id, "lest I'd say a deal
more'n I orter."

In the long drawing-room Randy and Helen Dayton were chatting merrily with
Jotham and Professor Marden when Aunt Marcia joined them, expressing
pleasure in being at home to share the call.

In two weeks the private school would close, when Randy would say
"good-bye" to her city home and the two dear friends who had entertained
her, to the schoolmates of whom she had become so fond, and then she would
be speeding over the rails every mile of which would take her nearer home,
the dear country home. As Jotham was to leave the city at the same time,
he asked the pleasure of accompanying Randy upon the journey, and his
offer was gladly accepted.

"And have you heard the latest news from home, Randy?" asked Jotham.
Without awaiting a reply he continued,

"Timotheus Simpkins has 'blossomed aout,' as his father expresses it and a
specimen of his 'literatoor' is printed in the county paper. Father sent
me a marked copy, and if you like I will read the article."

"I should indeed like to hear it," said Aunt Marcia; "from what Randy says
of him I think Timotheus must be an unique character."

"He is truly an odd specimen," said Helen, "I cannot imagine what he would
write."

"Read it, do read it," said Randy, and Jotham read the following:

"THORT.

"Thort is the gratest thing that has ever been thort of. I don't
know of eny thing bigger than thort that I have thort of, less
twas riginalty, an reely _thats_ thort. When I'm busy thinkin'
thorts I aint apt ter have my mind on eny thing else mostly. Most
of the books what I have read I think was writ without enough
thort. Take the almanic; if _Id_ writ the almanic whare they say,
'bout this time expect rain,' _Id_ a said, bout this time expect
weather. Id a put some thort on the matter and Id a knowd that
yed natraly have weather er some kind, cause theres _allus_
weather round about these parts, but most folks havent no power
ter have thort, an thats why theres so few folks that is great. I
mean ter spend my time in thort an' casionally do a little
ploughing. I thort so continooal that I had ter leave school in
order ter git time ter think in, so havin learnt all there was
ter learn, I left school ter the fellers as thort so little that
they didn't need much time fer it an now I shall put on paper
such thort as most folks can tackle, but some er my thort is