Page:The Grey Story Book (1905).pdf/71

 reading and everything else; but I can't understand arithmetic. I can learn just to say the rules as they are written, but they don't seem to mean anything to me."

Uncle Fred got up to leave the room. "Well," he said, "my offer of the skates is still open, and you need them pretty badly, for your old ones are too small, and not very good, anyway. If you can win the new ones in the December examinations, they will be the very finest that I can find in the city."

"It isn't any use," repeated Charley, gloomily.

Uncle Fred stopped as he reached the door; and turned around with a queer little smile. "How about that headache you had this morning?" he asked.

"Mamma used Christian Science for it," replied Charley, quickly. "It was almost gone when I went to school, and I handled it myself until I forgot all about it."

Uncle Fred smiled again. "And isn't Christian Science good for—for—," he hesitated.