"You didn't explain, after all, how the rug put out the lamp last
night."
"Put out the light, you mean. Why, don't you see? The rug prevented
the air from reaching the fire, and, as there was no more oxygen to
combine with the hydrogen and carbon, there could be no fire."
*CHAPTER III.*
*THE SKY-ROOM.*
Johnny felt so badly about the coming of Felix, and begged so hard to be
allowed some place of refuge during the stay of this wild guest, that
his father said he might have the large back-room in the French roof, if
his mother was willing. Mrs. Le Bras said she had no objection, if
Johnny did not mind having all the things about that were stored in that
room, since there was no other place to put them in. Johnny said all he
wanted was somewhere to go when Felix got too rude, where he could be
sure Felix would not follow him: he said, too, that he should like to
keep the chemicals be was using in the same place; because, if they were
not out of the way, Felix would be meddling with them.
"I will have a lock put on the door of the room, and give you the key,"
said his father; "and then if you let in any one you don't want, it will
be your own fault. You can carry the things from your laboratory into
this private domicile, and whatever else you wish."
"I will carry most of my books, then," said Johnny; "for I haven't a
single book that Felix will want to read."
"But you must not put your mother or me to any trouble about fixing up
the room," added his father; "you must be contented with the bare floor;
and if you want the things which are stored there put up out of the way,
you must re-arrange them yourself, and be sure they are as neatly and
safely placed as they were before."
"I am perfectly willing to agree to that," returned Johnny, looking
brighter than he had before since the announcement that Felix was to
spend the summer with them. "Can I begin to get the room ready to-day?"
"Yes," replied his mother. "I have no objection, since I am not to do
any thing about it, and can trust you not to put any thing out of order
in moving the articles about."
Johnny went up into "the attic," as it was called, immediately, followed
by Sue. There was only one finished room in the French roof: this was
in front, and was occupied by Kate. The remaining space was not
plastered, and had great beams overhead: it was called "the storeroom,"
and was separated from Kate's room by a narrow hall formed by the
placing of a light board partition about four feet distant from the
finished room in front. A thin plank door, without lock and key, was in
the end of the partition, near the head of the stairs. There were four
large windows in the room,--one at each side, and two in front.
"It's a real pleasant room, isn't it?" said Johnny, looking about with
interest for the first time; for he had never entered the room before
except for the purpose of storing something there, or getting something
which had been put away in some of the trunks or boxes. These trunks
and boxes, some old furniture, and a large cedar chest in which his
mother kept furs and other expensive articles liable to be disturbed by
moths, were scattered about rather promiscuously, without regard to any
particular order.
"I'll tell you what I've a mind to do," said Johnny. "I think I will
put all the things that are stored here at the back part of the room,
and then I'll take the old clothes-line, and draw it across in front of
them, and hang some of mother's old drapery curtains on it: I don't
believe but that she has enough to go clear across the room; only I
shall leave an opening in front of the door to get through."
"Mamma's got a set of old cretonne, real pretty, too, with bright red
flowers on them; and I know she'll let you have them," said Sue.
"And she's got another set, of cheese-cloth, that she won't use again,"
said Johnny. "There's four more: I'll alternate them,--that will be
prettiest. I guess they'll go clear across, and be a little full too.
And then see what a monstrous room we shall have left all to ourselves!"
"But you won't let me come in, will you? I thought you wanted it all to
yourself."
"Oh! I shall let you come in sometimes, when you don't want to romp;
and perhaps I will let Felix in once in a great while, when I am sure he
won't stay long: but, as I shall have a lock and key, I can keep folks
out when I am reading or busy.
"How far off you can see at these front windows!" said Sue. "I can see
way up the river, and all those blue hills, and over hundreds and
hundreds of houses, and lots of sky!"
Johnny came and stood by her side, and looked out at the landscape.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" said he. "Why, I do believe it's the very
handsomest view I ever saw! It is queer I never noticed before how fine
it was. I wonder if father and mother know we've got such an
observatory!"
"Wouldn't it be a pretty picture?" said Sue. "I wish it was a picture
instead of real; for then I could carry it down in my room, and hang it
up."
"Oh, no! it wouldn't be half as nice as it is now it is real. Just
think how many changes we can see on all that great sweep of sky, how
many clouds altering their shapes and colors every minute, and what
glorious sunsets! We must come up here after supper to-night, and see
the sunset. Let's surprise father and mother, Sue. If we can get the
curtains, I'll have them up by that time, if you'll help me."
