field with his uncle. Lawrence was big and ruddy and laughing; Irving was slight

wrence,-"the whole of it. So don't blame me if

m going to teach at St. Timothy's School-in New Hampshire. So your g

y restrained statement. "Oh, Irv! Isn't it splendid! I think you're the finest thing-!" Lawrence grasped Irving'

nn! Irv has some g

o the hall; she was setting the

? Have you-have

s, almost a regretf

"I'll tell you about

y's School. Irving was able to enlighten them. At college he had become familiar with its reputation; it was one of the

odging, board, washing all provided-so that really it was the equivalent of fourteen or fifteen hundred dollars a year. A

od," said

how we shall miss you boys! I've got used to havi

s Lawrence-especially in haying time. I'm glad you didn't get this news til

's all the sout

king yourself useful first of all and studying only in the odd moments. Now it's different; you've got to settle down to hard study an

ght, Uncle Bob; I can accomplish a great deal more working with Lawrence t

be able to earn my way as Irv did-tutoring and so

do with nine hundred a

r law school fun

shoulders grandly. "

te push. "Tut!" he said. "Be go

ncle and the aunt rejoiced in the good ne

not bounded by his farm. He had encouraged Irving as well as Lawrence to seek a university education. The two boys were proud, eager to free themselves from dependence on the uncle and aunt who, after their fa

nephews stimulated their spirit of independence. They knew that they had been left penniless; Irving sometimes suspected his uncle of parsimony, yet this was a trait so incongruous with Mr. Upton'

ome forward at once with that sum. Instead he had merely given Lawrence the opportunity to work harder in the hay-field and so increase his small bank account. And it had soon become apparent to Irving that unless he and Lawre

med after these outbreaks and uneasily conscious that Lawrence conducted himself with greater dignity. And Lawrence forgot Irving's irritations in gratitude to him for his help. "It must be a trial to teach such a numskull," Lawrence thought; an

ving threw down his book and perching on the arm of his brother

as I like to teach you!" he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Lawr

fail to realize that with the neighbors or with strangers, in any gathering whatsoever, Lawrenc

w, with the difference between his brother and himself enforcing a clearer vision, had he become aware of some defici

stward journey. There was a party assembled at the station to see them off,-to see Lawrence off, as

valley and who tried to slip them into his hand when no one else was looking, and blushed when Nora Carson unfeelingly called attention to her s

tered on the platform. Only this summer, seeing them so frequently in Mr. Beasley's store, he had felt the first stirrings of in

f you two, if a stranger was to come along, he'd pick Lawrence out for the teacher and you f

ger," Irv

is a pity you're so spindling; good thing for a teacher t

punish with the swit

s much. How you going to keep order am

unged into the crowd which had closed about his brother. His aunt turned and flung her arms about him and kissed him; his uncle

cal, humorous smile on his lips that made Irving know his u

t had been sincere. It rather hurt his dignity, to be referred to his younger broth

d in the rooms which he himself had occupied for four years. Then

ndows of the spacious library, throwing mellow tints on the bindings of the books which lined the opposite wall from floor to ceiling. It was all so bright that Irving, who was troubled with weak eyes, advanced into it blinking; and

ighly the college authorities had recommended him, and only l

most of all with the older boys. Mr. Williams, who has had charge of the Sixth Form dormitory at the Upper School, is ill with typhoid fever and will probably not come back this term. So I'm go

kerchief nervously in his hands. And all the time-with his singular clearness of in

rried and seemed to be taking all this as personal criticism-"that's the talk that I always give to a new master; and now I'm done. Here is a printed copy of the rules and regulations which I advise you to study; you must try to familiarize yourself with our customs before any of the boys arriv

il now, he had not much considered how large a part of his work would be in the management and the discipline of the boys; the mere teaching of them was what had been in his mind, and for that he felt perfectly competent. In college, that was all that the tutoring, i

to do. He had mastered pretty thoroughly the names of the buildings and the geography of the place, and it wa

d end by appealing to him to keep always a friendly eye on her little forlorn Walter. As it turned out, Irving never afterwards came much into contact with the boy, who lived i

holarship. Most of them were candidates for the Second, Third, and Fourth Forms, and their ages ranged from twelve to fifteen; Irving sat

enjoyed. He liked to be addressed by these nice-mannered young boys as "sir," and to be recognized by them so unquestioningly as a person to whom deference must b

had had several years' experience. Irving was attracted to him at once, and was grateful for the

candidate's egregious blunder; Irving would read and smile quietly, unaware that Ba

the list of those to whom rooms there had been assigned. "Collingwood, Westby, Scarborough, Morrill, Anderson, Bal

he school football team; Scarborou

sense of their responsibility as leaders of the school, and are more likely to help you than to make trouble. Morrill is their faithful follower, though a little harum-scarum at times. Westby-" the master hesitated over that name and

m. Mrs. Barclay was as cordial and as kind as her husband; Ir

ory if you were-which you'll find the meanest of all possible jobs. And then if your wife's

re pretty decent to you, William!-You'll find it easy, Mr. Up

he had been correcting the last set of examination papers, when a barge drew up before the study b

other barges kept coming over the hill, interspersed wi

just starting away when three boys arm in arm rushed out of the study building. They came prancing up to him, all smiles and twinkles; they were

ew kid! W

g it, he conceived it all the more advisable to assert his

new kid. I a

n the one in the middle, with a sudden whoop of laughter, swung the two others round and led

He followed the boys at a distance; they moved towards the Upp

he last of the three was going up

O