of the lounge wearied her!

She threw aside the beloved Sunset Book after vainly trying to get
interested in it. How flat and unprofitable it seemed! Why could she
never write anything but the trite and useless things that almost
anyone who was able to hold a pen could say as well or better? The
verses about the four o'clocks, which the other day had seemed a pretty
conceit, to-day sounded silly, fit only for the little waste-basket at
her side, where she threw them with disdain.

Life was unprofitable, friends noticeable only by their absence; even
the faithful Hugh had deserted her. He had made no motion toward
"making up" since the day they went blackberrying--it would have served
him right if the bull had put an end to her! If that boy Mark Griffin
hadn't interfered--and why he had she didn't know, what business was it
of his?--Hugh, instead of wearing his air of indifference, would be
crying his eyes out beside her dead body--or rather her grave, for she
would be buried and done with by this time. But no; here she herself,
instead of Hugh, was crying over it! For the last week he had been
even less attentive than ever; he was up and out long before she awoke
in the mornings, came home at noon to snatch a hasty lunch and was off
again after supper until bedtime, with only a careless nod to her, Ivy,
whom he had hitherto allowed to claim all his attention and the little
leisure time he could spare from his work as office-boy and assistant
clerk in a real-estate firm down street.

Heigho! Who was that coming? Claude and Nettie, hand in hand, with
beaming faces and crumby lips!

"Oh, you greedy youngsters, where do you put all the cake and things
you devour, anyway?"

Simultaneously two mouths were opened wide.

"They are big enough naturally, you needn't stretch them! No wonder
you are both noted dunces in your class--you are nothing but mouth and
stomach! Come here, I've a little time. Let's see what you can do!"

"I can figure!" said Nettie proudly, but she eyed the slate upon which
Ivy had written, half abashed.

"Three plus two equals what?" said Ivy.

"Six!"

"No, try again!"

"Six!" cried Nettie decidedly again.

"No; five, stupid!"

"Six," reiterated Nettie, "Teacher says so!"

"That's three multiplied by two; I said three _plus_--"

"Well, it's six at our school," declared Nettie doggedly, her eyes half
filled with tears.

"To think you are any relation to Laura! Why, she's a