"Won't that be nice!" exclaimed Sue, dancing about. "And just see,
Johnny! here's furniture enough to furnish your room right off: there's
that red plush chair that isn't faded very badly; and that great,
comfortable old wicker rocker that we used to like so much, because it
would hold both of us easy,--and all that ails it is that it looks kind
of old; and there's mamma's old toilet-table and a big ottoman;--and, O
Johnny! there's our lounge in the corner that I've missed so much,
because the new sofa isn't half so big."
"Yes, that's an idea!" replied Johnny. "There is quite a lot of
furniture here; and that sofa looks like an old friend, if there is a
hole in the cover that you kicked through. I guess mamma can find me a
piece of cretonne that I can spread all over the bottom to hide the
holes. And then, don't you remember, Sue, what a lot of old pictures
there are in that big trunk, which were put up here when father bought
so many new pictures at that sale? and some of those old ones are real
pretty too, especially the engravings."
"And don't you remember the chromo with the winter in it, Johnny?"
"Oh, yes! that winter scene was pretty good: it represented the poet
Whittier when he was a little boy, going to a country school."
"Oh, yes! I remember now," replied Sue; "and Mr. Whittier was in the
picture, when he was a little boy, and his little girl that loved him
was there with a blue apron on. Let's get 'em right out, and look 'em
over, and see which you will hang up."
"No," replied Johnny: "we'll go down and tell mamma our plans first, and
ask her if we may have the curtains, and hang up the pictures."
Mrs. Le Bras was very much pleased when Johnny came down looking so
animated and happy: she had begun to feel as if his pleasure was to be
spoiled for the summer by the advent upon the scene of such a
thoughtless and rude boy as Felix. She assented very willingly to all
his plans, and said he could take any of the discarded things in the
attic to furnish his room, and might select and arrange them without her
superintendence; only stipulating that Sue was not to be allowed to
touch any thing without his orders or permission. She said all the old
curtains were in the lower drawer of the bureau in the attic, and Johnny
could select which he pleased. As for a covering for the lounge, she
would give him a piece of very pretty new cretonne which had been left
over of some she got for curtains to Kate's room.
As it was Saturday morning, there was plenty of time for Johnny to get
his room in order before the time for the sunset exhibition. Having
charged Sue, again and again, not to ask his mother to come up until all
was in readiness, and to give him warning if there was any danger of her
making her appearance, he went to work with a will, allowing Sue to help
him all she could, for the sake of her company, and because he saw that
this kind of business pleased her greatly. By four in the afternoon,
the room was finished; and a very attractive place it was. Johnny had
opened all the windows, and thrown back the blinds, so that the great
space was flooded with light, and as pleasant as out of doors. The
breeze was so strong, however, since there was nothing to intercept it
at that height, that Johnny was obliged to close all but the front
windows.
"I know it will be cool here on the warmest day in summer," said Johnny,
"because it is ever so much cooler here to-day than it is in any other
part of the house. That isn't generally the way with attics: but then,
this is different from an attic; it is larger, and has more windows, and
the roof is different."
"If there is a very, very warm day, you can go out at the scuttle,"
remarked Sue.
"Oh! I'll tell you what the scuttle will be good for," replied Johnny:
"we can go up there evenings, and see the stars splendidly. I shall call
that my observatory. We will try it this evening."
The scuttle was in the little hall between the storeroom and Kate's
room, and was reached by a kind of stair-ladder: there were several
large panes of glass in it, which afforded sufficient light for the
little hall-way.
"Now we will go down and get all the books I shall need," said Johnny.
Johnny's books were in one corner of Mr. Le Bras' large bookcase, which
nearly filled one side of the sitting-room. When they reached the
sitting-room, they found their father had returned from his office.
"I'm going to carry some of my books into my sky-room," said Johnny,
"but I don't know what to keep them in: my table isn't large enough to
hold any thing but my inkstand, pens, and pencils, and some paper for
writing and drawing."
"Are there not some empty packing-boxes in the storeroom which we used
when we moved here?" remarked his father.
"Yes."
"Take several of those which are of about the same size, and place them
one above the other. If they are not quite firm enough, drive in a few
nails. That will give you shelves for books and other things. Put some
white paper on the bottom of the shelves, and a little light fancy paint
in front, and on the top and sides, if you like."
