rtion of the townspeople were for hiring a graduate of the State
Normal School, a young woman with modern training. Others, remembering
that Miss Seabury had graduated from that school, were for proved
ability and less up-to-date methods. These latter had selected a
candidate in the person of a Miss Phoebe Dawes, a resident of Wellmouth,
and teacher of the Wellmouth "downstairs" for some years. The arguments
at Simmons's were hot ones.

"What's the use of hirin' somebody from right next door to us, as you
might say?" demanded Alpheus Smalley, clerk at the store. "Don't we want
our teachin' to be abreast of the times, and is Wellmouth abreast of
ANYthing?"

"It's abreast of the bay, that's about all, I will give in," replied Mr.
Tidditt. "But, the way I look at it, we need disCIPline more 'n anything
else, and Phoebe Dawes has had the best disCIPline in her school, that's
been known in these latitudes. Order? Why, say! Eben Salters told me
that when he visited her room over there 'twas so still that he didn't
dast to rub one shoe against t'other, it sounded up so. He had to set
still and bear his chilblains best he could. And POPULAR! Why, when she
hinted that she might leave in May, her scholars more 'n ha'f of 'em,
bust out cryin'. Now you hear me, I--"

"It seems to me," put in Thaddeus Simpson, who ran the barber shop
and was something of a politician, "it seems to me, fellers, that we'd
better wait and hear what Mr. Atkins has to say in this matter. I
guess that's what the committee 'll do, anyhow. We wouldn't want to go
contrary to Heman, none of us; hey?"

"Tad" Simpson was known to be deep in Congressman Atkins's confidence.
The mention of the great man's name was received with reverence and nods
of approval.

"That's right. We mustn't do nothin' to displease Heman," was the
general opinion.

Captain Cy did not join the chorus. He refilled his pipe and crossed his
legs.

"Humph!" he grunted. "Heman Atkins seems to be--Give me a match, Ase,
won't you? Thanks. I understand there's a special prayer meetin' at the
church to-morrow night, Alpheus. What's it for?"

"For?" Mr. Smalley seemed surprised. "It's to pray for rain, that's
what. You know it, Cap'n, as well's I do. Ain't everybody's garden
dryin' up and the ponds so low that we shan't be able to get water
for the cranberry ditches pretty soon? There's need to pray, I should
think!"

"Humph! Seems a roundabout way of gettin' a thing, don't it? Why do