“Yes, sir.”
“And yours, Morr?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What have you to say, Beggs?”
“The same. The lessons lately have been altogether too hard—we simply can’t get through them. We never had such long lessons before.”
“I have given them only the regular lessons,” put in Job Haskers. 154
“Ahem! Let us go over them and see what can be done,” responded the doctor. “If the students are willing to work we do not want to overburden them, Mr. Haskers.”
A discussion lasting over a quarter of an hour followed, and in the end the lessons were cut down, much to the satisfaction of the whole class, who felt like cheering the head of the school. The only person who was not satisfied was Job Haskers. He was invited to go out with the doctor to his private office, and came back some time later, looking anything but happy.
“I’ll wager he got a calling down!” whispered Phil to Dave. “I hope he did.”
He was right about the “calling down,” as he expressed it. The master of Oak Hall had spoken very plainly to the instructor, and given Job Haskers to understand that he must get along better with the boys in the future, and treat them with more consideration, or he would be asked to resign from the staff of the school.