So his
project was greeted joyfully.
"John, as usual, will have to go ask," suggested Allan. "Johnny, old
boy, what _would_ we do without your reputation? You physish at
that school, and I hear they kiss your very shadow."
"It's probably all they get a chance at," Gail kindly helped John out.
John, who was wildly adored, as a matter of fact, by most of the
fifteen-year-olds of the school, said "Nonsense!" sternly.
"Oh, do!" begged Tiddy. Tiddy was _Strephon_, the leading
juvenile, "a fairy down to his waist," and was passionately anxious
to have the whole thing go through. "If you will _I'll_ go and
see what I can yank out of my old prep school. There ought to be
enough boys with changed voices and long legs----"
"Harold Gray, you are inspired!" said Gail, for once shaken out of
her indolence. _She_ had taken unto herself the part of _Phyllis_
and was also anxious for the success of "Iolanthe." "And I myself will
go with you. I'll go work my rabbit's foot on the masters. There's
one over there who has already known my fatal charm."
"You mean the rabbit's foot, or----"
"I mean that one of the masters is in love with me. The classical
master. We'll work him," stated Gail brutally.
"If you can make him sell you sixteen boys into slavery your fatal
charm has been some use for once," said Clarence, unruffled.
Phyllis and John, who were the most serious-minded of the roomful,
saw breakers ahead, but they said nothing.
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