"John D. Fitzgerald - The Great Brain At the AcademyUC - 4" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fitzgerald John D)

sium on school days. And the gym is nothing but an old
barn with a hardwood floor."

By this time Tom was almost wishing he had been
born a Mormon or a Protestant. "You never told Papa and
Mamma it was like a prison," he said.

"I'm no crybaby," Sweyn said. And then he really
poured salt in Tom's wounds, "Thank the Lord this is my
last year at the academy, because they only have the sev-
enth and eighth grades. Next year I'll be going to high
school in Pennsylvania and living with some of Papa's rel-
atives. And while I'm enjoying myself there I promise I'll
think of you often, little brother, and of how you are suf-
fering at the academy."

Tom felt so down in the dumps he didn't even get
angry at the "little brother" bit. Sweyn made the academy
sound as if all the students had to wear striped-suits with
numbers on them. He knew there was only one thing to
do.

26

"No candy, no sports, no nothing," he said. "I guess
I'll have to put my great brain to work on it and get some
changes made at the academy."

"The only thing you will change will be yourself,"
Sweyn said, "from an enrolled student to an expelled stu-
dent. The Jesuit priests are plenty sharp because they have
been dealing with boys for years. You won't be able to put
anything over on them."

Did that discourage Tom? Heck no. He was con-
fident he could make life easier for himself and the other
kids at the academy.

A few minutes later Mr. Walters came into the coach.
"Provo is the next stop," he called out. "There will be a
twenty-minute stopover for passengers to get something to
eat. The dining room is located right next to the depot."

Sweyn stood up when the train stopped. "I'm, going to
get a glass of milk and piece of pie in the dining room," he
said.

"Go ahead," Tom said. "I'm not hungry."

Tom wasn't just twisting a Iamb's tail trying to make