“It isn’t a patch,” asserted Smart. “Look at the short distance between the first and last letters in that word.” “Hey? Well, look at the shorter distance between the first hand last letters hin your word. Hi ’ave got you!” “Not on your tintype! There is a mile between the first and last letters in smiles.” Billy gasped for breath and grew so excited that there was danger of his again attracting the attention of the droning professor. “A mile?” he gasped. “You hare a blooming hidiot! ’Ow do you make that hout?” “It’s easy,” assured Smart. “If you don’t believe it, just knock off the first and last letters of smiles and spell what is left. I’m sure you will find it a mile.” Billy frowned, glared, wrote “smiles” on the margin of a leaf in the book he carried, drew a line after the first “s” and before the last “s,” and found that there really and truly was a “mile” between those two letters, whereupon he had convulsions and Professor Gooch paused and stared at him in wondering amazement. “Woo! woo! woof!” came in a series of explosive grunts from Bradley, who was doing his best to “hold in.” “Really, sir,” said the professor severely, “if you feel as bad as that you may leave the room at once.” “Woo! woo! Thank you, sir!” said Billy, and he hustled out to have further convulsions in the anteroom. Billy was waiting for the others when they filed out of the class-room. He took great delight in repeating any story that he heard. On this occasion he seized on Chip Jolliby as a fit subject to try the story on first. “Hi say, hold fellow,” he said, locking arms with the lank chap. “What is the longest word hin the Henglish language?” “Ru-ru-ru-rubber,” said Chip promptly. “Hi ham hin hearnest,” declared Bradley. “What his the longest word?” “Ru-ru-ru-rubber,” stuttered Chip, once more. “That’s the longest word.” “’Ow do you make that hout?” “Why, if it ain’t lul-lul-long enough you can sus-sus-stretch it,” said Jolliby, with a grin, but this did not satisfy Bradley. “You can’t stretch hit long henough,” he said. “Hi know a word with a mile between the first hand last letters.” “Now you sus-sus-stop,” chattered Chip. “Hi can prove hit,” insisted Billy. “What’s the word?” demanded Jolliby. “It’s laughs,” declared Bradley triumphantly, giving the lank lad a poke in the ribs. “’Ow is that for ’igh? Hisn’t that pretty good, eh?” To his surprise, Chip looked blank and puzzled. “Well, hif you ain’t a chump!” exploded Bradley, in disgust. “Just spell between the first and last letters hand see hif hit hisn’t a mile!” With which he released Jolliby and turned away, completely dismayed over his ill success. Smart, who had kept near enough to hear all this, was forced to press his hand over his mouth to prevent a shout of laughter. “Hi wonder what the matter was,” thought Bradley. “’E didn’t seem to see the point. Hi’ll try hanother fellow.” He sidled up to Brad Buckhart.