y Bud himself--rang
the big bell. Even then they entered reluctantly and as if it were a
great condescension that they came at all, Jed and "Delicate" coming in
last, with scarcely a casual glance toward the teacher's desk, as if she
were a mere fraction in the scheme of the school. She did not need to be
told which was Timothy and which was Jed. Bud's description had been
perfect. Her heart, by the way, instantly went out to Timothy. Jed was
another proposition. He had thick, overhanging eyebrows, and a mouth
that loved to make trouble and laugh over it. He was going to be hard to
conquer. She wasn't sure the conquering would be interesting, either.

Margaret stood by the desk, watching them all with a pleasant smile. She
did not frown at the unnecessary shuffling of feet nor the loud remarks
of the boys as they settled into their seats. She just stood and watched
them interestedly, as though her time had not yet come.

Jed and Timothy were carrying on a rumbling conversation. Even after
they took their seats they kept it up. It was no part of their plan to
let the teacher suppose they saw her or minded her in the least. They
were the dominating influences in that school, and they wanted her to
know it, right at the start; then a lot of trouble would be saved. If
they didn't like her and couldn't manage her they didn't intend she
should stay, and she might as well understand that at once.

Margaret understood it fully. Yet she stood quietly and watched them
with a look of deep interest on her face and a light almost of mischief
in her eyes, while Bud grew redder and redder over the way his two idols
were treating the new teacher. One by one the school became aware of the
twinkle in the teacher's eyes, and grew silent to watch, and one by one
they began to smile over the coming scene when Jed and Timothy should
discover it, and, worst of all, find out that it was actually directed
against them. They would expect severity, or fear, or a desire to
placate; but a twinkle--it was more than the school could decide what
would happen under such circumstances. No one in that room would ever
dare to laugh at either of those two boys. But the teacher was almost
laughing now, and the twinkle had taken the rest of the room into the
secret, while she waited amusedly until the two should finish the
conversation.

The room grew suddenly deathly still, except for the whispered growls of
Jed and Timothy, and still the silence deepene