More William eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 196 pages of information about More William.

More William eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 196 pages of information about More William.

They disappeared down the path.  With a feeling of depression and disillusionment William turned to go home.

Then his spirits rose.  After all, he’d got rid of Thomas, and he was going home to a contrite family.  It must be about supper-time.  It would be getting dark soon.  But it still stayed light a long time now.  It wouldn’t matter if he just got in for supper.  It would have given them time to think things over.  He could see his father speaking unsteadily, and holding out his hand.

“My boy ... let bygones be bygones ... if there is anything you want....”

His father had never said anything of this sort to him yet, but, by a violent stretch of imagination, he could just conceive it.

His mother, of course, would cry over him, and so would Ethel.

“Dear William ... do forgive us ... we have been so miserable since you went away ... we will never treat you so again.”

This again was unlike the Ethel he knew, but sorrow has a refining effect on all characters.

He entered the gate self-consciously.  Ethel was at the front-door.  She looked at his torn shirt and mud-caked knees.

“You’d better hurry if you’re going to be ready for lunch,” she said coldly.

“Lunch?” faltered William.  “What time is it?”

“Ten to one.  Father’s in, so I warn you,” she added unpleasantly.

He entered the house in a dazed fashion.  His mother was in the hall.

William!” she said impatiently.  “Another shirt torn!  You really are careless.  You’ll have to stop being a scout if that’s the way you treat your clothes.  And look at your knees!”

Pale and speechless, he went towards the stairs.  His father was coming out of the library smoking a pipe.  He looked at his son grimly.

“If you aren’t downstairs cleaned by the time the lunch-bell goes, my son,” he said, “you won’t see that bugle of yours this side of Christmas.”

William swallowed.

“Yes, father,” he said meekly.

He went slowly upstairs to the bathroom.

Life was a rotten show.

CHAPTER X

THE HELPER

The excitement began at breakfast.  William descended slightly late, and, after receiving his parents’ reproaches with an air of weary boredom, ate his porridge listlessly.  He had come to the conclusion that morning that there was a certain monotonous sameness about life.  One got up, and had one’s breakfast, and went to school, and had one’s dinner, and went to school, and had one’s tea, and played, and had one’s supper, and went to bed.  Even the fact that to-day was a half-term holiday did not dispel his depression. One day’s holiday!  What good was one day?  We all have experienced such feelings.

Half abstractedly he began to listen to his elders’ conversation.

“They promised to be here by nine,” his mother was saying.  “I do hope they won’t be late!”

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Project Gutenberg
More William from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.