id Jennie, "you talked about the good of the schools
all of the time, and never said a word about your own salary! What do you
want? They want to know?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Jim in the manner of one who suddenly remembers that he
has forgotten his umbrella or his pocket-knife. "I forgot all about it. I
haven't thought about that at all, Jennie!"

"Jim," said she, "you need a guardian!"

"I know it, Jennie," said he, "and I know who I want. I want----"

"Please come back," said Jennie, "and tell papa how much you're going to
hold the district up for."

"You run back," said Jim to Newton, "and tell your father that whatever is
right in the way of salary will be satisfactory to me. I leave that to the
people."

Newton darted off, leaving the schoolmaster standing in the road with the
county superintendent.

"I can't go back there!" said Jim.

"I'm proud of you, Jim," said Jennie. "This community has found its
master. They can't do all you ask now, nor very soon; but finally they'll
do just as you want them to do. And, Jim, I want to say that I've been the
biggest little fool in the county!"

CHAPTER XXII

AN EMBASSY FROM DIXIE

Superintendent Jennie sat at her desk in no very satisfactory frame of
mind. In the first place court was to convene on the following Monday, and
both grand jury and petit juries would be in session, so that her one-room
office was not to be hers for a few days. Her desk was even now ready to
be moved into the hall by the janitor. To Wilbur Smythe, who did her the
honor of calling occasionally as the exigencies of his law practise took
him past the office of the pretty country girl on whose shapely shoulders
rested the burden of the welfare of the schools, she remarked that if they
didn't soon build the new court-house so as to give her such
accommodations as her office really needed, "they might take their old
office--so there!"

"Fair woman," said Wilbur, as he creased his Prince Albert in a parting
bow, "should adorn the home!"

"Bosh!" sneered Jennie, rather pleased, all the same, "suppose she isn't
fair, and hasn't any home!"

This question of adorning a home was no nearer settlement with Jennie than
it had ever been, though increasingly a matter of speculation.

There were two or three men--rather good catches, too--who, if they were
encouraged--but what was there to any of them? Take Wilbur Smythe, now; he
would by sheer force of persistent assurance and fair abilities