Finally she gave Gladys the word "weird."
It was a hard word, and one often misspelled by people much older and wiser than these children.
"W-i-e-r-d," said Gladys, in a confident tone.
"Next," said Miss Lawrence, with a sympathetic look at Gladys.
"W-e-i-r-d," said Marjorie, slowly. Her father had drilled her carefully on this word, bidding her remember that it began with two pronouns: that is, we followed by I. Often by such verbal tricks as this he fastened the letters in Marjorie's mind.
The match was over, and Marjorie had won, for the first time in her life.
Gladys was truly pleased, for she would rather have lost to Marjorie than any one else, and Miss Lawrence was delighted, though mystified.
"I won! I won!" cried Marjorie, as she ran into the house and found her mother. "Oh, Mother, I won the spelling-match! Now, aren't you glad I went after my book?"
"I'm glad you won, dearie; but hereafter I want you to stick to civilized behavior."
"I will, Mother! I truly will. I'm so glad I won the match, I'll stick to anything you say."