Harotd Suffiuan.

Harotd Suffiuan .

* A CONCENTRATED NOVEL * CHAPTER I . SPRING . In thc Spring a young man ' s mind Lightly turns tothoughts of love .

" ISPS !* ^ rowed , Smith major . " ' MmMii " Well rowed , Brown minor . " ^ gpsf " Well rowed , Sullivan . " cpe * " * Such were the shouts which greeted the t ( ' ° ears of a large assembly grouped on tho oi- banks of tho picturesque Isis .

The occasion , a boat-race amongst the Bradley boys , The place , Nuneham Wood . Tho audience , the loving fathers and mothers of the heroes engaged in the race . The actors , the boys , using their utmost efforts , well-knowing that their fond relatives were looking on . The timo of year , June ;

the day , Saint Boniface ' s . The accessories , sunshine , a keen sou ' -west wind , good temper amongst the spectators , and youth and energy amongst the performers . And these , all green youths , hardly fit for the struggle they were engaged in , and yet giving promise of greater things to come . Who could have anticipated

that Smith major , the stripling of sixteen summers , should ever become the pet of the London Rowing Club , and ono of fche Hercules' of Henley ? Or that Brown minor should ever bo stroke of fcho '" Varsity " eight ? As for Sullivan , tho third captain in this race , he never distinguished himself in the rowing line , but

took to other accomplishments , as will be seen heroafter . To enter into further details it must be explained that the race which was taking place amongst tho Bradley boys was the " senior fours , " and upon the result of this race very much depended the future selection of representatives of the school for the Ladies '

Challenge Plate , or the Public Schools Cup , at Henley . Bradley , at the time wc aro writing of , was a school numbering some hundred and fifty boys , antl it speaks no little for the pluck of such an institution to say that it actually had thc audacity to put on an eight against the queen of public schools at the Henley Regatta .

Tho summer term was always pretty well filled up in the races , of all sorts , which were considered preparatory to the grand final event of the term , the senior fours . This race took placo on St . Boniface ' s day , whicli was , in fact , the " gandy " or annual commemoration of tho college , tho day before the school

broke up and the boys went home . Amongst tho numerous invitations sent out , in duo form for this festival , was one worded as follows : — " The Warden and Fellows of St . Boniface ' s College , Bradley , request thc pleasure of Mr . and Mrs . Scowley's

company at the annual commemoration on St . Boniface ' s Day . " This was neatly printed on a card , on tho reverse side of which was a programme of the trains and forthcoming entertainments , thus -.

—"Paddington ... 11 . 15 ... 12 . 30 Bradley 1 . 30 ... 2 . 45 Bradley 8 . 30 ... 0 . 15 Paddington ... 10 . 45 ... 11 . 0 " Thus giving a gentle hint that thc invited guests were not expected to stay the night . The amusements were as follows , and , as will be seen , this is a matter of importance .

"Boat-race 1 Luncheon ... ... ... ¦ ¦¦ 2 Garden Party ... .. ... ¦¦•3 Evensong ... ... ... ¦••5 Refreshments ... ... ... ... C Concert ... ... 7 ( Giving plenty of time to catch the train at 8 . 30 ) . "

Mr . and Mrs . Scowley were people of thc old school , very haughty , very respectable , very pecunious , and considered everybody who had not a relative with a handle to their name as " out of society . " Their only claim to be "in society" was but feeble , at least if judged by their own standard . Mrs . Scowley ' s sister

had married a baronet , Sir John Staynes , and this was supposed to cast a sufficient glamour of aristocracy upon the Scowley's for the remainder of their lives . Old Scowley hail several boys and two girls , all more or less good-looking . lie , of course , thought nobod y in the world was ever as handsome as his

daughters , and once , after dinner , swore a fearful oath that they should neither of them marry anything less than a baronet . This oath was unfortunately broken , as time will show . Amongst his numerous sons one had been to Bradley . It was a cheaper school than Eton or Harrow , where somo of the others had gone , and , as at tho timo of tho

boy ' s schooling , something had gone wrong on 'Change ( for the old fellow was always dabbling in tho money market ) , Hubert was sent to Bradley , and thus became one of the personages of this short story . It so happened that one , Harold Sullivan , although four years older , went to the same school ut the same time . This was the boy who was previously men-

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tioned as being last in the boat-race , which , by the way , is nofc yet finished , and of which more anon . Now this Hubert Scowley was the best " cox " in the school , in fact , he steered the eight , although he was at the time only twelve years old . There was naturally some competition amongst the strokes of the senior fours to secure this boy to steer their boat .

