could spell properly; and what does it matter?"

"Everything," replied Alice. "You can't go about the world if you are
stupid and ignorant."

"Can't I?" exclaimed Kathleen, and she flashed her eyes at Alice and
made her feel, as she said afterwards, quite uncanny.

The Tennants were, after all, not a large family. They consisted of Mrs.
Tennant, Alice, and two young brothers. These brothers were schoolboys
of the unruly type. Alice considered them very badly trained. Kathleen,
however, was much taken by their schoolboyish ways.

As the two girls now entered the house they heard a whistle proceeding
from the attic; a cat-call at the same time came from the basement.

"Oh, dear!" cried Alice, "there are those dreadful boys again. Whatever
you do, Kathleen, you must not encourage them in their larks."

"But why shouldn't I? I like them both. I call David a broth of a boy. I
am glad you have got brothers, Alice. I haven't any; but then I have
lots of boy cousins, which comes to much the same thing."

The girls by this time had reached the large bedroom which they shared
on the first floor.

"You are welcome to my brothers if you don't toss all your things about
in my room," cried Alice. "If we are to sleep together we must be
orderly."