"I wonder I did not think of that," replied Johnny; "for I have seen a
very pretty bookcase which Dick Scott made out of boxes."
Johnny then began to take down some books from the shelves. First he
took down four volumes of Jacob Abbott's "Science for the Young."
"I thought you had got through with those books long ago," remarked his
father.
"No. I forget something in them sometimes, and then I want to look it
up again; besides, I like to read parts of them over once in a while;
and when I don't want to study, they are more interesting than my
chemistries and philosophies, because there is a little story mixed in.
I wish I could get some more just such books telling of things I haven't
learned about."
"It is a pity there is no Mr. Abbott here now to write more books," said
his father. "I'll tell you what you must do, Johnny: when you get old
enough, you must write some similar books for young folks yourself, to
cover the subjects Mr. Abbott left."
"But I sha'n't be a boy to be interested in such books then."
"Never mind," said his mother: "there will be ever so many more Johnnys
to be interested, and it is pleasanter to give than to receive, you
remember."
Johnny looked rather doubtful about that, but he said nothing. He took
down his books upon chemistry, and philosophy, which were such as are
used in high schools and academies, and a number of books upon other
solid subjects, also a few story-books and a dictionary.
"What do you want of a dictionary in vacation?" asked his mother.
"When I am reading, I often come across a word which I do not
understand: and then, I shall write considerably this vacation, and the
dictionary will help my spelling; I intend to write a good many
compositions, some of which I shall use in school next year, which will
save my time."
"But I don't think you ought to do schoolwork in vacation: you ought
simply to enjoy yourself, or do manual labor, which will not tax your
mind," said Mrs. Le Bras.
"But writing compositions don't tax my mind, unless I am in a hurry
about something else: I shall just write the compositions in vacation
for the fun of it, and then, in school-time, I can let them take the
place of real work."
"That is a good idea," said Mr. Le Bras. "A little providence like that
saves a good deal of the friction of working-time."
"Yes," said Johnny, "and friction is apt to produce fire."
His mother laughed.
"You mean by that," she said, "it is likely to make folks lose their
patience and temper."
"Come, Sue, I guess I've got enough now," said Johnny: "if I haven't, I
shall think of the others by degrees."
Sue held out her apron: Johnny put as many books in it as he thought she
could carry easily, and piled up the remainder, and took them in his
arms, with some assistance from his father in getting them well
balanced.
"I think I will go up with you to see how your 'sky-room' looks,"
remarked Mr. Le Bras.
"Oh, no! don't!" said Johnny. "We're not ready to have you and mother
come up yet. I'll tell you when we are ready."
"You mustn't come up till after supper," added Sue,--"not till sundown."
"You look out, Sue," said Johnny warningly, "or you'll let it all out
before you know it!"
Sue looked back and laughed, as she walked off with her bulged-out
apron.
The boxes were speedily arranged, the bottom of the shelves covered with
white paper, and the books deposited upon them.
"When I get time, I will fasten and stain the boxes; but this will do at
present," said Johnny, standing back to observe the effect.--"That looks
quite like a bookcase, don't it?"
"It's just splendid," replied Sue. "And what shall we do now?"
"We will arrange the lounge and table and chairs, here near the front
windows, in a space about as large as our sitting-room: we can have that
for the in-doors, and then we can make believe that all outside of that
square is out of doors, and have it to exercise in. I think I will call
that the promenade."
"Then, let's get some chalk, and mark off the room, so that we can tell
exactly where the room ends, and the promenade begins."
"Very well," replied Johnny, laughing: "that wouldn't be a bad plan. If
you will run down and get one of my crayons, I will mark it off now.
You can get the yardstick too. While you are gone, I will be moving the
furniture into the front part of the room."
The bookcase stood between the two front windows. Johnny moved the
table up near the bookcase, and placed the sofa a little to the left of
the left-hand window, with one end toward the front wall of the room.
He then arranged the chairs and ottoman.
When Sue came back, she said a lounge ought to be against the wall,
instead of extending out into the room.
"It is against the wall," replied Johnny: "it is against the crayon-wall
we are to make for this side of our room."
"Why, that's so!" replied Sue, half laughingly and half wonderingly. "I
forgot that three of the walls of the room were to be crayon-marks."
The room was soon chalked off very distinctly.
"That seems a good deal more like a room and a promenade than it did,
don't it?" said Johnny.
