The Island School — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

JIMS PAROLE ENDED. Luo retired with the tray, leaving the boys to make the best they could out of the coming long afternoon. It was not until tea-time that Romeo brought the welcome intelligence to Morse that he had delivered his note safely to Jim, and he, having no pencil or paper, had simply sent a message back—“ All right.” CHAPTER LII. JIM’S PAROLE ENDED. wii MLONG the boys gener- } ally there was a deal of surmise, some troublous thinking and talking; but on the whole, not sO much uneasiness or fear as might be expected from'so many, and some of them very young. Steene, Rainstone, and Dawson, the only mem- bers of the Council of Ten who were at liberty, while feeling themselves that, in more ways than one, trouble was closing in around them, did their best to keep up the spirits of the rest. But among the men it was a more difficult matter to set them at ease. As they stood in a group, talking over the position, Dawson and Steene went by. Martin hailed them. “Come here a minute,” he said, and as they drew up he continued: “ Without pretending to know everything you boys are up to, I know that if there is anything going, you young gentlemen would be in it Can you tell us why Mr. Groby is down. on Gordon, and a few others shut up in the class-room ?” “They went away without leave,” replied Steene. There is more than that in it,” said Martin. “ Mr. Groby is giving himself airs, and I for one have already had enough of it. But that was not the point. Can you tell us who and what we are threatened with ?” _ “T cannot,” answered Steene, and Dawson said the ‘same. “Never would I have set foot on the island,” said Wafile, the boocmaker, ‘if I had had the least idea of what was to be the end of it.” “We shall be murdered,” said Sleery, the car- penter. “ That's a dead-sure thing,” assented Pastern, the painter and plumber. “Don’t be so fast, my lads,” said Martin. “ After all, there may not be so much init. Nap Farrell never had, to my thinking, the heart of a inouse, and his sese> . 5 _ els \\. Sigg Pe 82> ,o, ritue tl? | that, whatever happens. cutting it is not to be wondered at. The place is naturally getting into a mixture of sixes and sevens— one boy shut here, others shut up there, and more will follow, for when a Jack-in-office, as Mr. Groby is proving himself to be, starts on that sort of game, he seldom knows where to stop. In the end Bee will be a rebellion among the boys.” “‘ No,” said Steene, smiling, “ we shall not come: to I am sorry I cannot help you in what you want to know. You are as much in the secret of it all as we are.” As the boys had been expressly forbidden by Mr. Groby to go into the post-office, ard Jim, on his parole, unable to come out, it naturally followed that he was unable to communicate with any of them. {He could have done so by signs through the window, but that he did not do, although he Fee seaaly showed his face there, and exchanged a smile with any of them who happened to be near. Mr. Groby occasionally went in and out, and in the middle of the afternoon ‘Eveline and her mother emerged from the house, the latter wearing a thick veil. There were very few of the boys about, and the men had all vanished in different directions. “Which way shall we go?” asked Mrs. Farrell. ‘“‘ Towards Silver Bay,’ replied Eveline. “‘ Will it be safe for us ?” ‘‘As safe as any part of the island.” A minute after they had started towards the bay, the door of the schoolhouse again opened and Mr. Storeby came forth. His face was flushed, and his eyes sparkled with pleasure or excitement. He was attired in a light suit and wore a straw hat with a broad red ribbon. Indeed, he looked quite gallant | and gay. “Pye foiled him,” he muttered, “and now is my chance.” He sped on after the two ladies, who were now far up the beach, mere dolls in the distance. By dint of hard running, with pauses to regain breath, he finally overtook them. Hearing footsteps behind her, Eveline started and looked angrily round. But her face changed to indifference when she saw it was only Mr. Storeby. She rather suspected it was the now too troublesome Groby, “JI thought,” stammered Storeby, “that you would not mind my offering myself as an escort.” ‘Mamma will, I daresay, be glad to have you here,” replied Eveline. It was rather hard to be transferred to Mrs. Farrell in this way, for the attention was really meant for Eveline. But Storeby did not care. He was, any- way, near Eveline. Mrs. Farrell having graciously said that she would be glad of his company, he fell in by her side, and they walked on together. Eom (@ 900 ES com