the window and saw Glory, bearing
a familiar figure, race down the hill and whip into the school-house
path. Her heart gave a flop, so that she caught at the desk to steady
her and she felt the color go out of her face. Then her presence of mind
returned so that she said "School's dismissed"--without going through the
form of "Attention, turn, stand, pass."

The children eyed her curiously, hesitated and then rushed noisily out,
and she sank down upon a bench and covered her face with her hands. It
was queer that she could not seem to get hold of herself and be calm; it
was disgraceful that she should tremble so. Outside she could hear them
shouting, "Hello, Weary!" in a dozen different keys, and each time her
blood jumped. Her eyes had not tricked her, then--though it was not the
first time she had trembled to see a sorrel horse gallop down that hill,
and then turned numb when came disillusionment. Would those children
never start home? By degrees their shrill voices sounded further away,
and the place grew still. But the schoolma'am kept her face covered.

Spurred heels clanked on the threshold, stopped there, and the door shut
with a slam. But she did not look up; she did not dare.

Steps came down the room toward her--long, hurrying steps, determined
steps. Close beside her they stopped, and for a space that seemed to her
long minutes there was no sound.

"Say hello to me--won't you, Girlie?" said a wistful voice that thrilled
to the tips of the schoolma'am's shaking fingers. She dropped her hands
then, reluctantly. Her lips quivered as Weary had never before seen them
do.

"Hello," she obeyed, faintly.

He stood for a moment, studying her face.

"Look up here, Schoolma'am," he commanded at last. "I hate to have my
feet get so much attention. I've come back to fight it out--to a finish,
this time. Yuh can't stampede me again--look up here. I've been plumb
sick for a sight of those big eyes of yours."

Miss Satterly persisted in gazing at the boots of Weary.

"Well, are yuh going to?" There was a new, masterful note in Weary's
voice, that the schoolma'am felt but did not quite understand--then. She
did not, perhaps, realize how plainly her whole attitude spoke surrender.

Weary waited what seemed to him a reasonable time, but her lashes drooped
lower, if anything. Then he made one of the quick, unlooked-for moves
which made him a master of horses. Before she quite knew what was
occurri