oeghany started it. Certainly Kitty, in
her desk across the aisle from Hattie, in the sight of all, tossed her
black head knowingly.

The whisper concerned the visiting gentleman. "He is running for
Trustee," said the whisper.

Emmy Lou wondered. Hattie seemed to understand. "He puts his name up on
tree-boxes and fences," she whispered to Emmy Lou, "and that's running
for Trustee."

The rumour was succeeded by another.

"He's running against the Trustee that's not here to-day."

No wonder Kitty McKoeghany was head. The extent of Kitty's knowledge
was boundless.

The third confidence was freighted with strange import. It came straight
from Kitty to Hattie, who told it to Emmy Lou.

"When he's Trustee, he means the School Board shall take his pork house
for the new school."

Even Emmy Lou knew the pork house which had built itself unpleasantly
near the neighbourhood.

Just then the Second Reader class was summoned to the bench. As the line
took its place a hush fell. Emmy Lou, at its foot, looked up its length
and wondered how it would seem to be Kitty McKoeghany at the head.

The three gentlemen were looking at Kitty, too. Kitty tossed her head.
Kitty was used to being looked at because of being head.

The low words of the gentleman reached the foot of the line. "The head
one, that's McKoeghany's little girl." It was the Trustee telling the
visiting gentleman. Emmy Lou did not wonder that Kitty was being pointed
out. Kitty was head. But Emmy Lou did not know that it was because
Kitty was Mr. Michael McKoeghany's little girl that she was being
pointed out as well as because she was head, for Mr. Michael McKoeghany
was the political boss of a district known as Limerick, and by the vote
of Limerick a man running for office could stand or fall.

Now there were many things unknown to Emmy Lou, about which Kitty, being
the little girl of Mr. Michael McKoeghany, could have enlightened her.

Kitty could have told her that the yard of the absent Trustee ran back
to the pork house. Also that the Trustee present was part owner of that
offending building. And further that Emmy Lou's Uncle Charlie, leading
an irate neighbourhood to battle, had compelled the withdrawal of the
obnoxious business.

But to Emmy Lou only one thing was clear. Kitty was being pointed out by
the Principal and the Trustee to the visiting gentleman because she was
head.

Dear Teacher took the book. She stood on the platform apart from the
g