That same evening, Tom had an appointment with a man from a good-sized town about half an hour away, who was considering sending his nephew to Grange Hollow Polytechnic Junior College. The kid's parents had died when he was a child and he was now the ward of his uncle.
The moment he arrived, he knew that this kid was born to attend GHP. He looked about 18, well-built, and athletic-looking. He had an expensive-looking face, perfect features, somewhat marred by a tendency toward poutiness. He had dark curly hair, dark eyes, full lips, and flawless skin that had tanned almost gold.
Tom had only been there a few minutes when it became obvious that the kid had his uncle wrapped around his little finger. How the man had gotten as far as calling the school was a miracle in itself. And that miracle made it plain to Tom that he had his work cut out for him here -- the gods wanted this one broken.
A few minutes into the discussion, Tom could see the handwriting on the wall when the old man started apologizing for wasting Tom's time. "We talked it over and it looks like Tony really isn't interested in attending your institution -- at least not for the time being." The kid smiled sardonically at Tom, eyeing him through lashes so thick and long, his mother would probably have killed to have them for herself. Fortunately, she was long gone, and the lashes looked pretty good right where they were.
"Well, sir, regardless of the outcome, our policy is very strict in these matters. Once an appointment is scheduled, I'm afraid I'll have to insist on fulfilling our obligation to discuss all aspects of the plan with you. After that, of course, you're welcome to decide whatever you wish." The kid's smile lost a little of its voltage. "Let me begin by explaining the purpose of the Grange Hollow plan and how it might be of benefit not only to the young gentleman here, but also to you, his guardian." Tom plunged right into the broad outlines of the plan, which made it clear that the purpose of the entire GHP experience was to put the guardian back in charge of his wayward charge, who'd strayed from the straight and narrow path of obedience and honor for his parent(s).
Once he was sure that uncle was taking in the full meaning of all this, and that he was definitely showing some interest, Tom started slipping in some of the benefits that he sensed this particular guardian might find attractive. Attractive enough to take the first step toward bringing the kid into line.
Tom began explaining the importance of corporal punishment in all this. How the school believed in instilling obedience in its boys. While the principal purpose of the school was character development, there must always be a forceful reason for the students to submit to the school's strict discipline. And that reason was the school's discipline itself.
"Now you might say to yourself, my nephew is too old for corporal punishment. Why, he's... How old is Tony, by the way?"
"18," replied the old man, looking appraisingly at the young man.
But the kid was looking distinctly impatient. "Come on, how long is this going to take, anyway? We already said we're not interested. I've got better things to do than sit here."
"You'll wait until the man is through," the uncle chimed in, unexpectedly. "You can at least mind your manners."
Tom smiled approvingly. "This is a very good case in point, sir. If you'll permit me, why don't I show you how a situation like this would be handled at Grange Hollow, alright?" He looked at the uncle for permission, and receiving a nod, began his exposition.
"First of all, to maintain discipline, students must have very good motivation from the very beginning. At Grange Hollow, that motivation is corporal punishment." The uncle's eyes widened slightly, while the nephew's narrowed.
Tom went on to explain that at GHP, punishment was always appropriate to the crime -- boys were not beaten, but they were disciplined. That the most effective method found to date was to combine traditional methods with psychological elements. To simplify, this usually meant hand spankings, under circumstances that were as embarrassing for the student as possible.