In the end lots were drawn for coxwains , and Scowley was told oS to ? teer Brown's boat , the said Brown , as aforesaid , being afterwards stroke of the 'Varsity eight . Three fours started for the race . The strokes , Smith , Brown , and Sullivan , all had their backers . The lots for the crews had been so chosen that there was but little difference in strength , as far as the

rowers were concerned . But all who know the Nuneham course in June must remember how thickly the weeds grow on the Oxford side of the river , and how comparatively clear is the Berkshire piece of water . Sullivan had the Oxford side , Brown the Berkshire , and Smith the middle station . Just before starting , oddly enough ,

a regular gale of wind began to blow . Grisley , the old 'Varsity stroke , was starting the boys , and he said , in fun , "Can you all swim ? " little thinking the alarm that his reTnark caused in the hearts of the mothers present , who , like hens who had hatched ducklings , were standing on the bank watching the " peeling " of little Jim or little Joe preparatory to the race . All

could swim , or they would not have been allowed to be where they were , but nobody guessed at the time thcro would be any occasion for them to prove it . However , off they went -, Sullivan's boat led half tho course . Then thoy got entangled in weeds , and big waves began to break over their bows . Still on they went till it was evident , from the bank , that they wero

rowing under water . Then the boat sank . Five stalwart boys , various planks and oars , and a boat lying wrongside up on tho water , were left in the rear , and the two other boats went on , Brown ' s ( in which was Scowley ) winning easily . Upsets are nothing to Bradley boys . They soon hauled their boat to shore , put in the planks , and settled down to row to the

Paper Mill at Sandford Lasher , where thc boat-house antl bathing place had been lately built . Sullivan felt very wet antl rather disconsolate . Ho had noticed on the bank , as thoy rowed to stations , a girl , or rather a child , who seemed to rivet his attention and make him altogether forget that he was stroke of a four-oared boat , and that npon his and his partners' efforts

depended their election or rejection into the Henley eight . Without being told her name he had seen at a glance it was Scowley ' s sister . lie and Scowley were great friends , but in a quiet unobtrusive way . When Scowley came first to school he was so small that Sullivan had been told off by the warden to look after him . The poor child was tired after his journey , and

nearly asleep ; so Sullivan actually carried him in his arms from his weeping mother to the school-room , and there presented him to the boys as the new arrival . Tea was over , but jampots and bread were speedily produced from unknown quarters , and poorlittle Scowley , who had , half-an-hour ago , been the most miserable of mortals , found ho had suddenly become a welcome

guest . Unfortunately such school-boy receptions are not lasting , and on the next morning tho child found himself transformed into a negro slave , having to fagout nt cricket , pick up balls at fives , and perform other menial offices which tho elder young gentlemen at public schools had much better do for themselves . Sullivan being soon after made a prefect , there was

great competition amongst tho littlo boys to be his fag , as he was distinguished for being such an easy going muff , although somehow ho was not ono of the sort to bo in any way imposed upon or bullied . Ho chose little Scowley , who was thus relieved from his bonds of servitude in tho cricket-field and lives' court . O beloved school , where shall wo ever again meet with

tho sweet intimacies and friendships whicli wo enjoyed there ? Well , to continue the story . It so happened that big Sullivan and littlo Scowley formed a mutual admiration society between themselves , although they scarcely ever spoke to one another . Sullivan was a greafc draughtsman . Ho had gained the first prize for

drawing , lie had begun to copy tho statues which adorned the entrance hall at Bradley . Old " llutchy , " the drawing master , foretold great things of Sullivan if he ever became an artist . His eye for proportion , old llutchy said , was wonderful . His appreciation of the beautiful and of colour was unequalled by any boy in the school . Littlo Scowley , who was in the same

drawing class , heard all these praises bestowed upon his hero , und followed meekly at a distance . When the great Mr . James Tallboys came over from the gymnasium at Oxford to measure tho boys and apportion them dumb bells according to thoir strength , Sullivan's arms wore tho biggest in tho school . Little Scowley looked on aghast as this young heroclovated his biceps .

Old Hounslow , tho swimming master , said Sullivan was a Hercules , and all the boys wondered nt his iron muscles as they stood forth under his clear skin when ho took his daily header . But at the same time tho hero of all this admiration could appreciate similar physical qualities in others . Once , in the junior swimming race , he thought as ho looked at littlo Scowley , "If

that boy had a sister , and if she had such arms and shoulders as that they would turn the heads of any court in Europe . " Both excelled in sports ; the big boy in the senior races , tho small ono in the junior . And although their ages prevented their being much together , a feeling liko that between David and Jonathan sprung between them , and a strong bnt silent friendship knit their fresh young souls together .

