Jack and Jill - Louisa May Alcott (electronic book reader TXT) 📗
- Author: Louisa May Alcott
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At tea-time both boys were very silent, one looking grim, the other excited. Frank stared sternly at his brother across the table, and no amount of marmalade sweetened or softened that reproachful look. Jack defiantly crunched his toast, with occasional slashes at the butter, as if he must vent the pent-up emotions which half distracted him. Of course, their mother saw that something was amiss, but did not allude to it, hoping that the cloud would blow over as so many did if left alone. But this one did not, and when both refused cake, this sure sign of unusual perturbation made her anxious to know the cause. As soon as tea was over, Jack retired with gloomy dignity to his own room, and Frank, casting away the paper he had been pretending to read, burst out with the whole story. Mrs. Minot was as much surprised as he, but not angry, because, like most mothers, she was sure that her sons could not do anything very bad.
“I will speak to him; my boy won't refuse to give me some explanation,” she said, when Frank had freed his mind with as much warmth as if Jack had broken all the ten commandments.
“He will. You often call me obstinate, but he is as pig-headed as a mule; Joe only knows what he saw, old tell-tale! and Jerry has left town, or I'd have it out of him. Make Jack own up, whether he can or not. Little donkey!” stormed Frank, who hated rowdies and could not forgive his brother for being seen with one.
“My dear, all boys do foolish things sometimes, even the wisest and best behaved, so don't be hard on the poor child. He has got into trouble, I've no doubt, but it cannot be very bad, and he earned the money to pay for his prank, whatever it was.”
Mrs. Minot left the room as she spoke, and Frank cooled down as if her words had been a shower-bath, for he remembered his own costly escapade, and how kindly both his mother and Jack had stood by him on that trying occasion. So, feeling rather remorseful, he went off to talk it over with Gus, leaving Jill in a fever of curiosity, for Merry and Molly had dropped in on their way home to break the blow to her, and Frank declined to discuss it with her, after mildly stating that Jack was “a ninny,” in his opinion.
“Well, I know one thing,” said Jill confidentially to Snow-ball, when they were left alone together, “if every one else is scolding him I won't say a word. It's so mean to crow over people when they are down, and I'm sure he hasn't done anything to be ashamed of, though he won't tell.”
Snow-ball seemed to agree to this, for he went and sat down by Jack's slippers waiting for him on the hearth, and Jill thought that a very touching proof of affectionate fidelity to the little master who ruled them both.
When he came, it was evident that he had found it harder to refuse his mother than all the rest. But she trusted him in spite of appearances, and that was such a comfort! For poor Jack's heart was very full, and he longed to tell the whole story, but he would not break his promise, and so kept silence bravely. Jill asked no questions, affecting to be anxious for the games they always played together in the evening, but while they played, though the lips were sealed, the bright eyes said as plainly as words, “I trust you,” and Jack was very grateful.
It was well he had something to cheer him up at home, for he got little peace at school. He bore the grave looks of Mr. Acton meekly, took the boys' jokes good-naturedly, and withstood the artful teasing of the girls with patient silence. But it was very hard for the social, affectionate fellow to bear the general distrust, for he had been such a favorite he felt the change keenly.
But the thing that tried him most was the knowledge that his report would not be what it usually was. It was always a happy moment when he showed it to his mother, and saw her eye brighten as it fell on the 99 or 100, for she cared more for good behavior than for perfect lessons. Mr. Acton once said that Frank Minot's moral influence in the school was unusual, and Jack never forgot her pride and delight as she told them what Frank himself had not known till then. It was Jack's ambition to have the same said of him, for he was not much of a scholar, and he had tried hard since he went back to school to get good records in that respect at least. Now here was a dreadful downfall, tardy marks, bad company, broken rules, and something too wrong to tell, apparently.
“Well, I deserve a good report, and that's a comfort, though nobody believes it,” he said to himself, trying to keep up his spirits, as the slow week went by, and no word from him had cleared up the mystery.
Chapter XIV. And Jill Finds It Out
Jill worried about it more than he did, for she was a faithful little friend, and it was a great trial to have Jack even suspected of doing anything wrong. School is a child's world while he is there, and its small affairs are very important to him, so Jill felt that the one thing to be done was to clear away the cloud about her dear boy, and restore him to public favor.
“Ed will be here Saturday night and may be he will find out, for Jack tells him everything. I do hate to have him hectored so, for I know he is, though he's too proud to complain,” she said, on Thursday evening, when Frank told her some joke played upon his brother that day.
