Boarding schools -- Juvenile fiction; Boys -- Juvenile fiction; Football -- Juvenile fiction
Roy had not watched baseball practice since that first afternoon.
Brother Laurence's advice might be very excellent, but a chap couldn't
always follow it; there were moments when the grins wouldn't come. And,
somehow, when Chub confided to him that evening that things were looking
up, and couldn't help showing some of the cheerfulness he felt, Roy was
more lonesome and out of it than ever.
The next morning after breakfast Doctor Emery announced that every
student must be in the dormitories at ten o'clock and have his trunk and
cupboard open for inspection; Mrs. Emery would examine the boys'
clothing and take away for repairs such garments as needed them. The
announcement was something of a surprise to the older boys, for never
before had such an examination been made. It was the custom for the boys
to lay aside each week whatever clothing needed mending, cleansing or
pressing, but a general inspection was something unprecedented. Many
fellows made up their minds to get upstairs as soon as possible and
remove certain things from their trunks; firearms and sensational
literature, for instance, were prohibited and subject to confiscation if
discovered.
Roy's heart leapt when he heard the announcement and he couldn't help
glancing at Horace. The latter youth, however, had apparently not heard
it, for he was talking away with Whitcomb at a great rate and his
countenance showed no sign of dismay or uneasiness. But Roy made up his
mind to be near Horace's trunk when Mrs. Emery looked through it! As he
had nothing in his trunk he was unwilling for the authorities to see, he
didn't go to the dormitory after breakfast. Instead, he crossed over to
the gymnasium in the hope of finding Chub there. But Chub wasn't to be
discovered, and Roy mooned about the campus for the better part of an
hour and then went up to the dormitory. It was pretty well filled and
the fellows were getting a good deal of fun out of the occasion. Jack
Rogers called across and told him he wanted to see him after
inspection. Horace Burlen had his trunk open and was sitting
nonchalantly on the side of his cot. Mrs. Emery soon appeared and, with
Mr. Cobb in attendance, began her rounds. The whole thing looked rather
perfunctory to Roy. Perhaps the fellows' garments were in good
condition; at least, few of them were laid aside for mending. When Mrs.
Emery reached Horace's trunk Roy sauntered carelessly over and looked
on. He imagined that Horace looked a bit uneasy when Mrs. Emery began
taking his clothing out of the till.
"Your things are in nice condition, Horace," she said. "Now what's
underneath?"
"There's nothing much there," answered Horace. "Everything's all right,
Mrs. Emery."
"Well, I guess we'd better look at them and make sure," was the pleasant
reply. "Just lift out the till, please."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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