here."

"That so?" cried Tom; "well, here goes," and he precipitated himself at
once into the midst of things.

"Ow! get out," cried Van crossly, and giving him a push.

"Oh Vanny!" said Polly reprovingly.

"Well, he's so big and long," grumbled Van, who didn't fancy anybody
coming between him and Polly.

"I might cut off a piece of my legs," said Tom, "to oblige you, I
suppose. They are rather lengthy, and that's a fact," regarding them as
they stretched out in the firelight. "I'll curl 'em up in a twist like a
Turk," which he did.

"Well, now," said Jasper, "we are ready. So fire ahead, Beresford."

Joel, who all this time had been regarding his friend curiously, having
never heard him tell a story at Dr. Marks' school, couldn't keep his
eyes from him, but regarded him with a fixed stare, which Tom was
careful to avoid, by looking steadily into the fire.

"Well, now, I'm not fine at expressing myself," he began.

"I should think not," put in Joel uncomplimentarily.

"Joe, you beggar, hush up!" said Jasper, with a warning pinch.

"Yes, just sit on that individual, will you, Jasper?" said Tom, over his
shoulder, "or I never will even begin."

So, Jasper promising to quench all further disturbance on Joel's part,
the story was taken up.

"I can only tell a plain, unvarnished tale," said Tom, "but it's one
that ought to be told, and in this very spot. Perhaps you don't any of
you know, that in Dr. Marks' school it's awfully hard to be good."

"Is it any harder than in any other school, Tom?" asked Mrs. Fisher
quietly.

Tom turned, to reply: "I don't know, Mrs. Fisher, because I haven't been
at any other school. But I can't imagine a place where everything is
made so hard for a boy. To begin with, there is old Fox."

"Oh Tom!" exclaimed Phronsie, leaning forward, whereat old Mr. King laid
a warning hand upon the well arm. "There, there, Phronsie; sit back,
child;" so she obeyed. "But, Grandpapa, he said there was an old fox at
Joey's school," she declared, dreadfully excited, and lifting her face
to his.

"Well, and so she is, Phronsie," declared Tom, whirling his long body
suddenly around, thereby receiving a dig in the back from Van, who
considered him intruding on his space, "a fox by name, and a fox by
nature; but we'll call her, for convenience, a person."

"She's the matron," said Percy, feeling called upon to explain.

"Oh!" said Phronsie, drawing a long breath, "but I thought Tom said she
wa