We Ten | Page 5

that.
Why, Fee's got more brains than the whole crowd of us put together,

and if only one of us can go to college, he ought to be that one. I've
screwed up my courage, and I'm going to speak to father about it."
"Oh, Phil, don't, please don't; it'll be no use. You know there is no
changing papa when his mind is made up. Better let things stand as
they are until Max gets home; it won't be very long, you know. And
besides, I'm sure Felix wouldn't let you give up college for him. But
you're a dear, generous boy, to propose it."
"No, I'm not; I'm a great clumsy, cantankerous animal. Now if I could
only talk as Felix can, I wouldn't mind interviewing the pater
to-morrow; but just as sure as I undertake to say anything to him, I get
so nervous and confused that I act like a fool, and that provokes him.
He seems to paralyse me. But, all the same, I'm going to talk to him
about this matter to-morrow, Nannie,"--the Indian's voice sank so low
that I could hardly hear it; "I have a feeling that mother would want Fee
to go to college."
I sat up and rubbed my arms that had gone to sleep, and looked around;
I was still on the old sofa, and just a few feet away from me sat Phil, on
the edge of the schoolroom table, and Nannie in a chair beside him.
Confused and only half awake as I was, my one idea was to slip away
quietly and not let 'em know I'd heard what they had been saying, for I
was sure they wouldn't like that. Nannie says I ought to have spoken
right out; but I do hate to make people feel uncomfortable. So I swung
myself softly to my feet, and--landed hard on Whiskers's tail!
Of course, after that, there was no hiding that I was there. Poor
Whiskers gave a howl of pain, and, flying at Major, boxed the solemn
old doggie's ears, much to his surprise and wrath, and they had a free
fight on the spot.
"Why, Jack!" said Nannie; and I got hot all over, for I just felt by her
tone that she thought I'd been listening.
"Our Jacqueminot, I declare!" cried Phil. "You are a nice young
rosebud, I must say, to be snooping around this way! Come here, sir!"

He made a dive for me, but I drew back. "I didn't listen!" I called out.
And then I remembered that I really had, only I thought it was the
Indians talking; and, dipping under his arm, I rushed out of the room as
hard as I could go, before he could catch me.

II.
IN THE STUDY.
TOLD BY JACK.
I thought very often of what Phil had said, I couldn't help it; but I don't
suppose I would ever have really understood what he meant if I hadn't
heard something more the next day. Poor me! it just seemed for those
two days as if I did nothing but get into people's way and keep hearing
things that they didn't want me to. This time it was partly Betty's
fault,--at least, she was what Phil calls the "primary cause." I suppose it
was because it was such a lovely day out-of-doors, that I couldn't seem
to put my mind on my books at all, and when Betty pulled two
feather-tops out of her pocket, and offered me one, I took it very
willingly, and we began to play on the sly. Of course we got caught:
my feather-top must needs fly away from the leg of the table, which
was our mark, and stick itself into Kathie's leg. I don't think it hurt her
so very much, but she was startled, and didn't she howl! Miss Marston
was all out of patience with me already, and when, soon after that, I
made a mess of my Latin, she got very angry, and walked me right
down to the study.
Papa listened in dead silence to all she told him; then he just lifted his
eyes from his writing, and pointed to a chair a good way from him: "Sit
there," he said, "and study your lesson, and don't disturb me." So I took
my seat, and Miss Marston shut the door and went away.
My! how quiet it was in that room! Not a sound except a faint
scrabbling noise now and then from the L behind the portière,--where
some very old reference books are kept,--and papa's pen scratching

across the paper, and even that stopped presently, and he began to read
a book that lay open beside him. As he sat there reading, with sheets
upon sheets of the Fetich scattered all