David's presence after
school closed.

"You have no gratitude, David," she stated emphatically.

The boy winced, and his eyes darkened with concern, as he remembered
his mother's parting injunction.

Little Teacher softened slightly.

"You are sorry, aren't you, David?" she asked gently.

He looked at her meditatively.

"No, Teacher," he answered quietly.

She flushed angrily.

"David Dunne, you may go home, and you needn't come back to school
again until you tell me you are sorry."

David took his books and walked serenely from the room. He went home
by the way of Jim Block's farm.

"Hullo, Dave!" called Big Jim, who was in the barnyard.

"Hello, Jim! I came to tell you some good news. You said if you were
only sure there was something Teacher was afraid of, you wouldn't feel
so scared of her."

"Well," prompted Jim eagerly.

"I thought I'd find out for you, so I took a mouse to school and let
it loose."

"Gee!"

David then related the occurrences of the morning, not omitting the
look in Little Teacher's eyes when she beheld Jim from the window.

"I'll hook up this very night and go to see her," confided Jim.

"Be sure you do, Jim. If you find your courage slipping, just remember
that you owe it to me, because she won't let me come back to school
unless she knows why I wasn't sorry."

"I give you my word, Dave," said Jim earnestly.

The next morning Little Teacher stopped at the Brumble farm.

"I came this way to walk to school with you and Janey," she said
sweetly and significantly to David.

When they reached the road, and Janey had gone back to get her sled,
Little Teacher looked up and caught the amused twinkle in David's eye.
A wave of conscious red overspread her cheeks.

"Must I say I am sorry now?" he asked.

"David Dunne, there are things you understand which you never learned
from books."

CHAPTER XI

Late spring brought preparations for M'ri's wedding. Rhody Crabbe's
needle and fingers flew in rapturous speed, and there was likewise
engaged a seamstress from Lafferton. Rhody had begged for the making
of the wedding gown, and when it was finished David went to fetch it
home.

"It's almost done, David, and you tell M'ri the last stitch was a
loveknot. It's most a year sence you wuz here afore, a-waitin' fer her
blue waist tew be finished. Remember, don't you, David?"

He remembered, and as she stitched he sat silently reviewing that
year, the comforts received, th