"Yes," replied Sue: "I think I like walls that you can see right
through, very well. I wish some of the walls down-stairs were like
that, so we could see out into the back-yard."
"Let us go down in the yard now, and stay till supper-time," said
Johnny: "we have been working hard all the afternoon, and I think I will
romp with you now a while, if you want to; since you have been so
good-natured about helping me, and keeping me company, in getting the
room ready."
"Come, then! let's go right off!" exclaimed Sue, with delight.--"I'll be
down in the yard before you!" and she ran off as fast as she could go,
while Johnny followed more leisurely, meditating upon the pleasant
respites he could take from Felix's society in his beautiful and
commodious sky-room.
There chanced to be an unusually beautiful sunset that evening; and,
when it was in its glory, Johnny invited his father and mother to come
up and see the new apartment.
"There's going to be a free show for you," said Sue.
"Yes," said Johnny; "and it didn't cost any thing to get it up, either."
"No," added Sue: "it got itself up, and it'll do it almost every day
this summer, without even being asked."
"O Sue!" whispered Johnny in her ear, "you'll let it out before we get
up there, if you're not more careful."
When they entered the transformed attic, a beautiful scene was
presented. The four large dormer windows were all open, and a flood of
soft sunset-light filled the apartment. But best of all was the
beautiful sky on all sides; for the room faced the west, and the sky all
around was full of variously colored clouds, of various shades and
degrees of brightness, from brilliant red and gold to delicate shades of
pearl, yellow, and violet, with the blue sky for a background.
"Well! this is glorious!" exclaimed Mr. Le Bras. "I did not know we had
such a room in the house! Why! it is like discovering a gold-mine!"
"Don't you remember," replied Mrs. Le Bras, "that I said, when we first
came here, and were putting away some things in the attic, that there
was a beautiful view up here, and it was a great pity it could not be
down-stairs?"
"I don't remember it," replied Mr. Le Bras. "I think, whenever I have
been here, the blinds have been closed; and as I have always been to get
something, or put something away, I never have thought of looking out of
the windows."
"I have opened one of the blinds sometimes," replied Mrs. Le Bras,
sitting down in the rocking-chair by one of the front windows, "and
noticed how far the prospect extended; but I have never been here before
at sunset-time. How very, very beautiful!"
"Why, yes! this is perfect fairyland!" said Mr. Le Bras, sitting down by
the other front window, in the arm-chair, and looking out at the
brilliant scene produced by the green landscape, with its blue river and
purple hills and flaming sky.
Mr. and Mrs. Le Bras, upon looking around the interior, praised Johnny
and his assistant very much for the neat and tasteful arrangement of the
curtains, furniture, etc., and were greatly amused at the chalk-line
dividing the room from the promenade. They remained until the stars
began to come out, declaring it was too pleasant a place to leave, as
long as any of the scenery was visible.
"You see, this house is on a hill, and above the houses about here,
which are only two stories," said Mr. Le Bras, "and also above the trees
in the park. You are a lucky boy, Johnny, to own a room like this for
the summer, which you can have all to yourself: so I think we will say
it is a pretty good offset for all the annoyance you are likely to
experience from Felix."
"And I suppose you will let me in here once in a while, if I get too
tired of Felix's nonsense?" remarked Mrs. Le Bras.
"Oh, yes! I will let any one in except Felix himself; and I will let
him in for a little while, sometimes, if he will promise not to touch
any of my things, or race about."
"You had better not give him much encouragement to come here," said Mr.
Le Bras, "or he may tease you too often to let him in. I would not have
him know any thing about the room, until he finds it out in some way
himself."
"Yes, that will be the best plan," added Mrs. Le Bras: "it will save
considerable questioning and wonderment, to say the least."
*CHAPTER IV.*
*THE UNWELCOME GUEST.*
Felix was the son of Mr. Le Bras' brother, who was a wholesale merchant
in New York, and very rich. It was doubtful if Felix had ever been
denied any thing which he wished; that is, if it could be bought. Among
the rest of his possessions were a pony, a bicycle, and a boat; for Mr.
Louis Le Bras had a summer residence on the shore.
Felix arrived with his father Wednesday afternoon. They drove up in a
carriage, with quite a large trunk behind, which contained Felix's
summer outfit. A bicycle also was strapped on over the trunk; and, when
the visitors alighted, a large Newfoundland dog bounded out of the
carriage. Felix was a handsome boy, with large brown eyes, and dark,
curling hair. The dog was very black and glossy.
