to discover at what college the distinguished Socrates had studied.
In truth, he had never even entered college, but he had offered
himself as a candidate for admission to a college in Ohio, and been
rejected. This did not, however, prevent his getting up a school,
and advertising to instruct others in the branches of learning of
which his own knowledge was so incomplete.

He was able to hide his own deficiencies, having generally in his
employ some college graduate, whose poverty compelled him to accept
the scanty wages which Socrates doled out to him. These young men
were generally poor scholars in more than one sense of the word, as
Mr. Smith did not care to pay the high salary demanded by a
first-class scholar. Mr. Smith was shrewd enough not to attempt to
instruct the classes in advanced classics or mathematics, as he did
not care to have his deficiencies understood by his pupils.

It pleased him best to sit in state and rule the school,
administering reproofs and castigations where he thought fit, and,
best of all, to manage the finances. Though his price was less than
that of many other schools, his profits were liberal, as he kept
down expenses. His table was exceedingly frugal, as his boarding
pupils could have testified, and the salaries he paid to under
teachers were pitifully small.

So it was that, year by year, Socrates Smith, A. M., found himself
growing richer, while his teachers grew more shabby, and his pupils
rarely became fat.

Allan Roscoe took a carriage from the depot to the school.