the bench, but only to
rise again quickly with a cry of pain and strike Trinidad a fierce blow,
who, he rightly suspected, was responsible for the pin that had found a
lodging-place in the seat of his trousers.

At that not even the Girl's remonstrances prevented the boys, who had
been silent as mice all the time that the instrument of torture was
being adjusted, from giving vent to roars of laughter; and for a moment
things in the school-room were decidedly boisterous.

"Sit down, boys, sit down!" ordered the Girl again and again; but it was
some moments before she could get the school under control. When,
finally, the skylarking had ceased, the Girl said in a voice which,
despite its strange weariness, was music to their ears:

"Once more we meet together. There's ben a lot happened o' late that has
learned me that p'r'aps I don't know as much as I tho't I did, an' I
can't teach you much more. But if you're willin' to take me for what I
am--jest a woman who wants things better, who wants everybody all they
ought to be, why I'm willin' to rise with you an' help reach out--" She
stopped abruptly, for Handsome was waving his hand excitedly at her, and
asked a trifle impatiently: "What is it, Handsome?"

Handsome rose and hurriedly went over to her.

"Whisky, teacher, whisky! I want it so bad--"

The school rose to its feet as one man.

"Teacher! Teacher!" came tumultuously from all, their hands waving
frantically in the air. And then without waiting for permission to speak
the cry went up: "Whisky! Whisky!"

"No, no whisky," she denied them flatly.

Gradually the commotion subsided, for all knew that she meant what she
said, at least for the moment.

"An' now jest a few words more on the subject o' not settin' judgment on
the errin'--a subject near my heart."

This remark of the Girl's brought forth murmurs of wonder, and in the
midst of them the door was pushed slowly inward and The Sidney Duck,
wearing the deuce of spades which the Sheriff had pinned to his jacket
when he banished him from their presence for cheating at cards, stood on
the threshold, looking uncertainly about him. At once all eyes were
focused upon him.

"Git! Git!" shouted the men, angrily. This was followed by a general
movement towards him, which so impressed The Sidney Duck that he turned
on his heel and was fleeing for his life when a cry from the Girl
stopped him.

"Boys, boys," said the Girl in a reproving voice, which silenced