horred the thought, and yet,
all the morning, on her way to work and seated in the ill-ventilated
classroom, she found the major's advice buzzing through her head, "Keep
out of the conflict! Keep out of the conflict!"

In the afternoon, walking in the park with Bob, a new idea occurred to
her. Why not, when school was over, try for a position as nursery
governess? Such a place would be a grade above anything open to Hertha
Williams, since as a governess she would not be a servant but would be
received at her mistress's table. Loving children, inclining, too, to an
outdoor life, she might in this way secure a summer in the country and
postpone her final decision. Tom's comfortable advice to take her time
remained with her, offering encouragement to this new plan. But the
difficulty in the way of securing a position, the unfamiliar machinery
of employment bureau, of advertisement, made her hesitate. It would mean
publicity, the answering of questions, the entering of a new and perhaps
unfriendly home. She who hated change ought not to have to make her way
in an unfamiliar environment so soon again.

"Tell me about Tom-of-the-Woods," Bob demanded after she had been silent
for many minutes.

"No," Hertha answered.

"Aw, come on," Bob said. "Tell about the night with the owl."

"Not now!"

"Aw, come on. That's the part I like best. I bet he could see in the
dark like a cat. Couldn't he now? Couldn't he see everything just the
same, night or day?"

"There are the ducks!" Hertha cried, and hurried him to where the birds
paddled in the lake and gave entertainment enough to push
Tom-of-the-Woods into Bob's limbo of forgetfulness if not into hers.

The week went wearily on. The warm days were conducive to idleness and
in her discouragement Hertha worked erratically, studying far into the
evening one night to drop her books entirely the next. On Thursday as
she sat in her room looking idly at the sunset light as it faded from
the sky, Mrs. Pickens knocked at the door.

"May I come in?" she asked. "Don't make a light," as Hertha having given
her a seat started to strike a match; "it's pleasant to talk in the
dark."

The two sat near one another looking into the trees.

"I'm thinking of a plan for the summer." Hertha was the first to break
the silence.

"Not one that would mean leaving here, I hope?"

"It would mean leaving here. If I needed it would you give me a
recommendation as a nursery governess?"

The quest