mastered than her brother, the stupid Jack. His intellect had not grown
with his body, and when at thirteen he was asked the question, 'If there
are five peaches on the table, and Tom eats three of them, how many will
there be left?' he answered, promptly:

'None, 'cause Tom would eat them all.'

In this reply there was a shrewdness which poor Jack never intended, and
the laugh which followed his answer confused and bewildered him. There
was a tutor now at Tracy Park for Jack, but Maude had been transferred
to Arthur's care. This was wholly due to Jerry, who alone could have
induced him to let Maude share her instruction. Arthur did not care for
Maude. She was dull, he said, and would never learn her lessons. But
Jerry coaxed so hard that Arthur consented at last, and when Jerry had
been with him about three years, Maude became his pupil, and that of
Jerry as well, for nearly every day when the lessons were over the two
little girls might have been seen sitting together under the trees in
the park, or in some corner of the house, Maude puzzled, and perplexed,
and worried, and Jerry anxious, decided, and peremptory, as she went
over and over again with what was so clear to her and so hazy to her
friend.

'Oh, dear me, suz, what does ail you?' she said, one day, with a stamp
of her foot, after she had tried in vain to make Maude see through a
simple sum in long division. 'Can't you remember first to divide, second
multiply, third subtract, and fourth bring down?'

'No, I can't. I can't remember anything, and if I could, how do I know
what to divide or what to bring down? I am stupid, and shall never know
anything,' was Maude's sobbing reply, as she covered her face with her
slate.

Maude's tears always moved Jerry, who tried to reassure the weeping girl
with the assurance that perhaps, if she tried very hard, she might some
time know enough to teach a district school. This was the height of
Jerry's ambition, to teach a district school and board around; but
Maude's aspirations were different. She was rich. She was to be a belle
and wear diamonds and satins like her mother; and so it did not matter
so much whether she understood long division or not, though it did hurt
her a little to be so far outstripped by Jerry, who was younger than
herself.

To Arthur, Jerry was a constant delight and surprise, and nothing
astonished or pleased him more than the avidity with which she took up
German. This language was like play