to tantrums
about it--which was the expression he used to denote her fits of
ill-temper. Willie promised to assist her in her studies; and the two
children's literary plans soon became as high-flown as if one had been a
poet-laureate and the other a philosopher.

For two or three weeks all appeared to go on smoothly. Gerty went
regularly to school, and made rapid progress. Every Saturday Willie
heard her read and spell, assisted, praised, and encouraged her. But he
had heard that, on two occasions, she had nearly had a brush with some
large girls, for whom she began to show symptoms of dislike. This soon
reached a crisis. One day, when the children were in the school-yard,
during recess, Gerty saw True in his working-dress, passing down the
street, with his ladder and lamp-filler. Shouting and laughing, she
pursued and overtook him. She came back in a few minutes, seeming much
delighted, and ran into the yard full of happy excitement. The troop of
large girls, whom Gerty had already had some reason to distrust, had
been observing her, and one of them called out saying----

"Who's that man?"

"That's my Uncle True," said Gerty.

"Your what?"

"My Uncle, Mr. Flint, that I live with."

"So you belong to him, do you?" said the girl, in an insolent tone of
voice. "Ha! ha! ha!"

"What are you laughing at?" said Gerty, fiercely.

"Ugh! Before I'd live with him!" said the girl--"Old Smutty!"

The others caught it up, and the laugh and epithet Old Smutty circulated
freely in the corner of the yard where Gerty was standing. Gerty was
furious. Her eyes glistened, she doubled her little fist, and, without
hesitation, came down in battle upon the crowd. But they were too many
for her, and, helpless as she was with passion, they drove her out of
the yard. She started for home on a full run, screaming with all her
might.

As she flew along the side-walk, she brushed stiffly against a tall,
stiff-looking lady, who was walking slowly in the same direction, with a
much smaller person leaning on her arm. "Bless me!" said the tall lady,
who had almost lost her equilibrium from the suddenness of the shock.
"Why, you horrid little creature!" As she spoke, she grasped Gerty by
the shoulder, and, before she could break away, gave her a slight shake.
This served to increase Gerty's anger, and, her speed gaining in
proportion, it was but a few minutes before she was crouched in a corner
of True's room behind the bed, her face to the