"What do you mean?" he inquired, feigning ignorance.

"O, you 've forgotten it a'ready, have you?" continued Ralph. "You
don't remember seeing anything of a blackboard this afternoon, do you?"

"But who told you about it?" inquired Oscar; for though both attended
the same school, their places were in different rooms.

"O, I know what's going on," said Ralph; "you need n't try to be so
secret about it."

"Well, I know who told you about it--'t was Bill Davenport, was n't
it?" inquired Oscar.

Willie and Ralph were such great cronies, that Oscar's supposition was
a very natural one. Indeed, Ralph could not deny it without telling a
falsehood, and so he made no reply. Oscar, perceiving he had guessed
right, added, in a contemptuous tone:

"The little, sneaking tell-tale--I 'll give him a good pounding for
that, the first time I catch him."

"You 're too bad, Oscar," interposed his brother; "Willie did n't
suppose you cared anything about standing before the blackboard--he
only spoke of it because he thought it was something queer."

Seeing Oscar was in so unamiable a mood, Ralph said nothing more about
the subject, at that time.