ad the face to tell you the truth about this, but I will. You know when
you put in application as principal of the new school, and was turned
down so flat? Now I got it straight from the wife of one of the
committee who was to select the teacher, that when you got up before
that body of plain farm folks to show what you could do, and begun all
that Latin chatter, you cooked your goose for good and all. And, while I
hold nothing against you otherwise, I agree with them. I've always heard
that Latin is a dead language, and if that is so, it ought to be used on
dead folks and not on live ones. No living person can understand half
you say, and therefore I claim that your talk on this matter ought not
to go before what I've got to say in words so plain that a fool can
understand."

"I yield the floor to the lady," the Professor said in confusion.
"_Prior tempore, prior jure._ She has it by rights, and I beg the pardon
of the chair: and the assembly."

"Thank you, Professor," Mrs. Suggs said, as she picked at a few stray
calf hairs on her sleeve. "I wouldn't insist if I wasn't sure that I've
got something to say in plain English that you all will overlook. It is
this, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen. I've had friendly talks with Sister
Whaley and she has sort of let me in on her troubles and fears. Now
there is just one thing that will happen if you botch this matter. Dick
Whaley is the biggest fool and the wildest man when he is mad that ever
lived, and, while you haven't thought of it, this thing may bring about
bloodshed. He has already brought one man to death's door, and this will
be the worst thing for Brother Whaley to stand of anything that ever
crossed his path. He might have stood the talk about his son-in-law
being an atheist, but he'll never put up with what is being said about
selling his own child to a life of infamy, and the likelihood of his
being the grandfather of stock of that sort. If you fellers go on with
this, the innocent blood of more than one person may be on your heads.
Now I'm giving you fair warning, and I'm doing it in time to set you
all to thinking. Serving God is our duty, but if you fellows go over to
Dick Whaley's with this cock-and-bull yarn that you just heard from a
man peddling through the country, you will be led there by the devil
himself. That is all I've got to say."

She sat down. There was a lengthy silence. The men glanced from one to
another in helpless inquiry of rapidly shifting e