The Charm School
"Well, this is the hell of a school," shouted Mr. Johns. "Teach girls charm, you say—teach 'em to be damned vagrants. D'yer think parents pay you to lose their children for them? Could do that for ourselves if we had a mind to. Where is Elise, that's what I want to know?"
The mere volume of sound of these remarks was like a blow. Sally and Miss Curtis both began to cry again, and even George set his jaw in a nervous sort of spasm.
"Mr. Johns," said Austin, "you must not shout."
"I—I?" said Johns, too surprised to shout as loud as he wanted to do.
"You see," said Austin, "every one in this room is under a great tension, and I cannot allow them to be subjected to being shouted at. If shouting would find Elise I wouldn't complain, but it won't."
Now this made Mr. Johns really angry—something that, in spite of all his imitation rages, very seldom happened to him. He grew perfectly calm, stopped grunting, and spoke in a low voice.
"Look here, young man," he said, "this is where you and I part company. I meant to make you financially, and now I mean to
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