LOVE LEARNS A LESSON

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 12915, 9 December 1939, Page 3

LOVE LEARNS A LESSON

f By IRENeToNNEN ERNHART (ptrt, Hit fcy UiJhwl tyijiah'.lw«

CHAPTER XXII — suddenly exploded. “lon h ! dQ it .” she said shrilly. “You fSIlt m’t throw me out like this! Jf,™, h*ar7 I— 1 ’ 11 o'-y P truttf about Friday mglu—lhe 1 leaped up, and clapped his over her mouth. & Ttta’ For Pete’s sake—shut » jie * hissed. “Whafs the matl!P'vdth you? Why get so excited because I think it s best to, you S to come over hero any more?” “ she began to whimper. “You’re ' ; nin e to quit going out with no! gams rtf?” I “V course not! Who said anyI •hins" about that? I simply think I * better stop working for me. you ought to see the wisdom of I ' 'Etta subsided. ‘ Well, all ilghi.. 1 {-[ e patted her arm. I said I ,oved you. didn’t I?” He smiled | and added in a v/hisiKji ’’ “ And don ’ ,: I ‘ me t what I said I’d ask you after { vou graduate. ' ’ Her face softened, and her eyes ]it u p. "Then yquTl stop seeing jliss Daniel?” ‘He frowned. What a persistent little pest she was! "Well, now, I can’t do that. There were several people at the hearing last night who weren’t so sure that Leedy took you out Friday night—they thought there was something queer about the easy way he owned up to it. So we’ve got to be careful and, if I’m seen about with Julie, as I’ve always been, no one will suspect me in the least. Don’t you see?” She sighed. “.I guess so.” just then, the air was shattered by the sudden blaring of a band 1 outside. ' , "What the heck!” said Earl looking out. He saw that the boys’ band organized by Breck had assembled in front of the school and was marching off down the street, making a terrific racket. Mr. Grimes stood in the school doorway, gesticulating and shouting, but they paid absolutely no attention to him. Victor Perroni marched in front, carrying a huge placard which read, WE WANT LEEDY! “That brat!” muttered Earl. Breck was up in his room, packing, when he heard the band approaching. Not, however, until they stopped in front of the house and started shouting, did he go to the window. "We want Leedy! Give us back Leedy! Rah! Rah! Rah!” they were yelling, at the top of their lungs. Breck smiled, and his eyes grew moist. He saw that Victor, with his placard, was apparently the ringleader. The little imp! He went down to the front porch. ( At his appearance, the roar of the youngsters swelled in , volume. He held up his hand, and finally succeeded in quieting them. “Thanks, boys,” he said, “but you’d better stop this nonsense and get back to school. Shame on you for playing hooky! ’ You’cl better mu along now before you get into trouble.” ' i There were a few more scattered/ shouts. Then, the group broke up. and - went straggling back toward the school. Only Victor remained behind. He ca me up onto the porch. “Gee, Mr. Leedy,” he said, wrinkling his forehead. “Are you really Aren’t you coming back at all?” rint afraid not, Victor.” Gosh!” said the boy, disconsolately. . . He insisted on following Breck up to his room and, when he saw the half-packed suitcases and trunk, his face tell. Are—you going away from Litcleburg, too?” , , es - Viltor—there isn’t anything y* nie to do around here, now that tu not going to be teaching at the school any more.” Tnere's your music writing, .tou’ve got that to do.” 1 don’t have to do that here. I ccuU] do it anywhere.” , b °y was silent a moment. He a toe into the carpet. Then, he said, “I—l thought you’d 'ant to stay on account of Miss Daniel.” Breck flushed. “What makes Joa say that?” V* y° u love her, don’ you?” Krior blurted. “Some of the kids I 3 ni °i‘hing said you got fired because you were in love- with Etta auhders, but I told them they were crazy that it was Miss Daniel you loved.”

Breck was now brick red. “Look here, Vfctor,” he said severely. “You’re not to discuss me or Miss Daniel or Miss Saunders again. Do you understand? I’ll be very angry if you do.” “Yes, sir,” said the boy, crushed. Breck, relented, and patted his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to speak crossly, but small boys shouldn’t cancern themselves about their elders. You ought to be able to find more interesting topics of conversation, anyway. Baseball, for instance —or —-or bobbies. Haven’t you got a hobby?” “Sure!” exclaimed Victor, his face suddenly lighting” up. “Look!” From the inside of his jacket, he drew forth a small, paperbacked book. On it was the title, “How to be a Defective.” Breck laughed. “So that’s your hobby! Well, Victor, you’ll have \o be a good detective to figure your way out of the fix you’re going to be in when Mr. Grimes gets hold of you for bringing that band here!” Victor grinned impudently; “You should have seen him shouting at us when we marched away!” “Get along now!” Breck shoved him out and closed the door. He didn’t, however, go on with his packing. Instead, he sat down and remained wrapped in thought for some time. Why should he leave, after all? He had saved enough to do without a job for a while and, if he devoted himself to his composing, as Victor had suggested, it would be much cheaper to live here than, for instance, in Chicago. And the surroundings were more pleasant. Of course, it would be hard to face the hostility that would result from last night’s hearing but, if he left, it would he running away—and he had never yet run away from anything. After all, he had actually done nothing wrong,He rose abruptly and started unpacking. (To be Continued)