Dave Porter and the Runaways: or, Last Days at Oak Hall. Stratemeyer Edward
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to see you now,” put in Ben.
“We have got to see you,” added Phil, warmly.
There was no immediate reply to this. The boys heard Job Haskers moving around the room and heard him shut a bureau. Then the door was flung open.
“You insist upon seeing me, eh?” demanded the professor, harshly.
“We do, Mr. Haskers,” returned Phil, boldly.
“Very well, young gentlemen; step in.” And Job Haskers glared at the boys as he stood aside for them to enter.
“We came to see you, sir, about those Latin lessons,” went on Phil, finding it just then difficult to speak. He realized that Job Haskers was in no humor for being lenient.
“Well?” shot out the professor.
“We feel that we are not being treated fairly,” put in Ben, believing he should not make Phil do all the talking.
“Not treated fairly? I believe I am the best judge of that, Basswood.”
“Mr. Haskers, I hate to say it, but you are a hard-hearted man!” cried out Phil, the door being closed, so that no outsider might hear. “You are not giving us a fair chance. The other teachers have given me and Dave Porter and Roger Morr several weeks in which to make up those lessons we missed while we were away. You wish to give us only a week.”
“And you didn’t give me a fair chance to make up,” added Ben.
“See here, who is master here, you or I?” demanded Job Haskers, drawing himself up. “Boys, you are impudent! I will not stand it!”
“Yes, you will stand it,” cried Phil, throwing caution to the winds. “All we ask is a fair deal, and you have got to give it to us. We’ll make up those lessons, if you’ll give us a fair amount of time. I don’t intend to be put in a lower class for nothing.”
“And I’m not going to stand it either,” came from Ben.
“Ha! this to me?” snarled Job Haskers. “Take care, or I’ll have you dismissed from the Hall!”
“If you try it, it will be the worst day’s work you ever did, Mr. Haskers,” warned the shipowner’s son.
“What, you threaten me?”
“We are going to make you give us a fair chance, that is all. And if you’ll do that, we’ll give you a fair chance.”
“Why, why – you – you–” The irate instructor knew not for the moment how to proceed.
“Mr. Haskers, I think you had better listen to me,” pursued Phil.
“I have listened to all I care to hear.”
“Oh, no, you haven’t. There is much more – and you had better listen closely – if you care at all for your reputation here at Oak Hall.”
The professor stared at the boy and grew a trifle pale.
“Wha – what do you – er – mean by that, Lawrence?”
“I hate very much to bring this subject up, Mr. Haskers, but you practically compel me to do it. If you will only promise to give us a fair chance to make up our lessons, I won’t say a word about it.”
“Just what do you mean?” faltered the teacher.
“I know something about your doings in the past – doings which are of no credit to you. If you disgrace Ben and me by degrading us in classes, we’ll disgrace you by telling all we know.”
“And what do you know?” demanded Job Haskers, hastily.
“We know a good deal,” put in Ben.
“All about your dealing with the poor widow, Mrs. Breen,” added the shipowner’s son. “How you still owe her for board, and how you borrowed money to publish a book that was never issued.”
“Who told you that?” cried Job Haskers, stepping back in consternation. “Who told you that I had borrowed money from her, and that I owed her for board?”
“Never mind who told us,” said Ben. “We know it is true.”
“And you went to that lawyer, eh?” stormed Professor Haskers. “You got him to threaten a suit, didn’t you? I got his letter only this afternoon.”
“We went to no lawyer,” answered Phil.
“I know better! I see it all now! You want to get me into trouble – to disgrace me here!” Job Haskers began to pace the floor. “It is – er – a mistake. I meant to pay that lady but it – er – slipped my mind. And the book has been issued, but the publishers have not – er – seen fit to push it, that is why you and the world at large have not heard of it.”
“Mr. Haskers, we haven’t told anybody about this,” went on Phil, pointedly. “You can settle with that lawyer, whoever he may be, – and we’ll not say a word to anybody – that is, providing you’ll give us a fair chance in our lessons.”
“Ha! maybe you wish me to pass you without an examination,” cried the teacher, cunningly.
“No, sir!” answered Phil, stoutly.
“We simply ask for more time, that is all,” added Ben. “We don’t ask any favor. We can make up the lessons if you will give us as much time as the other teachers would give us.”
“You have not told anybody of this – this – er – affair of Mrs. Breen?”
“No.”
“It is all a mistake, but I should not like it to get abroad. It would hurt my reputation a great deal. I shall settle the matter in the near future. I do not owe that lady as much as the lawyer says I do, – but that is not your affair.” Job Haskers continued to pace the floor. “Now about your lessons,” he continued, after a pause. “If I – er – thought that I had really been too hard on you–” He paused.
“You certainly have been hard,” said Phil.
“And if you really need more time–”
“Give us two weeks more and we’ll be all right,” put in Ben.
“And if – er – if I should decide to do that, you will – er–”
“We’ll make good – and keep our mouths shut,” finished Phil.
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