back in her chair.

"You see, it's just this way, Polly," he cried. "Pick has had warning
after warning--you know the teachers have a system of sending written
warnings around to the boys when they fall behind in their work--and he
hasn't paid any attention to them."

"Won't he pay attention to what the teachers write to him, Jasper?"
asked Polly, leaning forward in her big chair to watch him anxiously as
he paced back and forth.

"No, calls them rubbish, and tears them up; and sometimes he won't even
read them," said Jasper. "Oh, it's awful, Polly."

"I should say it was," said Polly slowly. "Very awful indeed, Jasper."

"And the last time he had one from Herr Frincke about his German, Pick
brought it into the room where a lot of us boys were, and read it out,
with no end of fun over it, and it went into the scrap-basket; and he
hasn't tackled his grammar a bit better since; only the translations
he's up a trifle on."

"Oh, now I know why you wouldn't go to ride with me for the last week,"
cried Polly, springing out of her chair to rush up to him, "you've been
helping Pickering," she declared, with kindling eyes.

"Never mind," said Jasper uneasily.

"And it was splendid of you," cried Polly, the color flying over her
cheeks. "Oh Jasper, I do believe you can pull him through."

"No, I can't, Polly." Jasper stood quite still. "No one can pull him
through, but you, Polly."

"I!" exclaimed Polly in amazement. "Why, Jasper King!" and she tumbled
back a few steps to stare at him. "What _do_ you mean?"

"It's just this way." Jasper threw back his hair from his hot forehead.
"Pick doesn't care a bit for what I say: it's an old story; goes in at
one ear, and out at the other."

"Oh, he does care for what you say," contradicted Polly stoutly, "ever
and ever so much, Jasper."

"Well, he's heard it so much; perhaps I've pounded at him too hard. And
then again--" Jasper paused, turned away a bit, and rushed back hastily,
with vexation written all over his face. "I must speak it: I can't help
him any more, for somehow Mr. Faber has found it out, and forbids it;
that's one reason of the talk this morning in his study--says I must
influence him, and all that. That's rubbish; I can't influence him."
Jasper dashed over to lay his head on the table on his folded arms.

"Polly, if Pick is expelled, I--" he couldn't finish it, his voice
breaking all up.

Polly ran over to lay a hand on his shaking shoulders.

"What ca