“Suspended!” exclaimed the lawyer, starting up. “This is a pretty piece of business. Tell me what you have been doing. You needn’t try to smooth it over. Tell me the whole story, for I shall certainly see Prof. Keene about it to-day.”
Considerably taken aback, but still trying to preserve his careless manner, Crawford told what he had done.
“Well, sir, all I have to say is, that you richly deserve what you have got; and now let me tell you that you may as well make up your mind first as last, to go back at the end of the two weeks, and make the apology and give the promise that Prof. Keene requires—for that is what you’ve got to do.”
“Never! I’ll never do it,” cried Crawford, angrily.
“You will do it, or I’ll put you where you’ll have to behave yourself whether you like it or not,” was the stern reply.
“What do you mean?” questioned the boy.
“I mean, George, that I am beginning to realize that you’ve had altogether too much liberty. It is evident that you cannot be trusted to manage yourself and do as you choose. You do not choose the things or associates that I approve. I hear of you around with that wild young Henderson continually, and in places where you have no business to be; and now you have disgraced yourself and gained a name at school that you ought to be ashamed of. I’ll give you just one more chance. If you attend to your studies for the next two weeks and keep up with your class, and at the end of that time make a suitable apology to your teachers, and hereafter behave yourself and try to redeem your character in the school—very well.”
“And if I refuse to do all this?” questioned Crawford, his face flushed with anger.
“If you refuse,” said the lawyer, slowly, “I will put you in a reform school, if I can’t find any other place where you will be forced to behave yourself.”
Crawford fairly choked with rage.