Margaret felt that it was time she took her leave.

"Look-ahere oncet, Teacher!" Mr. Getz suddenly said, fixing on her a
suspicious and searching look, "do you uphold to novel-readin'?"

Miss Margaret hesitated perceptibly. She must shield Tillie even more
than herself. "What a question to ask of the teacher at William Penn!"
she gravely answered.

"I know it ain't such a wery polite question," returned Mr. Getz, half
apologetically. "But the way you side along with childern ag'in' their
parents suspicions me that the Doc was lyin' when he sayed them
novel-books was hisn. Now was they hisn or was they yourn?"

Miss Margaret rose with a look and air of injury. "'Mr. Getz, no one
ever before asked me such questions. Indeed," she said, in a tone of
virtuous primness, "I can't answer such questions."

"All the same," sullenly asserted Mr. Getz, "I wouldn't put it a-past
you after the way you passed your opinion to me this after!"

"I must be going," returned Miss Margaret with dignity.

Mrs. Getz came forward from the stove with a look and manner of apology
for her husband's rudeness to the visitor.

"What's your hurry? Can't you stay and eat along? We're not anyways
tired of you."

"Thank you. But they will be waiting for me at the hotel," said Miss
Margaret gently.

Tillie, a bit frightened, also hovered near, her wistful little face
pale. Miss Margaret drew her to her and held her at her side, as she
looked up into the face of Mr. Getz.

"I am very, very sorry, Mr. Getz, that my visit has proved so
fruitless. You don't realize what a mistake you are making."

"That ain't the way a teacher had ought to talk before a scholar to its
parent!" indignantly retorted Mr. Getz. "And I'm pretty near sure it
was all the time YOU where lent them Books to Tillie--corruptin' the
young! I can tell you right now, I ain't votin' fur you at next
election! And the way I wote is the way two other members always wotes
still--and so you'll lose your job at William Penn! That's what you get
fur tryin' to interfere between a parent and a scholar! I hope it'll
learn you!"

"And when is the next election?" imperturbably asked Miss Margaret.

"Next month on the twenty-fifth of February. Then you'll see oncet!"

"According to the terms of my agreement with the Board I hold my
position until the first of April unless the Board can show reasons why
it should be taken from me. What reasons can you show?"

"That you side along with