s for braid," stammered Bobby.

"And if I give Mr. Dryburg a dollar bill, how much change shall I
have?" asked Miss Mason, switching from multiplication to subtraction
so quickly that the startled Bobby lost his count.

"Well?" urged the teacher. "What are you doing with your hands,
Robert? Bring them out where I can see them. Now then, how much change
is coming to me?"

Bobby was hopelessly bewildered now, and he had forgotten the cost of
both percale and braid. He managed to stutter, "I--I--don't know,"
and sat down thankfully.

Tim Roon scraped his feet noisily, intending to annoy Bobby, but
unfortunately he drew the attention of Miss Mason to himself.

"Stand up, Tim," she commanded sharply. "How much change should I have
from that dollar bill?"

"Don't know," muttered Tim.

"How much did the braid cost?" demanded Miss Mason.

"I've forgotten," said Tim.

"You mean you didn't listen," retorted Miss Mason. "Sit down. If this
class can't do any better with a simple test like this, I'm afraid
you'll make a poor showing with your cards this month. Marion Green,
perhaps you can tell me how much change I should have?"

Marion Green was a little girl ordinarily very good in arithmetic. But
she was frightened now and plainly showed it. She wouldn't even get
out of her seat and try to answer.

Palmer Davis was no better, and Hester Scott frankly burst into tears
when called upon. By this time most of the class had forgotten what
the problem was, but Miss Mason refused to repeat it. She said they
should be able to remember it.

"Well, Bertrand?" Miss Mason spoke to Bertrand Ashe, a rather dull
boy, and one who habitually made mistakes when sent to the blackboard
to work out examples.

Bertrand stood up, his sleepy eyes fixed earnestly on his teacher.

"The percale and the braid came to sixty-two cents altogether," he
announced, "so if you gave Mr. Dryburg a dollar, you would have
thirty-eight cents in change."

Bertrand sat down.

"Right," said Miss Mason. "I'm glad I have one pupil who knows how to
use his brain. Some of those who might have had eight on their cards
this month needn't be surprised to find a six. Robert, how much is
seven times six?"

"I don't know," muttered Bobby ungraciously.

He did know, but he was miffed to think he had missed a problem that
Bertrand Ashe had been able to solve.

"That isn't the kind of spirit to show," said Miss Mason sharply.
"Instead of being resentful, you