er book; "that's the beauty of it. I'm as backward in
all of my lessons as I am in one. I can strike in anywhere."

"You are not backward in any now," cried Jasper in glee, and performing
an Indian war dance around the table. "Forward is the word henceforth,"
he brought up dramatically with another lunge at Pickering.

"Get out. You better go home."

"I haven't the smallest intention of going," replied Jasper, and
successfully coming off with a second book.

"Here's for book number three," declared Pickering--but too late. Jasper
seized the remaining two, tossed them back of him, then squared off.

"Come on for a tussle, old fellow. You're not fit to study--ruin your
eyes. Come on!" his whole face sparkling.

It was too much. The table was pushed one side; books and lessons, Mr.
Faber and college, were as things never heard of. And for a good quarter
of an hour, Pickering, whose hours of exercise had been much scantier of
late, was hard pushed to parry all Jasper's attacks. At the last, when
the little clock on the mantel struck four, he came out ahead.

"I declare, that was a good one," he exclaimed in a glow.

"Particularly so to you," said Jasper ruefully. "You gave me a regular
bear-hug, you scamp."

"Had to, to pay you up."

"And now you may study," cried Jasper gaily; and snatching his books, he
ran off.

"Oh, Pick," putting his head in at the door.

"Yes?"

"If the lessons are done, come over this evening, will you?"

"All right." The last sound of Jasper's feet on the stairs reached
Pickering, when he suddenly left his chair and flew into the hall.

"Jap--oh, I say, Jap!" Then he plunged back into his room to thrust his
head out of the window. "Jap!" he howled, to the consternation of a fat
old gentleman passing beneath, who on account of his size, finding it
somewhat inconvenient to look up, therefore waddled into the street, and
surveyed the house gravely.

Pickering slammed down the window, leaving the old gentleman to stare as
long as he saw fit.

"I can't go over there to-night, looking like this." He pranced up to
the mirror again, fuming every step of the way, and surveyed himself in
dismay. There was some improvement in the appearance of his countenance,
to be sure, but not by any means enough to please him. His pale blue
eyes were so small, and their surroundings so swollen, that they
reminded him of nothing so much as those of a small pig he had made
acquaintance with in a visit up