88 Sucker Days. 



could remember the hard words in the 

 speller right on the verge of four o'clock 

 and freedom and good deeds ! Miss 

 Chapman slowly laid down the book 

 that she was accustomed to hold before 

 her face as a sort of ambush from which 

 she surprised new scholars who thought 

 that she was reading. The little brass 

 desk-bell tinkled and the announcement 

 was made that school was dismissed, ex- 

 cepting for the two boys who had waded 

 in the water, and they must stay for 

 fifteen minutes after school. One by 

 one those fifteen rusty minutes hitched 

 along the floor of time, and then the two 

 impatient boys, waving their caps in the 

 air, bounced out of the doorway and hip- 

 pety-hopped over to the stone wall for 

 their hidden treasures. Alas for the 

 trustfulness of youth ! The old gray cat 

 had found the fish and had dragged them 

 off to some other hiding-place, 



