l you shall have it, and no annoyance with it that I can
help."

Miss Northrop repented that she had repented her confidence. "I
remembered that you were kind of old, Will"--and her manner was
irresistibly winning when she said such a thing--"but you are so very
kind now that you make me ashamed. I only meant to ask you what I must
do. Yes, I must take this position if I can, for I have no
alternative."

"There is nothing for you to do," he said. "It is my place, as an
officer of the school, to see that its rightful teacher is not
defrauded."

"So it is," she said, relieved. "But I am none the less grateful."

"It is a pleasure to me to be able to do anything for you," he said,
gravely, somewhat stiffly--from his tone you would not have suspected
much more truth than usual in the formula.

She only said: "You are very kind," and then he lifted his hat, and
left her at Mrs. Stutt's gate.

He deliberately and literally believed, as he walked down the
street--directly to Green's--that he was the happiest man in the
world. For that matter, it is not impossible that he was. He was
absolutely innocent of conscious hyperbole in saying, "It would be
worth a life-time of trouble only to have _seen_ her; and I know her
and am able to do her a service!"

He scored one advantage in having seen Miss Northrop early; he saw
Green before Garvey had talked with him. The report of the quarrel had
by no means failed to reach "The American Eagle," and when Strong came
in Uncle Billy Green was just expressing himself with regard to
Coakley:

"Of course the Judge'll provide for his man when he gets a chance.
That's where he's sharp. And if Coakley is smart enough to suit Judge
Garvey, he's smart enough to teach _my_ children--that's what _I_
say."

A private audience with him would have been merely postponing the hour
of general discussion, so Strong made a brief exposition of his
case--gently enough, but with considerable force--then and there,
displaying the letter he carried by way of proof. He hardly expected
to elicit anything but the usual laugh and comment on the Judge's
smartness. But there was a marked seriousness of tone in the remarks
when he ended.

"Well, that _is_ pretty rough."

"Yes, sir, that's going too far. The Judge ought to know where to
stop. I don't stand by no man when it comes to a shabby trick on an
unprotected school-marm."

"A real lady, too--I could see that when she went by with you,
Strong."