sprang into the flour and pawed both the A's out of existence.

Jan slapped her vigorously, and having smoothed the surface once
more, he drew A after A with the greatest rapidity, scrambling along
sideways like a crab, and using both hands indifferently, till the
row stretched as far as the flour would permit.

Abel's pride in his pupil was great, and he was fain to run off to
call his mother to see the performances of their prodigy, but Jan
was too impatient to spare him.

"Let Jan do more!" he cried.

Abel traced a B in the flour. "That's B, Jan," said he.

"Jan do it," replied Jan, confidently.

"But say it," said his teacher, restraining him. "Say B, Jan."

"B," said Jan, impatiently; and adding, "Jan do it," he began a row
of B's. He hesitated slightly before making the second curve, and
looked at his model, after which he went down the line as before,
and quite as successfully. And the kitten went down also, pawing
out each letter as it was made, under the impression that the whole
affair was a game of play with herself.

"There bean't a letter that bothers him," cried Abel, triumphantly,
to the no less triumphant foster-mother.

Jan had, indeed, gone through the whole alphabet, with the utmost