ered himself a young man, and did not propose to be
treated with the rod.

On the other hand, there stared him in the face Jacob Simmons' threat of
exposure and arrest. The situation was desperate. The money must be got,
whether or no, and yet how could it be procured?

If he failed in raising it, the boy he hated would be vindicated, while
he would be shown up and disgraced before all the village. Nellie would
have nothing more to do with him--would not so much as look at him--and
she would, he reasoned, again become friendly with Fred, and then he
would have no power to break it off as he had recently done. She would
be lost to him, and his rival would reign in his stead.

"No, no! This shall not be!" he said angrily, and spurned the thought
from him; but it as quickly returned. He tried to forget it, but could
not. The pressure from Jacob Simmons forced it back upon his mind, and
it remained there and tormented him till he was almost mad.

In this condition of mind he went to school next day, hoping that a
pleasant greeting and a few smiles from Nellie would dissipate the
vision that had so haunted him. Perhaps they would have done so, but he
had not the pleasure of testing so desirable a remedy.

Nellie came late--after school had commenced.

"It is just my luck that she should be late to-day," he thought, "when
she is always so punctual."

He often looked toward her seat, but could not catch her eye. She seemed
unusually busy with her books.

Matthew did not know what to make of it. He looked at his watch--a
handsome gold one that his father had given him as a birthday present.
It wanted only fifteen minutes of recess time.

"I will see her then," thought Matthew.

The bell rang, and the scholars left their seats and passed out into the
anteroom--all save those who wished to remain and study.

Matthew grew anxious as Nellie did not come out with the other girls.
Recess was half gone. He made an excuse to go to his seat on the
pretense of getting something, but really to try and speak to Nellie.
She was with the teacher, however, who was assisting her to work a
difficult example.

Matthew returned to the anteroom angry. He could not bear the
disappointment gracefully.

"She avoids me for some cause," he said to himself, and then wondered
what it could be. "Last night," he reflected, "we were the best of
friends. Can it be possible that Simmons has already told the secret? He
threatened yesterday that