"Yes, dear, I like to have you there; she says you're a great help to her."
With a good-bye kiss, he bounded away.
[CHAPTER IX.]
CONCLUSION.
"I WANT to tell you something," he whispered to Kitty, "a secret, you know."
"How nice," she answered, with her sweet smile. "Ma is busy in the kitchen, and you can take care of me while the girls go out of an errand."
"I used to like Jimmy Barnard first-rate," he began at once into the subject as soon as they were alone, "but now I think he's awful mean. I never shall like him any more."
"Why, Maurice!" exclaimed Kitty, in surprise.
"I'm going to tell you all about it," he said, eagerly. "The rule is not to whisper, and teacher said yesterday that he must break the habit, and he promised to ferrule the first boy he caught whispering. Pretty soon I forgot, and asked Bob Munger for his knife to sharpen my pencil. He's got a prime one with three blades. Teacher heard me and made me go up to the desk, and tell him what I said. He ferruled me a little, but I didn't cry for that, I cried because—because I never was ferruled before. He punished Jimmy Barnard and ever so many of the boys, too; but they didn't seem to care about it."