The Charm School
Elise was sixteen, there was a Frenchman— But that wouldn't interest you, I suppose." She stopped suddenly, aware that both men were hanging upon her next word. In fact, the accountant had risen, and now. to explain his action, he said, faintly:
"That's all I can do on the books now. I must go."
"You must go?" said Austin. "I thought you were here for the rest of the morning."
"Oh no," said Miss Hayes, "the books are only half his work. Mrs. Bevans always laid great stress on the importance of the girls understanding simple bookkeeping. He has a class with the seniors—ten minutes' individual instruction with each. I'll show him the way."
The principle that the girls should know how to balance their own check-books was one with which Austin was in thorough accord, and yet when Miss Hayes had hurried the accountant away he found himself with a vague sense of discomfort. He had taken a swift and unaccountable dislike to George Boyd. It seemed to him also that the bookkeeper's attention had been peculiarly alert while Elise was in the room. The idea of her receiving individual instruction from that young man was disagreeable to
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