"That cross-eyed girl's down! She was the best speller they had last year. Too bad, too. She spelled 'bunch,' when what old Keyser said was 'bench.' It's a good deal too much to have to guess at what's in his mouth, and then spell it."
"Dear, dear!" exclaimed aunt Judith a moment later. "Here comes Pen."
"Such luck she's had!" said Corry. "Nothing harder than 'melon' since she began. Now it's Port's turn. Here he comes."
"Port," said Mrs. Farnham, "what was that word?"
"'Baratry,' and I thought he said 'battery;' and that long-necked Cobbleville boy said 'bartery,' and gave 'swopping jackknives' for an example."
It could not last much longer now.
"There!" exclaimed Mrs. Stebbins, "if my Vosh ain't all alone on our side! O Lavawjer!"
"O Susie!" groaned Port, "to think of her spelling 'elopement' without any middle 'e'!"
She had done it by a slip of the tongue, and, when asked for an example, stammered out,—
"Elopement, a runaway," and left Vosh to fight what there was left of Cobbleville. There would have been three against him, if a bright boy had not forgotten how many "l's" there should be in "traveller," and then given himself for an example as he shot away down the aisle.