Walter Sherwood's Probation Read online

"Yes, Mrs. Simpkins, and it's been a great success. They want him togo back next year, but the doctor prefers to have him finish out hiscollege course. We're expecting him home every day."

  There was a noise heard as of the front door opening, and a moment laterWalter was in the room.

  "Oh, Walter!" exclaimed Nancy, overjoyed, in her excitement throwing herarms around his neck. "I'm so glad to see you!"

  "And I am glad to see you, Nancy, How's my guardian?"

  "He's well, and will be home soon."

  "Good afternoon, Mrs. Simpkins," said Walter, politely.

  "Mrs. Simpkins has just been telling me that you were in jail forhorse-stealing," said Nancy. "She is much pleased to find it all amistake."

  Walter laughed.

  "I am still more pleased," he remarked. "I find school-teaching muchpleasanter."

  "I guess I must be goin'," said Mrs. Simpkins, hurriedly.

  When Doctor Mack returned he welcomed Walter with a joy not inferior tothat of his housekeeper.

  "And so you have succeeded?" he said.

  "Yes; the trustees of the Shelby Classical School want me to come back,as my predecessor has accepted a position in New York. But I think Ihad better return to college and finish out my course. I have a thousanddollars saved up, and a little more, and I think with economy I can paymy own way for the remainder of the course."

  "It won't be necessary, Walter."

  "But, as my property is lost--"

  "You must forgive me, Walter, for deceiving you, but you have justas much property as ever--indeed, more, as you only drew one hundreddollars in the past year."

  "But, doctor, why, then, did you lead me to think otherwise?"

  "It wasn't altogether a falsehood. About a hundred dollars had been lostin an investment, and I made that a pretext for withdrawing you fromcollege. I saw that you were wasting your time and acquiring expensivehabits, so I thought the best remedy would be a year of active life, inwhich you would be thrown upon your own resources."

  "You are right, doctor. It has made a man of me. I shall go back toold Euclid and work in earnest. I have been a teacher myself, and Iunderstand what a teacher has a right to expect from his pupils."

  "Then my experiment has been a success, and your year of probation hasdone you good."

  "I hope to prove it to you, my dear guardian."

  Walter returned to college, and two years later graduated, valedictorianof his class. The money he had earned in his year of probationhe devoted to helping the needy members of his class to obtain aneducation. Gates alone received three hundred dollars, and it savedthe poor fellow from leaving college a year before graduation. Walterintends to study law, and it is predicted that he will win success atthe bar. For whatever success he may achieve he will be inclined to givethe credit to his year of probation.

  THE END