w Chief of Police in Middleville. Mrs. Bell
had some money of her own and was slowly recovering her old position
in society.

It was not without misgivings that Miss Hill presented herself at Mrs.
Bell's door and gave her card to a servant. The teacher had often made
thankless and misunderstood calls upon the mothers of her pupils. She
was admitted and shown to a living room where a woman of fair features
and noble proportions greeted her.

"Bessy's teacher, I presume?" she queried, graciously, yet with just
that slight touch of hauteur which made Miss Hill feel her position.

"I am Bessy's teacher," she replied, with dignity. "Can you spare me a
few minutes?"

"Assuredly. Please be seated. I've heard Bessy speak of you. By the
way, the child hasn't come home yet. How late she always is!"

Miss Hill realized, with a protest at the unfairness of the situation,
that to face this elegant lady, so smiling, so suave, so worldly, so
graciously superior, and to tell her some unpleasant truths about her
daughter, was a task by no means easy, and one almost sure to prove
futile. But Miss Hill never shirked her duty, and after all, her
motive was a hope to help Bessy.

"Mrs. Bell, I've come on a matter of importance," began Miss Hill.
"But it is so delicate a one I don't know how to broach it. I believe
plain speaking best."

Here Miss Hill went into detail, sparing not to call a spade a spade.
But she held back the names of the young society gentlemen mentioned
in the notes. Miss Hill was not sure of her ground there and her
revelation was grave enough for any intelligent mother.

"Really, Miss Hill, you amaze me!" exclaimed Mrs. Bell. "Bessie has
fallen into bad company. Oh, these public schools! I never attended
one, but I've heard what they are."

"The public schools are not to blame," replied Miss Hill, bluntly.

Mrs. Bell gave her visitor a rather supercilious stare.

"May I ask you to explain?"

"I'm afraid I can't explain," replied Miss Hill, conscious of a little
heat. "I've proofs of the condition. But as I can't understand it, how
can I explain? I have my own peculiar ideas, only, lately, I've begun
to doubt them. A year or so ago I would have said girls had their own
way too much--too much time to themselves--too much freedom. But now I
seem to feel life isn't like what it was a few years ago. Girls are
bound to learn. And they never learn at home, that's sure. The last
thing a mother will do is to tell