Page:The plastic age, (IA plasticage00mark).pdf/65

Rh when they were at the top. Six years ago we did n’t have hardly anything. Now we ’re rich, v “My old man was a good scout, but he didn’t have much education; neither has the old lady. Both of ’em went through grammar-school; that’s all.

“Well, they knew they weren’t real folks, not regular people, and they wanted me to be. See? That’s why they sent me to Kane. Well, Kane is n’t strong for nouveau riche kids, not by a damn sight. At first old Simmonds—he’s the head mas¬ ter—would n’t take me, said that he did n’t have room; but my old man begged and begged, so finally Simmonds said all right.”

Again he paused, and Hugh waited. Carl was speaking so softly that he had trouble in hearing him, but somehow he did n’t dare to ask him to speak louder.

“I sha’n’t forget the day,” Carl went on, “that the old man left me at Kane. I was scared, and I didn’t want to stay. But he made me; he said that Kane would make a gentleman out of me. I was homesick, homesick as hell. I know how Morse feels. I tried to run away three times, but they caught me and brought me back. Cry? I bawled all the time when I was alone. I could n’t sleep for weeks; I just laid in bed and bawled. God! it was awful. The worst of it was the meals. I did n’t know how to eat right, you see, and the