artly de-faced, but I reckon you'll
git on with 'em all right."

"Well, those are pretty long hours," said Gordon. "Seems to me they had
better be shortened. I shall--"

"Them's the usual hours," interrupted the old man, positively. "I've
been trustee now for goin' on twenty-six year, an' th'ain't never been
any change in 'em. An' I ain't see as they've ever been too
long--leastways, I never see as the scholars ever learned too much in
'em. They ain't no longer than a man has to work in the field, and the
work's easier."

Gordon looked at the old man keenly. It was his first battle, and it had
come on at once, as his father had warned him. The struggle was bitter,
if brief, but he conquered--conquered himself. The old countryman's face
had hardened.

"If you want to give satisfaction you'd better try to learn them
scholars an' not the trustees," he said dryly. "The Dennison boys is
hard, but we're harder."

Gordon looked at him quickly. His eyes were resting on him, and had a
little twinkle in them.

"We're a little like the old fellow 'at told the young preacher 'at he'd
better stick to abusin' the sins of Esau and Jacob and David and Peter,
an' let the sins o' that congregation alone."

"I'll try and give you satisfaction," said Keith.

The squire appeared pleased. His face relaxed and his tone changed.

"_You_ won't have no trouble," he said good-humoredly. "Not if you're
like your father. I told 'em you was his son, an' I'd be responsible
for you."

Gordon Keith looked at him with softened eyes. A mention of his father
always went to his heart.

"I'll try and give you satisfaction," he said earnestly. "Will you do me
a favor?"

"Yes."

"Will you come over to the examination of the school when it opens, and
then let me try the experiment of running it my way for, say, two
months, and then come to another examination? Then if I do not satisfy
you I'll do anything you say; I'll go back to the old way."

"Done," said the trustee, cordially. And so, Gordon Keith won another
victory, and started the school under favorable auspices.

Adam Rawson asked him to come and live at his house. "You might give
Phrony a few extra lessons to fit her for a bo'din'-school," he said. "I
want her to have the best edvantages."

Keith soon ingratiated himself further with the old squire. He broke his
young horses for him, drove his wagon, mended his vehicles, and was
ready to turn his hand to anything that came up abo