ood time.

Benny Frank was something of a bookworm and student. Jim, who was
growing very fast, was a regular boy, and, I am sorry to say, did not
always have perfect lessons. He was so very quick and correct in figures
that he managed to slip through other things. Moreover he carried
authority. The boys had called him "country" at first and teased him in
different ways until small skirmishes had begun. And one day there was a
stand-up fight at recess. Jim thrashed the bully of his class. It was a
forbidden thing to fight in the school-yard, or in school hours, and so
Jim was thrashed again for his victory. But Mr. Hazeltine shook hands
with him afterward and said "it wasn't because he thrashed Upton, but
because he had broken the rules, and he liked to see a boy have courage
enough to stand up for himself." So Jim did not mind it very much,
though he had a black eye for two or three days.

After that he was a sort of hero to the boys, and Upton did not bully as
much. But some of the boys delighted to "pick" at Benny Frank, who would
have made a good Quaker. Jim sometimes felt quite "mad" with him.

Lily did not seem to get along very rapidly with her intimacy. Hanny was
too young, and now that she had the Deans on one side and little Nora
Whitney on the other, was quite out of Lily's reach. And she did enjoy
Delia immensely, though she was past thirteen and such a tall girl. So
Lily tried all her arts on Jim, and succeeded very well, it must be
confessed.

It was Saturday, and the world had not come to an end yet. Benny had
gone down-town with Steve in the morning, but he would not have both
boys together, for Jim was so full of "capers." So he had done errands
for his mother, blackened the boots and shoes--the bootblack brigade had
not then come in fashion, and you hardly ever saw an Italian boy. He had
cleared up the yard and earned his five cents. He was wondering a
little what he would do all the afternoon.

Dele came flying in, eager and impetuous.

"Oh, Mrs. Underhill!" she cried, "can't Hanny go to the Museum this
afternoon? The"--it seemed so odd, Hanny thought, to call grave-looking
Mr. Whitney that, but she said Steve to her big brother. "The brought
home four tickets. My cousin, Walter Hay, is here, and he will go with
us and then go down home. And Nora does so want Hanny to go. Oh, won't
you please let her? I'll take the best of care of her. I've taken Nora
and my little Cousin Julia ever so many time