od up. She missed. She burst into
audible weeping. Nerves were giving out along the line. It went wildly
down. Emmy Lou was the last. Emmy Lou stood up. It was the first word of
a column on page 22. Emmy Lou could see it. She looked at Dear Teacher.

"B," said Emmy Lou, "e-a-u-x, beaux."

The intervening mothers had gone to their seats, and Kitty and Emmy Lou
were left.

Kitty spelled triumphantly. Emmy Lou spelled steadily. Even Dear
Teacher's voice showed a touch of the strain.

She gave out half a dozen words. Then "receive," said Dear Teacher.

It was Kitty's turn. Kitty stood up. Dear Teacher's back was to the
blackboard. The Trustee and the visiting gentleman were also facing the
class. Kitty's eyes, as she stood up, were on the board.

"The best speller in this room is to recieve this medal,"

was the assurance on the board.

Kitty tossed her little head. "R-e, re, c-i-e-v-e, ceive, receive,"
spelled Kitty, her eyes on the blackboard.

"Wrong."

Emmy Lou stood up. It was the second word in a column on a picture page.
Emmy Lou could see it. She looked at Dear Teacher.

"R-e, re, c-e-i-v-e, ceive, receive," said Emmy Lou.

One person beside Kitty had noted the blackboard. Already the Principal
was passing an eraser across the words of the visiting gentleman.

Dear Teacher's cheeks were pink as Emmy Lou's as she led Emmy Lou to
receive the medal. And her head was finely erect. She held Emmy Lou's
hand through it all.

The visiting gentleman's manner was a little stony. It had quite lost
its playfulness. He looked almost gloomily on the mother who had upheld
the pillars of state and the future generally.

It was a beautiful medal. It was a five-pointed star. It said "Reward of
Merit."

The visiting gentleman lifted it from its bed of pink cotton.

"You must get a ribbon for it," said Dear Teacher.

Emmy Lou slipped her hand from Dear Teacher's. She went to the front
desk. She got her Second Reader, and brought forth a folded packet from
behind the criss-cross stitches holding the cover.

Then she came back. She put the paper in Dear Teacher's hand.

"There's a ribbon," said Emmy Lou.

They were at dinner when Emmy Lou got home. On a blue ribbon around her
neck dangled a new medal. In her hand she carried a shiny box.

Even Uncle Charlie felt there must be some mistake.

Aunt Louise got her hat to hurry Emmy Lou right back to school.

At the gate they met Dear Teacher's carriage, takin