With Mask and Mitt

the mere existence of trouble here would hardly seem worth noting. As this particular trouble, however, led to another which in turn produced a general condition aff

sists simply in piling together in as big and promiscuous a heap as possible whatever movable objects the room contains,—furniture, utensils, clothing, ornaments,—and leaving this monument as an interesting surprise for the occupants on their return. It involves, of course, a wanton interference with the property rights of others. It often results in permanent injury to val

ool by dwelling upon his importance at home. The Pecks, sons of a congressman and nephews of a distinguished judge, holding this method of self-glorification quite out of place in the school republic, determined to make clear to the Moons, by a plain object lesson, the value of humility. While the juniors were safely enclosed for a full hour in the Latin room, the

t the door hard behind him. Once inside, however, this important work proved to[Pg 26] be nothing more than to glue his ear to the crack of the door and wait. He heard Reggie walk down the entry to his room, he heard the voices of the lagging pai

ily feigned surprise, the student looked up at the invaders, his glance resting but for an instant on the countenance of his brother, whose look of malicious joy, poorly cloaked by an unnatural trait of so

up the Moons' room.

g

ed back to the

ion. He had looked upon his finished work but a few minutes before and found it sufficient; but now, as the scene sudden

ing to you, did they

wer from Clarence's trembling

Donald. "The only trouble

g, doesn't it?" observed Duncan, throwing a glanc

sign of water there. He dropped[Pg 28] upon his knees and examined the floor. It was dry. Meantime Donald had screwed his face into a grimace and leered across at Duncan; his double had grinned bac

iercely. "I guess you wouldn'

of me, I know, but I just couldn't help it. The whole mix-up struck me s

onald, making haste to get

larence, somewhat mollified. "Were y

ing hard at the leg of a chair that pointed r

r any one co

g

ubitably intended for his brother, but under circumstances like the present, when mother

asked, apparently

e doing to listen to outside things," he said at length; and, turning

this?" he called, pulling out a wad of striped cloth

s!" groane

offered a very decent impromptu imitation of Alexander's famous Gordian puzzle about which the juniors had been[Pg 30] reading that very day in their histories. So it w

better get those knots out right off. If you let

acked,—in fact, the Pecks' own room had been treated in much the same way the first year they were in school,—but no one yet had stacked a room and been present as sympathizer at the moment of discovery. And that fool Clarence needed the humiliation if

r where the beds had been, along the festoon of knotted neckties strung between light-fixture and radiator, to the heap of rugs crushed into the corner. On this corner his look hung, and the smi

ars, but genuine homesickness, made poignant by this wanton act of an unknown enemy; and homesickness appealed to Duncan when weakness and babyishness received no tolerance. He[Pg 32] had been homesick himself once, when Donald with

isn't so bad as it looks. We'll soon make it all right again." But R

their rooms and simply laughed at it. Pluck up, and put your traps back and say nothing a

g to choke back the sobs

mine. Now let's go out and tackle the mess. I'll

g

ing before him the flushed, reluctant Reginald. Duncan yanked a chair from the side of the pi

oing, Dun?" de

a blanket, too. Get a move on you there, Clarence, and pull out that waste-basket of shirts! We aren't going to d

Reginald was hurrying to and fro on his e

Donald, planting himself

d, with a warning squint in the direct

g

ed Clarence staring at th

Latin," he answered. "You haven't

bas the Latin. Yo

ed Donald, and went out, s

him not the Latin but a vigorously phrased lecture, bristling with slang and exclamation points, which naturally provoked recrimination, and a long and heat