"Nor I, either," said Jasper.
"Well, I'm not going to race, anyway," declared Pickering, making slow, lazy strokes with his pen; "it's quite bad enough to have to write these odious things, without breaking one's neck over them."
"Well, don't let's talk," said Alexia, seeing that she couldn't have any part in the conversation since all her mind had to go into her task. "Oh, dear me! I left out the dot to my 'i,' and misery! there's a blot! It was all because I was listening to you, Pickering Dodge."
"Well, we'll all be as still as mice now," said Polly; so no sound was heard save the scratching of pens over the paper, as the work went gayly on.
"Oh, isn't it too bad that we can't any of us find that ten-dollar bill Joel lost at the garden party?" broke out Alexia, when this sort of thing had proceeded for some time.
"Ugh!" cried Polly, and her pen slipped, making an awful scratch and just spoiling the best notice she had written.
Jasper raised his head and cast a warning glance over the table at Alexia, but it was too late.
"I do believe we shall find it some time," said Polly, scraping away with the ink-eraser and only making matters worse.
"Take care, Polly; the ink is too fresh," warned Jasper. "Wait until it dries."
"Well, I've smeared it all up now," said Polly, leaning back in her chair and viewing her work with despair.