the
weather, appealed to his friend, Mr. King, if it didn't look remarkably
like rain, or hail, or snow. Susan sat down, Jane sat down, Mr. Browne
and his friend prepared to sit down when Cynthia moved toward the door.

"You're not going, Cynthia!" cried Susan, in a voice that may have had
a little too much eagerness in it. "You must stay and help us entertain
Mr. Browne." (Mr. King, apparently, was not to be entertained.) "We've
tried so hard to make her come down when people called, Mr. Browne, but
she never would."

Cynthia was not skilled in the art of making excuses. She hesitated for
one, and was lost. So she sat down, as far from Mr. Browne as possible,
next to Jane. In a few minutes Mr. Browne was seated beside her, and how
he accomplished this manoeuvre Cynthia could not have said, so skilfully
and gradually was it done. For lack of a better subject he chose Mr.
Robert Worthington. Related, for Cynthia's delectation, several of Bob's
escapades in his freshman year: silly escapades enough, but very bold
and daring and original they sounded to Cynthia, who listened (if Mr.
Browne could have known it) with almost breathless interest, and forgot
all about poor Susan talking to Mr. King. Did Mr. Worthington still
while away his evenings stealing barber poles and being chased around
Cambridge by irate policemen? Mr. Browne laughed at the notion. O dear,
no! seniors never descended to that. Had not Miss Wetherell heard the
song wherein seniors were designated as grave and reverend? Yes,
Miss Wetherell had heard the song. She did not say where, or how. Mr.
Worthington, said his classmate, had become very serious-minded this
year. Was captain of the base-ball team and already looking toward the
study of law.

"Study law!" exclaimed Cynthia, "I thought he would go into his father's
mills."

"Do you know Bob very well?" asked Mr. Browne.

She admitted that she did not.

"He's been away from Brampton a good deal, of course," said Mr. Browne,
who seemed pleased by her admission. To do him justice, he would not
undermine a classmate, although he had other rules of conduct which
might eventually require a little straightening out. "Worthy's a
first-rate fellow, a little quick-tempered, perhaps, and inclined to go
his own way. He's got a good mind, and he's taken to using it lately. He
has come pretty near being suspended once or twice."

Cynthia wanted to ask what "suspended" was. It sounded rather painful.
But at th