till a happy, hearty _girl_; and if she had romantic dreams of the
future, they were nothing but dreams as yet!

She had the same interest in Nelson that she had in her cousin Marty. It
troubled her that the young man did not seem to have any serious
interest in life. Just as long as he tutored his classes through their
recitations in a manner satisfactory to the school committee, he seemed
quite careless of anything else about the school. He admitted this, in
his laughing way, to the girl, when she broached the subject of the
fight for a new school.

"But it's your _job_!" exclaimed Janice. "You more than anybody else
ought to be interested in having the boys and girls of Poketown get a
decent schoolhouse."

"And suppose old Elder Concannon and the rest of the committee get after
me with a sharp stick?" queried Nelson.

"I should think _you_, a collegian and an educated man, would be only
too eager to help in such a movement as this," Janice cried. "Oh,
Nelson! don't you know that the people who are waking up in this town
need your help?"

"My goodness me! how serious you are about it," he returned, teasingly.
"Of course, if you insist, I'll risk my job with the committee and come
out flat-footed for the new schoolhouse and reform."

"I don't wish you to do anything at all for _me_," returned Janice,
rather tartly. "If your own conscience doesn't tell you what course to
pursue, pray remain neutral--as you are. But I am disappointed in you."

"There is feminine logic for you!" laughed the young man. "With one
breath you tell me to follow the dictates of my own conscience, and then
you show me plainly just how much you will despise me if I go against
your side of the controversy."

"You are mistaken," Janice said, with some little heat. "I do not
personally care what you do, only as your action reflects upon your own
character."

"Now, dear me!" he sighed, still amused at her earnestness, "I thought
if I came out strongly at the town meeting for the new school, you would
award me the palm."

"My goodness me!" exclaimed the exasperated girl. "Somebody ought to
award you a palm--and right on the ear! You're as big a tease as Marty,"
and she refused to discuss the school project with him any further.

CHAPTER XXII

AT THE SUGAR CAMP

Nelson Haley was, however, at the town meeting and spoke in favor of the
new school building. Janice had a full report of it afterward from
Marty, who squeezed in at th