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Show that they knew not of. He had 00 cents in his pocket and much less in bonds and banks and houses. "What are you then,?" "He's ft gambler." "Xo; lie isn't, Jennie Farrell. lie's c detective." "lm a reporter," he said. "A reporter!" they all echoed, in chorus. . "Yes." "I know; you write things." "Say, how much do you get?" "It all depends." "Well, why don't you go and find out something, and write about it? I would." "I would rather talk to girls." "Us girls?" "Of course." "That's a jolly." "Where do you live, girls?" "30C." toon "312." "333." "320." "Do you all go to school in winter?' "Yes." "Where?" "Up in Forty-ceventh street." "Well, us'vou all go to school, and are all smart girls, I'll, tell you what I'll do. I'll give a cent to the one whopells the biggest word right." That was received with immense favor. fa-vor. One little tot began with: "S-i-d-e-w-n-l-k sidewalk." Then, to the man's astonishment, the contest ran up into something like a spelling match among big folks. "I-n-v-e-n-t-o-r inventor." "N-e-e-e-s-s-a-r-y n eeessary ." ' "E-J-e-p-h-a-n-t elephant." "C-o-n-t-r-a-cM-c-t-i-o-n contradiction." contradic-tion." Their examiner was not saying a word, but was watching their eager faces, flushed with excitement. "C-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-i Constant!, n-o, no, Constantino, p-l-e Constantinople. ' An ominous silence fell over the little lit-tle group there on the step in the evening, even-ing, 100 feet from the noise of Eighth c venue. The man who lived in the house reached for the cent. As he took it out a seven-year-old almost climbed up to his neck asshe announced loud- "I can Rpell a word that no other girl can, I bet." "(3o ahead." It's incomprehensible. See if any of them can spell it, Mr. Reporter." Not one of the others dared to try it. The -poor little Constantinople's mouth quivered a bit aa she looked at Miss Incomprehensible.' "Spell it," he aid. "Then ehe spelled: "I-n-co-m-p-r-e-h-c-n-s-i-b-Ne," without a slip. "That's right. There' your cent." But Constantinople's eyes were 1 tears. Another cent dried them. X. Y. Sun. A SPELLING MATCH. 3 It Wa n Vacation Dlveraon of Little Oirln AVho Knew niff Words. The stoop of the flat house was occupied occu-pied by six little girls who lived in neighboring houses. On these warm nights people sit ou their own .stoops.or on somebody's else, and the girls had taken possession of the first untenanted one they saw. They were from iie to seven years old, and their chatter could be heard half way down the block. Their dresses-had been white that is, before playing in the street had soiled ihem; but the girls sat on the dustiest step on n very dusty stoop as if they didn't care. Their mothers hud to wah the dresses, anyway, and not they, so they didn't think about it. Presently some one who lived in the house ciame downstairs. He snade but little noise, and for several minutes stood behind' the little iutrudexs, quietly quiet-ly listening to them. Then one of the girls saw hint and enid something to I he others, and they all got up as if they were going to run off. "Don't go away," the newcomer said. "I'll let you sit on the stoop." "Are you the. landlord?" one of thorn asked. "Xotyct,"he answered, r. ith thoughts |