FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
my school in Vermont," said Warner, "they'd call that a considerable abuse of metaphor, but all metaphors are fair in war. Besides, it's just the way I feel, too. Do you think, Dick, we'll settle down to a regular siege?" "Knowing General Grant as we do, not from what he tells us, since he hasn't taken Pennington and you and me into his confidence as he ought to, but from our observation of his works, I should say that he would soon attack again in full force." "I agree with you, Knight of the Penetrating Mind, but meanwhile I'm going to enjoy myself." "What do you mean, George?" "A mail has come through by means of the river, and my good father and mother--God bless 'em--have sent me what they knew I would value most, something which is at once an intellectual exercise, an entertainment, and a consolation in bereavement." Dick and Pennington sat up. Warner's words were earnest and portentous. Besides, they were very long, which indicated that he was not jesting. "Go ahead, George. Show us what it is!" said Dick eagerly. Warner drew from the inside pocket of his waist coat a worn volume which he handled lovingly. "This," he said, "is the algebra, with which I won the highest honors in our academy. I have missed it many and many a time since I came into this war. It is filled with the most beautiful problems, Dick, questions which will take many a good man a whole night to solve. When I think of the joyous hours I've spent over it some of the tenderest chords in my nature are touched." Pennington uttered a deep groan and buried his face in the grass. Then he raised it again and said mournfully: "Let's make a solemn agreement, Dick, to watch over our poor comrade. I always knew that something was wrong with his mind, although he means well, and his heart is in the right place. As for me, as soon as I finished my algebra I sold it, and took a solemn oath never to look inside one again. That I call the finest proof of sanity anybody could give. Oh, look at him, Dick! He's studying his blessed algebra and doesn't hear a word I say!" Warner was buried deep in the pages of a plus b and x minus y, and Dick and Pennington, rising solemnly, walked noiselessly from the presence around to the other side of the little opening where they lay down again. The bit of nonsense relieved them, but it was far from being nonsense to Warner. His soul was alight. As he dived into the intricate problems memories came w
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Warner
 

Pennington

 

algebra

 
buried
 

solemn

 

inside

 

George

 

problems

 

nonsense

 

Besides


comrade

 
uttered
 

joyous

 
tenderest
 
chords
 

raised

 

mournfully

 

nature

 

touched

 

agreement


opening

 

solemnly

 

rising

 

walked

 

noiselessly

 
presence
 

alight

 

intricate

 

memories

 

relieved


finest

 

sanity

 
finished
 

studying

 

blessed

 

Knight

 

Penetrating

 

attack

 

confidence

 

observation


metaphors
 
metaphor
 

school

 

Vermont

 

considerable

 
Knowing
 

General

 
regular
 
settle
 

volume