w, Win. Our time is almost up. Finish your pudding, old
girl, and let us away. By-the-by, don't expect me home till after five
this afternoon;" and the boy's bright face clouded as he made this
statement.

"Why not?" was the inquiry. "We were going to have such splendid fun
together. Is there anything wrong?"

"Kept in," uttered in a growling tone. "Lessons as usual badly
prepared--denounced for my stupidity, and ordered to remain after hours
and work up. See what it is to have a dunce of a brother, Win," and
Dick, curling his lip sneeringly, endeavoured to hide his wounded
feelings by putting his hands in his pockets and trying to look
perfectly indifferent.

Winnie, on her part, burst forth indignantly,--

"Not another word against yourself, Richard Blake. I won't listen."
Then coming to her brother's side and slipping two soft arms round his
neck, she raised her eyes with the love-light shining so softly in
them, and murmured tenderly, "Don't be downcast, dear old boy--all will
come right some day; and I am just as stupid as you are."

"No, no," cried Dick quickly. "Indolence is your fault, Win, not
stupidity. But I--I can't learn, and that's the simple truth. I've
tried over and over again, but it's no good; and, of course,"
(doggedly) "no one believes that fact."

"I do," said the soft little voice. "But, Dick, people don't know you.
There you go," (with quaint gravity) "hiding that great, kind heart of
yours, and showing only a rough exterior. Our father and mother never
guess bow brave and good and true you are. They'll find all that out
some day, however;" and Winnie looked into her brother's honest
freckled face with all the affection of her loyal, little heart.

"You're a decided goose, Win," was all the answer vouchsafed to her
cheering words, as the boy rose from his chair and prepared to leave
the room; but the twinkle in his eye, and kind, firm pressure of his
hand, when they parted at the street corner, spoke volumes to little
Winnie, and sent her back to school with a happy heart.

She was very thoughtful all that afternoon, however, and so quiet that
when school was over and the two girls stood on the steps of Mrs.
Elder's Select Establishment, Nellie inquired anxiously if her friend
were ill.

"Ill!" repeated Winnie with a light laugh; "not I--only, I've been
a-thinking," and a long-drawn sigh accompanied the words.

"What about?" asked her companion, descending the steps and