Jo's Boys - Bibliotecadigital.puc-campinas.edu.br

Chapter 5 49you can keep so!' cried the girls, as Ted managed to maintain his equilibrium a moment by resting one toe onthe trellis. Unfortunately this brought all his weight on the other foot; the straw seat of the stool gave way, andthe flying Mercury came down with a crash, amid shrieks of laughter from the girls. Being accustomed toground and lofty tumbling, he quickly recovered himself, and hopped gaily about, with one leg through thestool as he improvised a classic jig.'Thanks for four nice little pictures. You have given me an idea, and I think some time we will get up regulartableaux of this sort and march our company round a set of dissolving views. New and striking; I'll propose itto our manager and give you all the glory,' said Mrs Jo, as they strolled towards the room whence came theclash of glass and china, and glimpses of agitated black coats.Let us follow the example of our old friends and stroll about among the young people, eavesdropping, sogathering up various little threads to help in the weaving of the story. George and Dolly were at supper, andhaving served the ladies in their care stood in a corner absorbing nourishment of all kinds with a vain attemptto conceal hearty appetites under an air of elegant indifference.'Good spread, this; Laurence does things in style. First-rate coffee, but no wine, and that's a mistake,' saidStuffy, who still deserved his name, and was a stout youth with a heavy eye and bilious complexion.'Bad for boys, he says. Jove! wish he could see us at some of our wines. Don't we just "splice the main brace"as Emil says,' answered Dolly, the dandy, carefully spreading a napkin over the glossy expanse of shirt-frontwhereon a diamond stud shone like a lone star. His stutter was nearly outgrown; but he, as well as George,spoke in the tone of condescension, which, with the blase airs they assumed, made a very funny contrast totheir youthful faces and foolish remarks. Good-hearted little fellows both, but top-heavy with the pride ofbeing Sophs and the freedom that college life gave them.'Little Jo is getting to be a deuced pretty girl, isn't she?' said George, with a long sigh of satisfaction as his firstmouthful of ice went slowly down his throat.'H'm--well, fairish. The Princess is rather more to my taste. I like 'em blonde and queenly and elegant, don'tyou know.''Yes, Jo is too lively; might as well dance with a grasshopper. I've tried her, and she's one too many for me.Miss Perry is a nice, easy-going girl. Got her for the german.''You'll never be a dancing man. Too lazy. Now I'll undertake to steer any girl and dance down any fellow youplease. Dancing's my forte.' And Dolly glanced from his trim feet to his flashing gem with the defiant air of ayoung turkey-cock on parade.'Miss Grey is looking for you. Wants more grub. Just see if Miss Nelson's plate is empty, there's a goodfellow. Can't eat ice in a hurry.' And George remained in his safe corner, while Dolly struggled through thecrowd to do his duty, coming back in a fume, with a splash of salad dressing on his coat-cuff.'Confound these country chaps! they go blundering round like so many dor-bugs, and make a deuce of a mess.Better stick to books and not try to be society men. Can't do it. Beastly stain. Give it a rub, and let me bolt amouthful, I'm starved. Never saw girls eat such a lot. It proves that they ought not to study so much. Neverliked co-ed,' growled Dolly, much ruffled in spirit.'So they do. 'Tisn't ladylike. Ought to be satisfied with an ice and a bit of cake, and eat it prettily. Don't like tosee a girl feed. We hard-working men need it, and, by Jove, I mean to get some more of that meringue if it'snot all gone. Here, waiter! bring along that dish over there, and be lively,' commanded Stuffy, poking a youngman in a rather shabby dress-suit, who was passing with a tray of glasses.