Ester Ried Yet Speaking | Page 5

a compact to
be excellent and faithful friends to one another? What do you say?"
What were they to say? They were slightly taken back, surprised into
listening quietly to the close of the strange sentence, and then giving no
answer beyond violent nudges and aside-looks. What did she mean?
Was she "chaffing" them? This was unlike the opening of any lesson! It
certainly could not be the first question on the lesson-paper; nor did it
sound like certain well-meant admonitions to "try to improve the
opportunity" and "learn all that they could." With each of these
commencements they were entirely familiar; but this was something
new.
"Do you agree to the compact?" she asked, while they waited, her face
bright with smiles.
"Dunno about that," said one whom she very soon discovered occupied
the position of a ringleader; "as a general thing, we like to be kind of
careful about our friendships; we might strike something that wasn't
quite the thing with people in our position. You can't be too careful in a
big city, you know."
It is impossible to give you an idea of the impishness with which this
impudent answer was jerked out, to the great amusement of the others,
who laughed immoderately.
It suited Mrs. Roberts to treat the reply with perfect seriousness and
composure.

"That is very true," she said, courteously; "but at the same time I
venture to hope that since you know nothing ill of me as yet, you will
receive me into a sort of conditional friendship, with the understanding
that I remain your friend until I am guilty of some conduct that ought to
justify you in deserting me. I am sure you cannot object to that; and
now, if we are to be friends, we should know each other's names. I am
Mrs. Evan Roberts, and I live at No. 76 East Fifty-fifth Street. I shall be
glad to see you at my house whenever you would like to call on me.
Now, will one of you be kind enough to introduce himself and the class?
Perhaps you will introduce me to your friends?"
She looked directly at the ringleader.
"Certainly! certainly, mum!" he replied, briskly. "This is Mr. Carrot
Pumpkins, at your service, mum--this fellow on my left, I mean; rather
a queer name, I dare say you think. It all came of his being fond of
sitting astride of a pumpkin when he was a little shaver, and of his hair
being exactly the color of carrots as you can see for yourself. And this
fellow on my right is Mr. Champion Chawer, so called because he can
make the biggest run on tobacco of any of the set, taking him day in
and day out. That fellow at your elbow is 'Slippery Jim.' We don't call
him 'Mister,' because he doesn't stay long enough in one place to have
it tacked on to him. He is such a slippery scamp that an eel is nowhere,
compared to him."
During this rapid flow of words the listeners, who evidently admired
their leader, became so convulsed with laughter as to lose all vestige of
respectability, and Mr. Durant's disturbed face appeared in view.
"Boys, this is perfectly disgraceful!" he said, speaking in sharp and
highly-excited tones,--"perfectly disgraceful! I don't know why you
wish to come here to disturb us in this way Sabbath after Sabbath! But
we have really endured enough. There is a policeman at the foot of the
stairs, and he can easily call others to his help; so now if you wish to
remain here you must behave yourselves."
During the deliverance of this sentence some of the boys gave mimic
groans, one of them whistled, and others kept up a running comment:--

"A policeman! oh good! that's little Duffer, I know! We've seen him
before! Wouldn't mind giving him a chase to-day, just for exercise, you
know, mum."
"I say, boys, let's cut and run, the whole caboodle of us. We can jump
these seats at one bound, and take the little woman along on our
shoulders for a ride! Shall we do it?" This from the leader, who in time
came to be known as "Nimble Dick."
"Bah! no!" replied a third; "let's stick it out and see what she's got to
say; she's a new party. Besides, we can't give her the slip in that way;
we're friends of hers, you know."
"Mrs. Roberts," said the distressed Mr. Durant, in a not very good
undertone, "I think you will have to give it up. They are worse than
usual this morning. We have endured much from them, and I must say
that my patience is exhausted. Will you not take the seat at the other
end of the room?"
"Not unless they wish me