Snow-ball seemed to agree to this, for he went and sat down by Jack’s slippers waiting for him on the hearth, and Jill thought that a very touching proof of affectionate fidelity to the little master who ruled them both.

When he came, it was evident that he had found it harder to refuse his mother than all the rest.  But she trusted him in spite of appearances, and that was such a comfort!  For poor Jack’s heart was very full, and he longed to tell the whole story, but he would not break his promise, and so kept silence bravely.  Jill asked no questions, affecting to be anxious for the games they always played together in the evening, but while they played, though the lips were sealed, the bright eyes said as plainly as words, “I trust you,” and Jack was very grateful.

It was well he had something to cheer him up at home, for he got little peace at school.  He bore the grave looks of Mr. Acton meekly, took the boys’ jokes good-naturedly, and withstood the artful teasing of the girls with patient silence.  But it was very hard for the social, affectionate fellow to bear the general distrust, for he had been such a favorite he felt the change keenly.

But the thing that tried him most was the knowledge that his report would not be what it usually was.  It was always a happy moment when he showed it to his mother, and saw her eye brighten as it fell on the 99 or 100, for she cared more for good behavior than for perfect lessons.  Mr. Acton once said that Frank Minot’s moral influence in the school was unusual, and Jack never forgot her pride and delight as she told them what Frank himself had not known till then.  It was Jack’s ambition to have the same said of him, for he was not much of a scholar, and he had tried hard since he went back to school to get good records in that respect at least.  Now here was a dreadful downfall, tardy marks, bad company, broken rules, and something too wrong to tell, apparently.

“Well, I deserve a good report, and that’s a comfort, though nobody believes it,” he said to himself, trying to keep up his spirits, as the slow week went by, and no word from him had cleared up the mystery.

Chapter XIV

And Jill Finds It Out

Jill worried about it more than he did, for she was a faithful little friend, and it was a great trial to have Jack even suspected of doing anything wrong.  School is a child’s world while he is there, and its small affairs are very important to him, so Jill felt that the one thing to be done was to clear away the cloud about her dear boy, and restore him to public favor.

“Ed will be here Saturday night and may be he will find out, for Jack tells him everything.  I do hate to have him hectored so, for I know he is, though he’s too proud to complain,” she said, on Thursday evening, when Frank told her some joke played upon his brother that day.

“I let him alone, but I see that he isn’t badgered too much.  That’s all I can do.  If Ed had only come home last Saturday it might have done some good, but now it will be too late; for the reports are given out to-morrow, you know,” answered Frank, feeling a little jealous of Ed’s influence over Jack, though his own would have been as great if he had been as gentle.