That Scholarship Boy

r Mrs.

uncheon! it always happens so, i

said Dr. Morrison, as he b

here while they put luncheon on the table,' she said, and she drew h

m too hungry to guess anything,' he s

ady. 'It is from Dick, dear old D

is wife in blank amazement. 'From Dick

fellow had ever done anything wicked! I have heard y

es," and be led into mischief, when he ought to say "No," a

o to him at once, because he has a friend with him who needs your attention at once. He says he met with him out in the wilds of Australia, and he has been the best friend he ever had-that this Mr. Howard has saved him body an

f,' said the doctor, with a smile. '"Birds

ard have both worked very hard, and made a moderate fortune, or they would

do the hard work, while he dreamed of what he wo

said the housemaid, tapping

nt's service was dispensed with, that they might discuss this wonderful lett

s anxious to find, than there was about the writer himself; but

bourhood of your town. Can you make inquiries? She has two sons,

his wife. 'I wonder whether it is the fathe

boy?' asked Mrs. M

raveller, I believe, and he was said to be abroad. My dear, put your things on, and we will driv

o go and see Dick

see Warren first, and we must do as Dick wishes,

his feet, and so the carriage was ordered at once, an

tor and Mrs. Morrison to London. While the doctor went to his friend Warren, she wrote a letter explaining something of what had happened, and that she was going with Dr. Morri

he asked to be allowed to leave a little earlier, and so manag

were too quick for me,' he said, when h

, when he saw Fred take the st

the fire blazing under the kettle; and while it boiled he told Horace that a letter had been sent to him early in the afternoon from his mother, saying

, Morrison is in my class at school;

sked Fred. He was handing cups and saucers t

with his brother. 'I don't see much of him, because he likes to go with the bigger boys. I say, Fred, do you remember our father?' sai

mber him, Horr

't remember a bit about him, only tha

or. He went away to travel, I have heard mother say, and she thought he must be dead until Dr. Morrison cam

had grown angry that his father should leave his mother as he had, without cause-so far as Fred knew-and without

ome cause for his father's disappearance, though his mother might not know it; but in his own mind there was a l

to get some thin

comfort of his books and

with the information that father and mother had both gone out, a

rd, for it was a rare occurrence fo

t with a letter to Mr. Warren, and so I should think f

n he took his satchel to the little room whe

sible to get bottles from his father's dispensing-room, for he was never allowed to go there, and it was just possible that his father had locked

it, and if he refused at last to get what was wanted, he would

could be opened, and found that it yielded at once. He went in and closed the door, lest one of the servants

ly filled with water for washing them. He selected two that he thought would hold about half a pint each, and pouring out the water h

ster told him at tea-time that she must do her lessons in her own room, for she had an extra

th full of bread and jam. 'It's all a girl

and wrangling, until the housemaid appeared to clear the table. Florence went upstairs to her lesso

the satchel was worn out; and he decided to take it at once. 'This is good fortune indeed! Taylor says he'll take care nobody finds out, if I only get the stuff there. Taylor is a smart fellow, and so is his father, or he could

eign, and decided to go at once and get his bottles filled. He must tell the chemist to seal the stoppers down securely, or there would be such a smell from the bag that it would betray them before it could be got

ther's private bottles and half-a-sovereign to pay for what he had, the chemist served him without demur. He wondered a little what the doctor could want the chemicals for, but reflected that a

ly wrapped up in the bag. On his way back he met Taylor w

onising tone, as Leonard stopped them, for

oy. 'You can take the bag now, Taylor. The

aid, stepping back a pace, as if

s,' said Leonard in

first thought was that he would go and throw the bottles in the canal just as they were, give Taylor the change out of the half-sovereign, and tell him where he would find the bottles if he wanted them. He went so far as to walk down the canal road, but his courage

the back gate one of

come for you, and Miss Florence has been hunting all over the ho

ter and learn what the message could be. 'Mother and I cannot come home to-night-coming to-morrow.' This was what the

ust sent to say that he is not coming home to-night;' and then he went and carried the bag to the little room, l

he study and said, 'Where do

never heard of a ri

as an only son, I know,' she said.

llionaire?'

h is quite as good, I

g like millionaires in these days, and so I hope this uncle, who

see. Father had friends in London, and this telegram

are say. Now run away, little girl, for I want to get

ob you can borrow of each other;' and Florence went away, leaving Leona

do for its possessor until lately, but Taylor and Curtis both belonged to wealthy families, and he thought of what they could do. He called to mind the half-sovereign and the cigarettes he had seen them smoking, and he had no doubt they were going to a famous billiard-room in the town. B

is mind all the morning. But Taylor was looking out for him at the corner of the road where they usually met. He was in a differ

ake it of you there, and no one will ever

going to manage

them up there. Oh, never fear! we shall get rid of that board school beggar this time, for Skeats is awfully particular about his stuff, and he'll never forgive him for using chemicals like these away fr

ottles were safely transferred from the bag

f sulphuric acid, your coat won't be worth much,

but still he carried the coat carefully, and wen

r impedimenta the boys might bring with them, each boy having his own peg and place on the shelf for bag or lunch basket. They passed through this room on their way to the laboratory, and so i

ook for Howard, who was eating his sandwiches as he walked up and down. 'You won't be l

oing in a minut

ng their work. Just see they leave th

what have you fellows been using?' he said, as he went to the further end of the room. There lay one boy stretched out on the floor near a bench, and close to another lay a second. He tried to rouse the one nearest to him, and then seized him by the legs and dragged him across the room out on to the landing. There he shouted 'Help! help!' and ran back to pull out the others, for he knew the deadly nature of that almond-like smell. He managed to get another to the door, where he would get fresh air, and then returned for the third. He found him lyin

the room. He knew that the fumes were dangerous, and stuffing his pocket-handkerchief into his mouth and up his nostrils, he dashed in and tried to drag both boys at once to the door, but had to drop one just as Mr.

ushing his way through the crowd of boys who

often in the neighbourhood about that time of the day, and, to his great joy, he saw him driving in his gig. The bo

alf-a-dozen voices called, 'They have c

s still unconscious, and Horace seemed even worse. His hand and arms we

s had been breathing hydro-cyanic acid gas. The application of artificial respiration was redoubled, but it was not until nearly four o'clock that Horace began to revive, and what Leonard felt during those awful hours of suspense could be better imagined

'I am ready to hear any explanation that you may wish to give me as to the cause of what has happened. I have heard

to tell of his share in the affair, but as he glanced at Taylor he received such a look of wa