cupboard.

"I could help to dish it out at least," Dick added hastily. "I could
do that beautifully, couldn't I, Polly?" He turned to his niece.

"Oh, you are Molly's uncle, aren't you?" The puzzled expression with
which Miss Ainslee was regarding him changed to one of understanding.
"She has been talking of you for the past month. Certainly stay. I
shall be very glad of your help."

Dick cast a triumphant look at Molly. "Then I'll go right out and take
off the ice from the freezer," he said. "Will you have the cream in
here or out there?"

"Out there, I think," returned Miss Ainslee. "I like the children to
take their recess out of doors whenever they can. I will bring out the
plates and spoons."

"No, don't," said Dick. "Just show me where they are. Oh, I see:
among the gallipots and things. You please go and get the kids--I mean
the little girls all settled and I will play butler."

To this Miss Ainslee would not consent, but she dismissed the children
who fled out with excited whispers, and presently, to their great
satisfaction, they were served with heaping saucers of ice cream and
delicious little cakes. Once or twice Molly and Polly ventured near to
where their uncle and Miss Ainslee were sitting under a great tree, but
each time that they appeared Uncle Dick would say in a strong voice: "I
want to inquire about Molly's marks, Miss Ainslee. How is she getting
on with her arithmetic?" As this was Molly's bugbear, she would move
off hastily whenever the study was mentioned while Uncle Dick looked
after her with a twinkle in his eye. He politely took his leave after
recess was over, though some of Molly's friends clamored for him to
stay and tell them stories of the great west, for they had heard of his
powers in that direction. He refused to stay, however, though he
promised that he would come again, if Miss Ainslee would permit.

The girls all gathered around their teacher when the visitor had gone,
and were loud in their praises of Molly Shelton's uncle. But Molly
herself said never a word, though after school was dismissed she crept
up to Miss Ainslee and whispered: "Did you tell him I never do get half
my examples right?"

Miss Ainslee put her arm around her and whispered back: "No, dear, I
didn't, for it wouldn't have been true. Sometimes you do get more than
half of them right."

"I do try," said Molly wistfully.

"I know you do," returned Miss Ainslee, giving her a hug. So M