"So we have a third visitor?" said Mr. Frank Le Bras, after he and Mrs.
Le Bras and the children had shaken hands with his brother and Felix.
"Oh, yes!" replied Mr. Louis Le Bras: "Felix will not go anywhere
without Clyde."
"How long have you had Clyde?" inquired Johnny of Felix.
"About two weeks. Isn't he a fine old fellow? He cost thirty dollars."
"Do you like riding a bicycle pretty well?" asked Johnny, as the hackman
took that article down.
"Well, I guess so! I don't walk hardly at all now, when I get where
there are dirt-roads. You won't see much of me till I've explored all
the country round here."
"Didn't you want to go to Europe?" inquired Sue.
"No, not with mother, 'cause she's so awful nervous, and scares at every
thing; and then, father gave me a new gold watch for staying at
home,--though I don't care much about it, now I've got it."
Felix took out the watch carelessly, and showed it to Johnny and Sue.
"That's ever so nice," said Sue. "Aren't you a lucky boy, Felix?"
"I don't know," replied Felix: "all I know is, I mean to have a good
time wherever I am. Father, I guess I'll try this road on my bicycle
before I go in."
"No," replied his father: "come in and visit a while first."
"No," returned Felix, vaulting upon the bicycle: "I'm just going round
the park square. That's just a mile, isn't it, Johnny?"
"Yes," replied Johnny: "it's a quarter of a mile on each side."
"But supper is nearly ready," objected Mrs. Le Bras.
"Never mind: you needn't wait for me; I'll have my supper when I come
back," returned Felix, shooting off up the road, followed by Clyde.
Felix's father was talking quite busily with his brother, without paying
any further attention to Felix. But just as the young man was vanishing
around the corner, he turned, and observed him.
"Why! I thought I told that boy he couldn't go," he said.
"Yes, you did," replied Mrs. Le Bras.
"There's no keeping track of him," said his father, with an air of
resignation. "Well, I suppose boys must be boys! I shouldn't wonder if
we used to bother our folks a good deal when we were boys, Frank."
"If we did, we got bothered in turn by our father and mother, if I
recollect rightly," replied Mr. Le Bras. "I did not venture to disobey
my father very often, and I had reason to remember it when I did. I had
an idea your experience was about the same."
"Parents were more strict in those days; I don't know but I think they
were too strict; I am certain I used to think so when I was a boy."
"I doubt if it would have been any better for us if our parents had been
more indulgent," returned Mr. Le Bras, "and I am certain that it would
have been very much worse for them. Having unruly children about is
rather a doubtful blessing. By the way, Louis, you remember my
stipulation, that, if Felix stays here, I shall insist upon strict
obedience? I cannot possibly promise care and safe-keeping without that
proviso. I suppose you have given him to understand what I expect?"
"Oh, yes! he understands, and that is all right. I hope you can teach
him to mind. It will be a great favor to us if you will: his mother is
in too poor health, and too fond of him, to cross him much; and I am not
at home a great deal. To tell the truth, I would give any one a
thousand dollars to teach that boy to behave himself: in fact, I would
give more."
Mr. Frank Le Bras laughed at this remark, as if it were a very good
joke. "I don't know of any way of teaching a boy to do well right
along, Louis, without the proper kind of government continues right
along until the boy is grown up,--unless, indeed, the boy were so
remarkable that he might be taught to govern himself by his own reason
and conscience; and such boys are very rare: in fact, I don't know as I
ever saw such a boy. But I shall do the best I can by Felix, not only
for his sake and yours, but for my own comfort and that of my household.
We shall not attempt to govern him while you are here, however."
"I shall be off on the eight o'clock train; so your authority will begin
very soon. I can't tell you all how thankful I am that you have agreed
to take charge of the young rogue. Of course we love him dearly, but
even his mother is beginning to see that he is getting to be too much
for us: I fancy her nervous disease is greatly aggravated by her worry
over Felix."
They were sitting in the house by this time, and now Kate rang the
supper-bell. Felix did not appear during supper-time, nor until past
seven o'clock: then he came in with a very red face, accompanied by
Clyde, who was panting, with his tongue out of his mouth.
"Where have you been?" inquired his father.
"Oh! I met a boy over by the park, and we went racing. We went up to
the trotting-park, and tried the course. I guess I've got up an
appetite for supper."