“I let him alone, but I see that he isn't badgered too much. That's all I can do. If Ed had only come home last Saturday it might have done some good, but now it will be too late; for the reports are given out to-morrow, you know,” answered Frank, feeling a little jealous of Ed's influence over Jack, though his own would have been as great if he had been as gentle.
“Has Jerry come back?” asked Jill, who kept all her questions for Frank, because she seldom alluded to the tender subject when with Jack.
“No, he's off for the summer. Got a place somewhere. Hope he'll stay there and let Bob alone.”
“Where is Bob now? I don't hear much about him lately,” said Jill, who was constantly on the lookout for “the other fellow,” since it was not Joe.
“Oh, he went to Captain Skinner's the first of March, chores round, and goes to school up there. Captain is strict, and won't let Bob come to town, except Sundays; but he don't mind it much, for he likes horses, has nice grub, and the Hill fellows are good chaps for him to be with. So he's all right, if he only behaves.”
“How far is it to Captain Skinner's?” asked Jill suddenly, having listened, with her sharp eyes on Frank, as he tinkered away at his model, since he was forbidden all other indulgence in his beloved pastime.
“It's four miles to Hill District, but the Captain lives this side of the school-house. About three from here, I should say.”
“How long would it take a boy to walk up there?” went on the questioner, with a new idea in her head.
“Depends on how much of a walkist he is.”
“Suppose he was lame and it was sloshy, and he made a call and came back. How long would that take?” asked Jill impatiently.
“Well, in that case, I should say two or three hours. But it's impossible to tell exactly, unless you know how lame the fellow was, and how long a call he made,” said Frank, who liked to be accurate.
“Jack couldn't do it in less, could he?”
“He used to run up that hilly road for a breather, and think nothing of it. It would be a long job for him now, poor little chap, for his leg often troubles him, though he hates to own it.”
Jill lay back and laughed, a happy little laugh, as if she was pleased about something, and Frank looked over his shoulder to ask questions in his turn.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Can't tell.”
“Why do you want to know about Hill District? Are you going there?”
“Wish I could! I'd soon have it out of him.”
“Who?”
“Never mind. Please push up my table. I must write a letter, and I want you to post it for me to-night, and never say a word till I give you leave.”
“Oh, now you are going to have secrets and be mysterious, and get into a mess, are you?” and Frank looked down at her with a suspicious air, though he was intensely curious to know what she was about.
“Go away till I'm done. You will have to see the outside, but you can't know the inside till the answer comes;” and propping herself up, Jill wrote the following note, with some hesitation at the beginning and end, for she did not know the gentleman she was addressing, except by sight, and it was rather awkward:—
“Robert Walker.
“Dear Sir, I want to ask if Jack Minot came to see you last Friday afternoon. He got into trouble being seen with Jerry Shannon. He paid him some money. Jack won't tell, and Mr. Acton talked to him about it before all the school. We feel bad, because we think Jack did not do wrong. I don't know as you have anything to do with it, but I thought I'd ask. Please answer quick. Respectfully yours,
“Jane Pecq”
To make sure that her despatch was not tampered with, Jill put a great splash of red sealing-wax on it, which gave it a very official look, and much impressed Bob when he received it.
“There! Go and post it, and don't let any one see or know about it,” she said, handing it over to Frank, who left his work with unusual alacrity to do her errand. When his eye fell on the address, he laughed, and said in a teasing way,—
“Are you and Bob such good friends that you correspond? What will Jack say?”
“Don't know, and don't care! Be good, now, and let's have a little secret as well as other folks. I'll tell you all about it when he answers,” said Jill in her most coaxing tone.
“Suppose he doesn't?”
“Then I shall send you up to see him. I must know something, and I want to do it myself, if I can.”
“Look here; what are you after? I do believe you think——” Frank got no farther, for Jill gave a little scream, and stopped him by crying eagerly, “Don't say it out loud! I really do believe it may be, and I'm going to find out.”
“What made you think of him?” and Frank looked thoughtfully at the letter, as if turning carefully over in his mind the idea that Jill's quick wits had jumped at.
“Come here and I'll tell you.”
Holding him by one button, she whispered something in his ear that made him exclaim, with a look at the rug,—
“No! did he? I declare I shouldn't wonder! It would be just like the dear old blunder-head.”
“I never thought of it till you told me where Bob was, and then it all sort of burst upon me in one minute!” cried Jill, waving her arms about to express the intellectual explosion which had thrown light upon the mystery,
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