Page:Ballinger Price--The Happy Venture.djvu/27

Rh grew somewhat red and stared out at the rain.

"Better, Mother dear?" Felicia asked, curling down on a footstool at Mrs. Sturgis's feet.

"Rather, thank you," said her mother, and fell silent, patting the arm of the chair as though she were considering whether or not to say something more. She said nothing, however, and they sat quietly in the falling dusk, Felicia stroking her mother's white hand, and Ken humming softly to himself at the window. Kirk and his book were almost lost in the corner—just a pale hint of the page, shadowed by the hand which moved hesitantly across it. The hand paused, finally, and Kirk demanded, "What's 'u-g-h' spell?"

"It spells 'Ugh'!" Ken grunted. "What on earth are you reading? Is that what Miss Bolton gives you?"

"It's not my lesson," Kirk said; "it's much further along. But I can read it."

"You'll get a wigging. You'd better stick to 'The cat can catch the mouse,' et cetera."

"I finished that years ago," said Kirk, loftily. "This is a different book, even. Listen to this: 'Ugh! There—sat—the dog with eyes—as—big as—as—