fter the wedding, and that would make her miss six weeks
at the start.

Next day word was sent around that school was to begin the coming
Monday; so Saturday afternoon the people who had children large enough
to go sent the biggest of them to clean the schoolhouse. May, Leon,
and I went to do our share. Just when there were about a bushel of nut
shells, and withered apple cores, and inky paper on the floor, the
blackboard half cleaned, and ashes trailed deep between the stove and
the window Billy Wilson was throwing them from, some one shouted:
"There comes Mr. Stanton with Her."

All of us dropped everything and ran to the south windows. I tell you
I was proud of our big white team as it came prancing down the hill,
and the gleaming patent leather trimmings, and the brass side lamps
shining in the sun. Father sat very straight, driving rather fast, as
if he would as lief get it over with, and instead of riding on the back
seat, where mother always sat, the teacher was in front beside him, and
she seemed to be talking constantly. We looked at each other and
groaned when father stopped at the hitching post and got out. If we
had tried to see what a dreadful muss we could make, things could have
looked no worse. I think father told her to wait in the carriage, but
we heard her cry: "Oh Mr. Stanton, let me see the dear children I'm to
teach, and where I'm to work."

Hopped is the word. She hopped from the carriage and came hopping
after father. She was as tall as a clothes prop and scarcely as fat.
There were gray hairs coming on her temples. Her face was sallow and
wrinkled, and she had faded, pale-blue eyes. Her dress was like my
mother had worn several years before, in style, and of stiff gray
stuff. She made me feel that no one wanted her at home, and probably
that was the reason she had come so far away.

Every one stood dumb. Mother always went to meet people and May was
old enough to know it. She went, but she looked exactly as she does
when the wafer bursts and the quinine gets in her mouth, and she
doesn't dare spit it out, because it costs five dollars a bottle, and
it's going to do her good. Father introduced May and some of the older
children, and May helped him with the others, and then he told us to
"dig in and work like troopers," and he would take Miss Pollard on home.

"Oh do let me remain and help the dear children!" she cried.

"We can finish!" we answered in full chorus.

"How lo