Page:Pipetown Sandy (Sousa 1905).djvu/26

10 and triumphantly did the example. A great happiness crept into his heart, as, for the first time in his life, he added figures with certainty. He gazed on Gilbert with unmistakable admiration.

The little fellow had led him out of the maze of puzzling addition. At last he knew why 11 and 4 were 15, and not 51, when placed underneath each other. He laid his hand lightly on the shoulder of his new-found friend and said:

"Hope-I-may-die, but ye're the cutiest little codger I ever seen."

He held up his left hand and slowly counted. "Yes, he's right; it's all in the fingers. An' to think I never had 'nough gumption to see it afore this little codger showed me." Then he took the slate to Miss Latham, who praised him for accomplishing the task.

"It's dead easy; I never knowed afore, 'cause yer never told me nuthin' 'bout fingers; 'deed yer didn't, Miss Maisie. Yer said a lot 'bout numerals, an' sich like, but nuthin' 'bout fingers."

"It's all in the fingers," soliloquized Sandy, as he returned to his seat. "It's all in the fingers, an' I never knowed it afore."

The recess bell rang and the boys filed out. No