THE PANTHER. 
175 
But honestly, now, Sidney, don’t you feel 
glad it was a real panther?” 
“Well, now that there is no danger from 
him, I must say I do,” said Sidney, laugh¬ 
ing ; “but I thought so all the time. Have 
the people gone, Annie?” 
“Yes, half an hour ago, and I have been 
wondering where you were. Aunt is going 
to tell us about jaguars after tea.” 
There was no lack of conversation at the 
tea-table. The panther was of course the 
all-absorbing topic; but Jack’s silk-winders 
were produced and very much admired. 
Even Annie, whose prejudices against poor 
Jack were in no wise abated, pronounced 
them very pretty and that it showed a proper 
feeling in him to make them. She demurred 
a little, however, to their lending him their 
books, and still more at the idea of Rich¬ 
ard’s helping him in his studies, and ap¬ 
pealed to her grandfather as to whether it 
would be proper. 
“Very proper, my dear, if Jack only con¬ 
tinues in the same mind after he gets well 
enough to study. I am not afraid of Rich¬ 
ard’s being hurt by teaching the poor boy 
