"Good-night, my brave boy. I am glad I have seen you, and I hope we shall meet again some day."
"I say," he remarked to his friend, as they walked away from the house, "I think your paragon is an uncommonly attractive girl, but if this is a specimen of her wonderful influence over boys, I shudder to think what your discipline would be without her help." Then, as he pulled up the lapel of his coat to sniff at the rose, he added, "That boy is a wonderfully lovable child. Some one is giving him splendid training, and, from what you tell of his parents, I dimly suspect that Miss Carter is the one. And, Washburn, that dog would be an invaluable addition to your choir."
CHAPTER XI.
THE DISADVANTAGES OF SCIENCE.
"I am sorry, Miss Bess. I was sorry the minute I'd said so, but Ted's bragging about his lessons always makes me mad."
"He didn't 'brag,' dear. I had asked him about school, and you were telling what your class did. You can't blame him for standing up for his own class, can you?"
"No," admitted Fred, "but he needn't go to crowing over ours."
"True. But you needn't have resented it as quickly as you did. If you could have seen Teddy's face, Fred, and how hard he tried to keep from answering you sharply, I don't think you would have been so angry for a little inconsiderate word."
"That's just it!" said the boy forlornly. "Things seem so different now from what they used to, and I never know just how they are going. 'Tisn't much use for me to try to be good, Miss Bess! I go along well enough for a little while, and then all of a sudden I spoil it all." And Fred gave the carpet an impatient kick, as he sat on the floor at Bessie's feet. Then, reaching up for her hand, he pulled it down and laid his cheek against it.
"You see," he went on in the comically wise, old-mannish tone of explanation that his voice took on at times, "I believe I wish I'd had some brothers and sisters. Till I came here, I didn't see so much of the boys, except at school, for mother didn't like to have them round the house, and I guess, being the only one, I did get sort of cranky, and now I'm here, even, I don't get over it."