"You will find something on the table," said his aunt; "but, of course,
you won't expect to have any thing hot, an hour after supper-time."
"I do at home," replied Felix, looking slightly disconcerted.
"But you must remember you are not at home," replied his father: "there
is but one servant here, and you make an extra person in the family, at
the best."
Felix sat down at the table, appearing rather out of sorts. Kate did
not look very pleasant either, as she waited upon him: ordinarily, she
would have had the table cleared and all the dishes washed before that
time.
"Are we to have this kind of doings all the time?" she asked of Mrs. Le
Bras, as the latter came into the kitchen of an errand.
"No, indeed!" replied Mrs. Le Bras: "this is the very last time, Katie;
after this, if Felix is not here at meal-time, the table will be
cleared, and nothing will be brought out for him but bread and butter.
We shall give him to understand how it will be, and then it will be his
own fault if he gets served that way."
When Mr. Louis Le Bras took his leave, he gave much good advice to
Felix, and charged him to make as little trouble as possible.
"I sha'n't be any trouble," replied Felix: "I sha'n't be in the house
but precious little, anyway. Clyde and I won't see much of the inside
of the house till we've scoured all the region round, to begin with."
"But if you are scouring the country, how can your aunt and uncle take
care of you?" replied his father. "You may get into all sorts of
scrapes and dangers."
"I guess I'm old enough to take care of myself! I ain't a baby," replied
Felix indignantly.
As the hack had just driven up to the door, and there was no time to
spare, Mr. Le Bras shook hands all around, kissed Mrs. Le Bras and the
children, said he wished he was a German so that he could kiss his
brother too, as the gentlemen kissed each other in Germany, added at the
last, "Now, you make that boy mind, at all costs," sprang into the
carriage, told the driver to hurry, and rode off, while Felix shouted
after him,--
"Don't you forget, father, that I can take care of myself!"
Johnny and Sue then took Felix up to see his room, for he had not
visited them since they had moved into their new house. It was a very
pretty room, fourteen feet square, in the L over the kitchen, and had a
charming view of the yard and the park beyond. It was Sue's room, but
she was to sleep on a cot-bed in her mother's room while Felix staid;
and she rather liked the change, because her mother's room looked out on
the street, where she could see the passers-by.
Johnny's room was over the dining-room, and so next to Felix's, but only
opened into the hall. The spare chamber was over the sitting-room.
"This will pass," said Felix, when Johnny and Sue called his attention
to the various good points about the room. "It is about half as large
as my room at home; but I don't care for that, nor that there isn't any
bath-room or dressing-room out of it, 'cause I sha'n't be in my room but
precious little, and I mean to go down to the river and bathe every
day,--swim, I mean. I can swim like a fish,--since we've had our
cottage down by the shore: I learned last season. By the way, father
says we can all go down to the cottage if we want to: it's furnished,
you know, and empty."
"Oh, I wish we could!" said Sue. "I'll go and ask mamma if we are
going."
Sue ran off, while Felix opened his trunk and showed Johnny his new
summer clothes, which were very fine; also his jointed fishing-rod and
various other boyish possessions, which were recent acquisitions of
which he had not yet tired, since they were all fresh from the stores,
most of them being presents his mother had given him to reconcile him
for being deprived of a voyage to Europe.
Presently Sue came back, saying it was not decided about the offer of
the cottage being accepted: it depended upon whether her father could
get away for a long vacation, for her mother said she should not go
unless he was able to go too.
"But I shouldn't wonder if we did go," added Sue hopefully; "for mamma
looked as though she rather thought father would be able to get away,
and she said he could tell better in a few weeks."
"Now, what am I to do all this evening?" said Felix. "What's going on
in this place, Johnny?"
"Not very much, that I know of," replied Johnny; "and as I make up all
my amusements, or almost all of them, I shouldn't know as well what is
going on as Harrison Brown would."
"Who is Harrison Brown?" inquired Felix with interest.
"He's a boy who lives on State Street, opposite the north side of the
park," replied Johnny.
"Has he got a bicycle? and does he wear a blue suit with a little plaid
in it?" inquired Felix.
"Yes," said Sue: "that's his new suit, and I think it's real pretty."
"Why, he's the boy that I raced with," continued Felix: "I guess I'll go
right over and see him, and ask him what is going on. Can't you come
along, Johnny?"
"I'll ask mother," replied Johnny doubtfully.
"Can't I go too?" asked Sue.
