“Oh, yes, I remember, you an’ him was on the outs. Well, I’m much obliged, I sure am! Goo’ by, Sir.” and with his usual abruptness of departure, Fibsy darted out of the door, leaving the Professor bewildered at the whole episode.
Back to Miss Wilkinson the boy hurried, to verify his new discoveries.
“Say, Yellowtop,” he began, “did you sure hear Caribbean Sea?”
“Yep, fer the thoity thousandth time,—yep!”
“Sure of the Sea?”
Miss Wilkinson stared at him. “Gee, Fibsy, you are a wiz, fer sure! I was a thinkin’ that the guy jest said Caribbean, but I knew he musta meant Sea, so I ’sposed I skipped that woid.”
“Naw, he didn’t say it. Wot he said wuz, Carabidæ.”
“It was! I know it now! What’s that mean?”
“Never mind. What d’you mean, sayin’ the feller said things he didn’t say at all? He said Scaphinotus too, not Stephanotis.”
“I can’t tell any difference when you say ’em.”