Course, these young gents was guests of mine, and I hadn’t interfered before with their partic’lar way of enjoyin’ themselves; so I couldn’t begin now. But after they was through, and a draggled, chokin’, splutterin’ youth had gone beatin’ it up the path and over towards the next place, I strolls down to meet ’em as they are comin’ up to the house.
“Hope you didn’t see what happened down there just now, Professor,” says Bobbie.
“Me?” says I. “Well, if I did I can forget it quick.”
“Thanks, old man!” says both of ’em, pattin’ me friendly on the shoulder.
“The little beast!” adds Charles. “He had the nerve to say you had put him up to it. That’s what finally earned him his ducking, you know.”
“Well, well!” says I. “Such a nice spoken youngster too!”
“Huh!” says Bobbie. “I suppose there’ll be no end of a row about this when he gets home with his tale; but we’ll stand for it. Meanwhile let’s go up and get the girls to give us some music.”
Say, I don’t believe Harold ever mentioned it to a soul. It’s a funny thing too, but he hasn’t been over here since. And someway, gettin’ better acquainted with the boys in that fashion, made it pleasanter all round.
But no more entertainin’ lovers for us! Harolds ain’t common enough.