now_ it's the most wonderful thing in all the world!"

CHAPTER XIV

THE NEW SCHOOL-TEACHER IN BEAR CANYON

"Yes, sir," said Mr. Samuel Wilson, stretching his boot-clad legs to their
fullest extent, and twirling his thumbs thoughtfully, "yes, sir, we've got
to have a teacher up in Bear Canyon. There ain't a bit o' use in waitin' a
week for that teacher from Sheridan. Come December, there'll be snow, and
school not out. Accordin' to my judgment, and I'm the chief trustee o'
this district, it's best to get some one to teach a week until the one
we've hired gets here. I stopped at Ben Jarvis' place on my way down here,
and he agreed with me. Says he, 'Sam, there'd ought to be one out o' that
crowd o' ladies over to Hunter's who could keep school a week. They're all
raised around Boston, folks tell me. Now you go along over, and see.' And
I said I would. What do you think, John? Ain't there a likely one among
'em? If Virginia didn't know the children so well, I'd be for choosin'
her. But a stranger's what we want. That school seems to need a stranger
'bout every term."

"That's just the difficulty," said Mr. Hunter. "It is a hard school, and
these girls aren't used to schools out here. The girl I am thinking of is
Mary Williams, but she's young--only eighteen. I shouldn't even consider
her if she hadn't said the other day that she'd like to try teaching in
that little school-house up the canyon. Of course 'twould be only for a
week. They're going back East in a little more than two."

"Her age ain't nothin' against her," reassured Mr. Wilson. "Remember Eben
Judd's girl who kept the school last spring? She was only seventeen, and
she could thrash the biggest boy there! Supposin' you let me talk with
this girl if she's around. Seems to me twenty dollars a week is mighty
easy money for just keepin' school and givin' out things you've got in
your head a'ready!"

Mr. Hunter, half-sorry that he had even considered the matter, went in
search of Mary, while Mr. Samuel Wilson stretched his legs even farther
across the floor, re-lit his old corn-cob pipe, and settled himself more
comfortably in his chair. He did not rise when Mary, forewarned but very
eager, came into the room a few minutes later, but he did remove his pipe.
Then he stated his errand, while Mary, feeling very professional, listened
with the deference due Mr. Wilson's position as chief trustee of the Bear
Canyon District.

"What we want," concluded the c