ling her, and--"

"SPOILIN' her! _I_ spoilin' her? Who told you such an unlikely yarn as
that? I ain't the kind to spoil anybody. Why, I'm so strict that I'm
ashamed of myself sometimes."

He honestly believed he was. Miss Phoebe calmly continued.

"Of course, what you do at home is none of my business. I shouldn't
mention it anyhow, if you hadn't called, because I pay very little
attention to town talk, having lived in this county all my life and
knowing what gossip amounts to. I like Emily; she's a pretty good little
girl and well behaved, as children go. But this you must understand. She
can't be spoiled here. She whispered this afternoon, twice. She has been
warned often, and knows the rule. I kept her after school because she
broke that rule, and if she breaks it again, she will be punished again.
I kept the Edwards boy two hours yesterday and--"

"Edwards boy! Do you mean to compare that--that young rip of a Ben
Edwards with a girl like Bos'n? I never heard--"

"I'm not comparing anybody. I'm trying to be fair to every scholar in
this room. And, so long as Emily behaves herself, she shall be
treated accordingly. When she doesn't, she shall be punished. You must
understand that."

"But Ben Edwards! Why, he's a wooden-head, same as his dad was a fore
him! And Emmie's the smartest scholar in this town."

"Oh, no, she isn't! She's a good scholar, but there are others just as
good and even quicker to learn."

This was piling one insult upon another. Other children as brilliant as
Bos'n! Captain Cy was bursting with righteous indignation.

"Well!" he exclaimed. "Well! for a teacher that we've called to--"

"And that's another thing," broke in Miss Dawes quickly. "I've been told
that you, Cap'n Whittaker, are the one directly responsible for my
being chosen for this place. I don't say that you are presuming on that,
but--"

"I ain't! I never thought of such a thing!"

"But if you are you mustn't, that's all. I didn't ask for the position
and, now that I've got it, I shall try to fill it without regard to one
person more than another. Emily stays here until her lines are written.
I don't think we need to say any more. Good day."

She opened the door. Captain Cy picked up his hat, swallowed hard, and
stepped across the threshold. Then Miss Phoebe added one more remark.

"Cap'n," she said, "when you were in command of a ship did you allow
outsiders to tell you how to treat the sailors?"

The captain opened