With Mask and Mitt

l attitudes were just as twisted and morbid as ever, and his motto seemed still to be "the world against Payner and Payner against the w

by shouting across the entry to each other a series of questions and answers on the subject of New Mexico which were not entirely

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ssings of the Moons. Payner fumbled long at his lock, screwing his head around over his shoulder so as to take in the whole unusual character of the scene,—unusual

, jerking his thumb in the direction of the

almost—" The abrupt ending of Reggie's speech was prompted by a side swing of his elder brother's foot. It must not be inferred that th

ng amiss. While he stood gaping in a startled and uncomprehending manner at his brother, Payner le

he boys liked to mimic. Payner's phrases were jerked out in diminis

, turning his back upon him, addr

. "We've taken it all down. It wa

or, wheeling now upon Clarence, and breaking i

? We found it here when we came from Latin,

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e other on

ut Duncan stayed till the last thing was put

y happen t

e same time we did,

recitation?" p

who did not see why he should be q

added Reggie, "but they didn't

if they'd wanted to,"

tood for a moment in silence; then Reggie spied Clarence's knotted pajamas in the corne

ay that they knew

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e thing and then look on and laugh while you grind your teeth. Who else could have done it anyway? I wouldn't, and I couldn't either, as I can prove to you. Owen wou

it!" cried Regi

et all the same you can't find out

fidence, and departed, leaving behind the memory of various pungent sentiments, such as "they're playing

e to put the experience wholly from his mind as a mishap of the day which he had fortunately survived. Much more distressed by the suspicion that

Virgil for the next morning's eight-o'clock, Clarence offered himse

udice. The Pecks were, to his mind, innocent objects of another's malice, and Payner's suspicions wholly groundless. These were not the judge's

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ut the manner of their indignation was so clearly forced and their underlying glee so obvious, that the unguarded wink which Donald threw at his brother and which Rob surprised was hardly necessary to confirm the visitor's growing belief that Payner had been right after all. And how the gentle-mannered twins did malign the insolent Payner for his interference

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his mind that in the matter of the Moons' stacked room he had