And," he added, with awkward earnestness, "if you'll just leave all this to ME, and only consider me here to take this sort of work which ain't a lady's--off your hands, we'll just strike our own line between the Peaseleys and Pike County--and run this school in spite of both." A little mollified, a good deal puzzled, and perhaps more influenced by the man's manner than she had imagined, Mrs.Martin said nothing, but let the day pass without dismissing the offenders.

And on returning home that evening she was considerably surprised to receive her landlady's extravagant congratulations on the advent of her new assistant.

"And they do say, Mrs.Martin," continued that lady enthusiastically, "that your just setting your foot down square on that Peaseley and that Barstow, BOTH OF 'EM--and choosing your own assistant yourself--a plain young fellow with no frills and fancies, but one that you could set about making all the changes you like, was just the biggest thing you ever did for Pine Clearing." "And--they--consider him quite--competent ?" said Mrs.Martin, with timid color and hesitating audacity.
"Competent! You ask my Johnny." Nevertheless, Mrs.Martin was somewhat formally early at the schoolhouse the next morning.

"Perhaps," she said, with an odd mixture of dignity and timidity, "we'd better, before school commences, go over the lessons for the day." "I HAVE," he said quickly.

"I told you ONE rehearsal was enough for me." "You mean you have looked over them ?" "Got 'em by heart.