The Island School — page 123: what you’re looking at

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100 that is wonderful, what are you doing with your- self ?” “ Come inside,” said Jim, “‘and I will get into bed again and tell you all about it. Romeo will see that Charley doesn’t kill himself, but he may give him a decent meal.” “Dat me do sure,” Charley, who may have understood, snorted aprroy- ingly. Jim hastened to bed again, for even in that clime the mornings are sometimes chilly. Morse and the boys followed him, and took their seats on the sorting- counter. . Jim first explained how it was he came to be incar- cerated, without referring to his view of the reason for the change in the demeanour of Mr. Groby, and | Morse afterwards related their adventures on the way home from the City of the Dead. Much of it was of noimport. All that is essential to the proper sequence of our story we have already penned. “ Well,” said Jim, when all was told, “there is one thing I am pretty sure of as things are. Groby will never tolerate the presence of Charley here. He will in all probability order the poor beggar to be shot.” An exclamation of dismay burst from the lips of his hearers, and Morse muttered something under his breath about men who wanted lifting sky-high. “ But we had better circumvent him,” continued Jim. ‘‘ There is the castle. You could easily make Charley comfortable there. If we kept the secret of his being in existence—for the present, anyway—it may lead to his being eventually tolerated. Let us have in Romeo.” The negro was called in, and the position explained to him. The bare idea of Charley coming to an untimely end upset him dreadfully. said Romeo, grinning, and | ES ————————————————————————————— i He said: “If dat’ere Groby hurt a hair ob Charley’s | back, me do somefin to him dat he not get over for a week or two, 1f he get ober it at all.” “He might have the entire banqneting-hall to wander about in,” frequently. Nobody without our knowledge is likely to goupthere. The boys, asa body, have a dread of said Jim, ‘and he could be visited | the old place, and the men never set foot initexcepton | public occasions. We shall always have notice of their | going. hiding-place for the good old fellow.” _ Soit was settled, and Romeo started off with Charley in a hurry, as the morning was getting on, and ere long ‘the whole house would be stirring. It would certainly serve as a temporary | THE ISLAND SCHOOL. bably the baronial hall reminded him of his old home in the deserted city. That was .Terry’s suggestion,, and voted a good one. After,that they waited for the. house to open, and by-and-by Romeo, who wert to and fro, listening at the door, announced that he ha& | heard his father and grandfather stirring. ‘““Now you see sumfin,” he said. “ By-em-by dey open de door and come out to bang de mats. moment when me take all de breaf out ob dere body.” “What are you going to do, Romeo '” asked Morse. “Me goin’ to lie down nigh de door as if me come: home dere and died ob starvation.” The prospect of seeing Romeo sham a corpse, and the result of it upon the feelings of his relatives, was interesting matter, and with the door, half closed, the boys waited and watched for the thrilling scene. Jim remained in bed, as he said he felt tired and | worried a bit. The watchers had not long to wait. Romeo had laid himself out to take away the breath of one or both of his relatives, and as far as his grandfather was affected, he succeeded to admiration. The worthy old darkie, who had been having words with Hamlet as to the due proportion of the morning work to be performed by each, came bouncing out with a big mat in his hand, and not seeing Romeo Dat de: ‘ ‘4 2 oe ae ar ‘ lying at full length just outside, fell over him, and — coming heavily to the ground, was literally deprived of every atom of breath in his body. Romeo was startled by the complete success of his little game, although it took a different form from what he intended. Hesat up and stared dismally at Mac- beth as he lay curled up, gasping lke a.parish pump: worked intermittently. The old negro came round, and seeing Romeo near him, was further taken aback, and also sat up. Thus | the pair remained, staring at each other for the better part of a minute. The hidden spectators were in convulsions of silent laughter. Presently Macbeth found his powers of speech. ‘¢; Am dat you, Romeo, or your spectre! ” “Tt am me,” replied Romeo. ‘“ What you mean by tripping up you grandfader ©” demanded Macbeth. “You come shootin’ out ob de house,” said Romeo, “jess like an ole goat boun’ on a butting expradition. _ Dat how you come to knock me down, jess as Me was a coming in to brace you like a fectionate grandson °” While he was gone there wasa consultation between | Jim and the rest, resulting in a certain line of conduct being decided on. Romeo came back with the Charley had taken very kindly to his quarters. intelligence that Pro- ‘‘Dere not much more fection in you, Romeo,” said Macbeth, ‘dan mose people carry on de tip ob you nose. But you welcome now you am back. Come in and brace you fectionate fader.” Thereupon they disappeared, and shortly after Morse and his tired companions followed them. They went up to their dormitories, where they nN Cc 900 (St @) CS (Ee @) mn