y
introduced to the class as Mr. Horace Howard.'

'Howard is a nice name,' commented Duffy, whose real name was
Florence. 'It was Aunt Lucy's name before she was married, you know.'

No, I don't know. I may have heard it, but the name's nothing. I
don't suppose his father was hanged!' said her brother.

'Perhaps he is some distant relative of the Duke of Norfolk? though
auntie says she has nothing to do with those Howards.'

A mocking laugh greeted this suggestion. 'Go on, Duffy, let us have
some more of your wisdom.'

'I don't see what there is to laugh at, Len, and I am sure I don't
want to hear about the new boy,' said his sister indignantly, and she
turned to her lessons once more.

This brought a fusillade of paper pellets from the student sitting
opposite. She bore it patiently for a minute or two, and then angrily
demanded why he did not get on with his lessons and let her do the
same, and threatened to ring the bell.

'Don't be a bigger duffer than you are, Flo. You can't help being a
girl, I know; but I'm willing to help you all I can out of a girl's
foolishness. Only a girl would talk of ringing the bell, and making a
row, because she can't have all her own way. Come now, I want to talk
to you about the new boy, and we can finish the lesson afterwards.'

'But you say you don't know anything about him, and so there's nothing
to talk about,' said his sister.

'Yes, that's just it. Why shouldn't the fellow tell us who his people
are, where he comes from, and what he's going to do with himself
by-and-by?'

It was his sister's turn to laugh now. 'What queer notions boys have!'
she exclaimed. 'I suppose you expect a new scholar to come and say,
"My father is a doctor, or a lawyer, and we have three servants at our
house," as soon as the master has introduced him to the class.'

A ball of paper was levelled at Duffy's head for this remark. 'Who
said he was to do it the first day or the second day? But when a
fellow has been there nearly a fortnight you expect to hear something
about who he is.'

'But suppose he don't choose to tell you, what then?'

'Yes, that's it. How are we going to make him? What would you do,
Duffy? That's what I want to know.'

'Oh, I'm only a girl,' said Duffy with a laugh. 'I can't be expected
to understand boys' affairs like that.'

'Yes, you do--that's just what girls do understand. We can't have a
good stand up fight, which is the way we generally settle things.'

'Why