The Argosy, Vol. XI, No. 21 — page 2: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

322 ** Confound it, you insulted us, you youny boor,” he burst out vehemently, ‘‘ and I mean to make you take it back——" ‘‘Oh,. you do, do you?” said Brad, stepping away from the wall. ‘Yes, ] do. Dr. Hope may take into the academy any sort of characters he chooses to pick up, bat I don't intend to take any insolence from them. If you don’t know how to keep a civil tongue in your head, I’ll teach you——” ‘‘ Well, well,” interrupted Brad, raising his voice some- what, ‘‘and who are you that you can talk so freely toa stranger without allowing him the right to answer you back.”’ ‘Who am [? Who am I[?” repeated Ivers, completely exasperated. *' Weil, it’s plain you don’t know. My name is Sidney Ivers, and it is my father who owns Hosmer. Do you see that fence?” and Ivers pointed through the window to a barbed wire fence that ran along some distance behind the school building. ‘' This whole estate down to that fence belongs to my father--now you know who you are talking to.” Ivers had partly forgotten his anger for a moment in his anxiety to make an Impression upon Brad. As he fin- ished speaking, he looked at the other as if he expected to find him crushed and overwhelmed. But Brad was not crushed. On the contrary, he had simply made up his mind that it was time to put a stop to this nonsense. Stepping nearer his visitor, he said, in tones that were quiet but somewhat more earnest than before : ‘¢So your father owns the estate, eh! Well, I'm pleased to know you are so well fixed, and I’m glad to make the ac- quaintance of a young gentleman of so much property. It does me honor. And now let me tell you wholam. My name is Brad Mattoon. I've traveled almost everywhere, seen almost everything except a young gentlemen’s select academy, and now I've come to try aturn atone. I have no property to worry me, no money, nothing in fact except, perhaps, a half ownership in this room. I didn’t under- stand you to say that you owned the academy and the ground it stands on, so I suppose you don't own this room. Now just let us understand one another. I don’t want to quarrel—I came here to try to behave myself, and I won't make any unnecessary trouble; but let me tell you now, once for all, that if you try to bully me any more or come into this room again uninvited, I'll open that window and throw you out, and then pitch you over that fence cn to the ‘ estate’ where you belong.” All this, delivered in a cool manner that betokered ro an- ger or resentment, almost took Ivers off his feet with sur- prise. He gasped, staggered back, and stared at Brad in speechless amazement fora moment. Whatever course of conduct he may have contemplated, however, must be left a matter of doubt, for, before he could recover himself, a voice was heard 1n the hall. ‘‘Mr. Ivers, be so kind as to step this way. speak with you.” Both boys turned. A gentleman stood in the doorway looking at them—a gentleman of about thirty five years of age, of rather slender and delicate build, with a pale, hand- some face partially concealed by a full black beard. It was quite evident from his tone and manner that he had overheard at least a part of the conversation that had taken place. Ivers stood a moment in hesitation ; then, with a hasty exclamation of annoyance, he scowled fiercely at Brad, turned on his heel and left the room. ‘The two had hardly departed when Perry Landon came briskly in. ‘Qh, here you are!" he exclaimed. ‘* Well, how do you find things? Getting acquainted rapidly ?” ° ‘‘ Yes, very fast,” answered Brad dryly. I wish to THE ARGOSY ‘‘T saw Sidney Ivers just leaving the room.” ‘Oh, yes; Mr. Ivers has been specially attentive,” said Brad cheerfully. ‘' He came all the way up stairs here to tell me who he was and what his father owned.” Perry burst out laughing. ‘* Well, what do you think of Sidney?” he asked. ‘‘To do him full justice, I must say I think he is a coward and a bully, and as vain as a peacock.” Landon looked at Brad in surprise. ‘* You've struck the nail square on the head that time,” he said soberly ; ‘* but how did you guess his character so quickly ?’ ‘‘ Because he showed it to me all at once. I've a sneaking notion that he came up here really to punch my head for something I said to him down stairs, but he didn't get down to business somehow, so I've no respect for him. Nobody but a coward and bully would talk so long about what he was going to do, and nobody but a vain young cad would blow so much about who he was.” Brad then proceeded to relate what had happened. Perry Landon listened seriously, and with evident respect for Brad’s conduct. When the latter had finished, he said : ‘“Well, it would have served Ivers right if you kad pitched him out of the window, but I am sorry it happened. I know Sidney is a bully He tried to bully me when I first came here, and I had to show him I wouldn't stand it before he stopped. I found it was bad business quarreling with him, though—not on my own account, but because of Dr. Hope. You see, Sidney goes heme and tells his father everything, and then his father makes it disagreeable ror Dr. Hope.” Brad was thoughtful. “Oh, pshaw! I'm blamed sorry about that. I suppose now I’ve caused a mess of trouble. Who was that gentle- man with Ivers in the hall?” ‘‘That was Mr. Prentice, Dr. Hope's assistant, He is a very nice man—a hard student and a good teacher—but he is very quiet, and keeps to himself most of the time.” ‘* He looks like an invalid,” said Brad. ‘He is never sick, except with nervous headaches,” an- swered Perry. ‘‘I think sometimes he may have some trouble or other to worry him, but none of us can tell. He won't let us get well acquainted with him.” ‘‘T was noticing his voice when he spoke,” said Brad. ‘* He seems to have a foreign accent, It sounded French.” ‘‘ We have not noticed it,” answered Perry, ‘‘ though it 1s quite likely. He teaches modern languages, and may have caught the accent.” At this moment the nimble Samuel's brass buttons ap- peared at the door. ‘‘ Dr. Hope wants to see Mr. Mattoon in his library,” said Samuel. ‘‘Well, I suppose I'm in for it now,” muttered Brad. ‘*Oh, my! oh, my! I'm afraid I won't do for a young men’s select academy at all. I'll have to go back to the ‘ Cinder- ella’ again. Allright,” he called cheerily after Samuel's re- treating form, ‘‘ tell Cap'n Hope that I'll report for service in a jiffy." Scarcely noticing Perry Landon’'s laughter of amusement at his rough and ready address, Brad performed a hasty toilet, and proceeded down stairs to Dr. Hope's library. CHAPTER V. FIRST IMPRESSIONS. RAD was very agreeably surprised in his interview with Dr. Hope. He had expected at the very least a severe reprimand, for he was determined that he would not vindicate himself by repeating Sidney Ivers’s ecoOMmlceoooks (COL