she did not altogether
relish the idea that a servant-boy might possess superior knowledge to
herself, although he might be nearly double her age. Allie's sense of
class distinctions was strong.

Having faith in his own attainments, however, the "Wall-street
man"--this was the liberal interpretation put by Jim upon his position
as office-boy to brother Edward--deposited his pail and net upon the
ground, and himself in a like humble position beside his fellow-servant
and chum. He might be learned, but he was not proud by reason thereof.

"Now le's see, Miss Allie," he said; "what is it you're tryin' to
figger out?"

"It's Jim's sum; and I can't see a bit of sense in it, even when it's
down on the slate," answered Allie, still in a somewhat aggrieved tone.
"He's as mixed up as a--as a--any thing," she concluded hastily, at a
loss for a simile of sufficient force.

"As a Rhode-Island clam-bake when they puts fish an' clams an'
sweet-potatoes an' corn all in to once," said Jim.

"_At_ once, not _to_ once; and they _put_, not they _puts_," corrected
Allie, who, remarkably choice herself in the matter of language, never
lost sight of a slip in grammar on the part of our _proteges_.

"Seems funny, Miss Allie, that you, that's so clever in the right ways
of talkin', can't do a sum," said Jim.

Allie's self-complacency was somewhat restored by the compliment; but
she still answered, rather resentfully,--

"Well, I can, a decent sum! I had five lines yesterday, and added it
all right, too; but a sum like that--I b'lieve even brother Ned
couldn't do it!"

That which brother Ned could not do was not to be compassed by man, in
the opinion of the children. And, as if this settled the matter, Allie
rose from her seat, forgetting for the moment the necessity for keeping
an exact equilibrium, and that both its occupants must rise
simultaneously, unless dire results were to follow to the one left
behind. The usual catastrophe took place: the vacant end went up, and
Daisy was thrown upon the ground, the seat fortunately being so low
that her fall was from no great height; but the rickety contrivance
turned over upon the child, and she received quite a severe blow upon
her head. This called for soothing and ministration from an older
source, and, for the time, put all thought of arithmetical puzzles to
flight; but after I had quieted her, and she rested, with little
arnica-bound head against my shoulder, Jim returned to the cha