Elder brothers are apt to be a little hard on younger ones,so it is not surprising that Frank,who was an eminently proper boy,was much cut up when Jack publicly confessed to dealings with Jerry,leaving it to be supposed that the worst half of the story remained untold.He felt it his duty,therefore,to collar poor Jack when he came out,and talk to him all the way home,like a judge bent on getting at the truth by main force.A kind word would have been very comforting,but the scolding was too much for Jack's temper,so he turned dogged and would not say a word,though Frank threatened not to speak to him for a week.
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 everyone 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 99or moo,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.