"You?" replied Felix. "What does a girl want to go round with boys for?
and what do boys want girls going around with them for?"
"But I go 'most everywhere with Johnny," replied Sue, looking rather
hurt.
"But Johnny is different from other boys," said Felix.
As Johnny had gone to ask his mother about going with Felix, he did not
hear this remark. "But Belle Miner goes with her brother Alec, and Terry
Scott goes with her brother Dick, and we all go together; and ever so
many boys and girls I know of, that are not brothers and sisters, play
together, and have real good times. I like to play with boys very much,
when they are not too rough and hateful; and I can run as fast, and play
as well, as any of them, at most things."
Felix laughed loud and long.
"But you can't go fishing," said he, "nor ride a bicycle."
"I could ride a tricycle," said Sue, "if I had one; and if I had one to
ride, I could go fishing."
Johnny came back, saying his mother would like to see Felix in the
sitting-room. So they all went down to hear what she had to say.
"We are not in the habit of allowing our children to go out in the
evening, unless by especial invitation, or with us, or by our advice or
consent: and of course, Felix, since we are to do by you just as we do
by our own children, we cannot allow you any more liberty than they
have; it would not be right."
"But I don't see what harm there could be in my just going a little way,
to ask a boy a question."
"We shall not expect you to see the reasons for all our rules, any more
than we expect Johnny and Sue to see them, and we cannot take time and
pains to explain them to you; for very likely you would not understand
them any better then, since many of them can only be understood by grown
persons," replied Mrs. Le Bras mildly, continuing her sewing, and not
seeming to pay very much attention to Felix, who was looking decidedly
cross.
"I wish I hadn't agreed to come here," he said: "I don't think much of
such strict rules. My father and mother are not so notional."
Mrs. Le Bras made no reply: she seemed to be very much absorbed in her
sewing. Felix got into a rocking-chair on his knees, and began rocking
it violently back and forth. Johnny wished he could get up to his
sky-room. Sue spread a newspaper on the floor, and, sitting down before
it, began to cut a fine lady out of a colored fashion-plate, for a doll.
Johnny took one of his books down, and turned over the pages
mechanically; it was not the book he wanted, as that was in the
sky-room; and he was afraid, too, that it would not be polite to read
while Felix was unoccupied. But if Felix had not been there, he would
have sat down with a book, and been happy, or amused himself in some
other way.
"This is awful stupid!" said Felix.
"Here's an interesting story: don't you want to read it?" suggested
Johnny. "It's about a family of children who lived up in Iceland."
"No! I hate books!" replied Felix: "they're awful stupid things. I
never read if I can help it. I have more than all the reading I want at
school; and I don't go to school when I don't want to, either."
Mrs. Le Bras smiled to herself.
"How often do you go to school, Felix?" she inquired.
"Two or three times a week. I go when I can't think of any thing else
to do."
"Then, as you can't think of any thing else to do this evening, why not
read a little while? that will help to pass away the time."
"No! I don't want to read! what do I care about folks in Iceland? It's
summer now, and I want to know what folks are doing in summer."
"I've got a book that tells how some boys had a garden in summer, and
sold vegetables enough to buy all the sleds and skates and caps and
mittens they needed for the next winter," said Johnny.
"Oh, ho! I can have all such things without having a garden."
"But they couldn't, and it's real interesting to read how they managed
their little farm."
"Farm? I thought you said it was a garden."
"It was such a large garden that they called it their farm: it was an
acre of ground."
"How much is an acre?"
"You know how many acres there are in the park?"
"How should I know?"
"You know it is a quarter of a mile on each side, don't you?"
"What of that?"
"That makes a quarter of a mile square, don't it?"
"I don't know."
"And it makes a quarter of a square mile."
"Well, what of that?"
"You know how many acres there are in a square mile, don't you?"
"Of course I don't! Why should I?"
"Haven't you learned square measure at school?"
"Oh! I went past that long ago. I'm over in percentage."
"Then, you know that six hundred and forty acres make a square mile."
"No, I don't remember any thing about it. I don't expect to remember a
thing after I've been past it a little while, and I never do: so I don't
see what's the use of learning books at all."
"And if there are six hundred and forty acres in one square mile,"
continued Johnny, "in a quarter of a square mile there would be
one-fourth of that, which is one hundred and sixty acres."
"Why, if there are that many acres in the park, one acre wouldn't be any
thing," replied Felix. "It isn't a large park at all."