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But , re . venons . The race is over . The parents and friends walk back to the college or up the river bank to the boat-house to see the boys disembark . It so happened that Sullivan and his crew concerted a plan on the journey , which was to get out of their boat in shallow water , and rock Brown ' s boat till all the crew were upset , in revenge for their having won the race .

Sullivan s crew had already been ducked at Nuneham , aud being as wet as drowned rats they did not mind going into the water again . To all these plots Sullivan consented , but reserved in his own mind a certain proviso which will be hereafter detailed . On arriving , they found that at the boathouse at Sandford almost all the parents and visitors had

assembled to see the crews of the three four-oars and the other boys disembark . Now was the time to put their plot into execution . The five beaten boys , who had already got so wet at Nuneham , leaped overboard from their own boat into the shallow water and began rocking Brown ' s crew , intending to upset them . This , of course , created much amusement on the shore , as the

visitors were not accustomed to this kind of horseplay . Just at tho moment before the losing crew succeeded in completely upsetting thc winning one , Sullivan seized little Scowley in his arms and carried him high and dry to the shore . In the excitement of the moment he did nofc see who was there , but as he put the little fellow- down from his arms be found

himself full in tho presence of all the Scowley family—Scowley pcre , Scowley mere , and the girl . Without any introduction Mrs . Scowley rushed forwards and immediately thanked Sullivan for having saved her son from what she believed to be a watery grave . Sullivan , being much out of breath at the time , was unablo to reply . But recovering himself shortly

he became aware of two facts . First , that Miss Scowley , aged twelve , was regarding him with the most profound admiration ; and socondly , that he was attempting drawing-room manners with nothing on but a jersey and a pair of wet flannels . Even at this trying moment his powers of observation did not fail him . After a very short , bow to the

Scowley family , to whom Hubert introduced him , ho disappeared , nofc willing to be seen in such a costume . But he hail noticed , as Miss Scowley ascended tho bank , that she was a remarkably fine child for twelve years old ; that she had on pink silk stockings and bronze hoots closely nipping a bulging pair of calves ; that her figure was decidedly developed andcnilumpoi ' iit ,

considering her tender age ; and that her light brown hair , pearly teeth , and fresh complexion left nothing whatever in her to be desired . She only said "Thank you ; " nothing more , as lie restored her brothertohis fond parents' arms , but he thought these very sweet words when they came out of such a very sweot mouth . And what did she think ? Shu thought , as Harold

came out of the water bearing her little brother aloft in his arms , that ho was the offspring of Isis and Osiris , rising from tho bed of water-lilies , with which tho river was then thickly studded . What cared sho for his glistening jersey , drawn tightly over his

outstanding muscles , or his dripping unmentionables which clung so closely to his ponderous limbs ? Sho looked only upon him as a hero—not as ono who had saved her brother from a ducking , bnt oven from being cut off in his prime . So it was a case of mutual love at first sight . Alas ! Alack !

As wo aro telling n true story wc must here put in some links to the chain . Tho two met . They walked alone in the shrubbery of tho college , as tho Guards' band played in the distance . Both wero now to tho game of love , and so no business was done . Sullivan hod a bass solo in the concert in the

evening , which he sang bravely till a certain pair of eyes met his . After which he became husky and almost inaudible . They met again at supper . Mrs . Sqowloy , in gratitude to our hero for having ( as she thought ) saved her boy ' s life , asked him to breakfast next morning at their hotel . Old Scowley did not second the invitation . Ho

was already on the look-out for tho baronet with twenty thousand a year . They went to town by tho same train . The journey was not pleasant . Old Scowley poured cold water on all conversation , and , as an antidote , drank brandy from a flask at every station . Nothing was said about Sullivan ' s calling on thorn . They parted at Paddington .

C H A p r K K 11 .

SUMMER . Now Summer in soft whispering zephyrs wnos , " Youn namo and college , sir ? " " Sullivan , of Christ Church . " " Yon will call upon me to-morrow morning at nine

I believe , sir , you struck my servant . " Such was tho interchange of sentences between the undergraduate and the proctor . The undergraduate was on the next day to put on his bachelor ' s gown . Tho proctor , although a charming person in private society , was very tenacious of his official rights , and ,