d the Virginian. "What's that for?"

Now Mr. Taylor had been married for some years. "To educate the
offspring of Bear Creek," he answered with pride.

"Offspring of Bear Creek," the Virginian meditatively repeated. "I don't
remember noticin' much offspring. There was some white tail deer, and a
right smart o' jack rabbits."

"The Swintons have moved up from Drybone," said Mr. Taylor, always
seriously. "They found it no place for young children. And there's Uncle
Carmody with six, and Ben Dow. And Westfall has become a family man,
and--"

"Jim Westfall!" exclaimed the Virginian. "Him a fam'ly man! Well, if
this hyeh Territory is goin' to get full o' fam'ly men and empty o'
game, I believe I'll--"

"Get married yourself," suggested Mr. Taylor.

"Me! I ain't near reached the marriageable age. No, seh! But Uncle
Hughey has got there at last, yu' know."

"Uncle Hughey!" shouted Mr. Taylor. He had not heard this. Rumor is very
capricious. Therefore the Virginian told him, and the family man rocked
in his saddle.

"Build your schoolhouse," said the Virginian. "Uncle Hughey has
qualified himself to subscribe to all such propositions. Got your eye on
a schoolmarm?"

V. ENTER THE WOMAN

"We are taking steps," said Mr. Taylor. "Bear Creek ain't going to be
hasty about a schoolmarm."

"Sure," assented the Virginian. "The children wouldn't want yu' to
hurry."

But Mr. Taylor was, as I have indicated, a serious family man. The
problem of educating his children could appear to him in no light except
a sober one. "Bear Creek," he said, "don't want the experience they had
over at Calef. We must not hire an ignoramus."

"Sure!" assented the Virginian again.

"Nor we don't want no gad-a-way flirt," said Mr. Taylor.

"She must keep her eyes on the blackboa'd," said the Virginian, gently.

"Well, we can wait till we get a guaranteed article," said Mr. Taylor.
"And that's what we're going to do. It can't be this year, and it
needn't to be. None of the kids is very old, and the schoolhouse has got
to be built." He now drew a letter from his pocket, and looked at me.
"Are you acquainted with Miss Mary Stark Wood of Bennington, Vermont?"
he inquired.

I was not acquainted with her at this time.

"She's one we are thinking of. She's a correspondent with Mrs. Balaam."
Taylor handed me the letter. "She wrote that to Mrs. Balaam, and Mrs.
Balaam said the best thing was for to let me see it and judge for
myself. I'm