who had lived in Poketown for
fifty years, although he had not preached at the Union Church, saving on
special occasion, for two decades.

"The Elder says he thinks this Haley'll do," said Marty, with a grin. "I
heard him tell Walky Dexter so. He knows some Latin, Haley does," added
the boy. "What's Latin, Janice?"

"Nothing that will help him in the least to teach the Poketown School,"
declared his cousin, rather sharply for her. "Isn't that ridiculous!
What can that old minister be thinking of?"

"The Elder's great on what he calls 'the classics,'" said Mr. Day, with
a chuckle. "He reads the Bible in the 'riginal, as he calls it. He allus
said 'Rill Scattergood didn't know enough to teach school."

"I don't believe that Poketown really needs a teacher who reads Hebrew
and can translate a Latin verse. That is, those studies will not help
Mr. Haley much in your school," Janice replied.

"Wal," said Marty, "I'll go when school opens and give him a whirl.
Maybe he'll teach me how to fling that drop curve."

"Now!" whined Aunt 'Mira, when Marty had stumped up to bed. "What good
is it goin' ter do that boy ter go ter school an' learn baseball, I want
ter know?"

CHAPTER XIV

A TIME OF TRIAL

Janice met Nelson Haley a couple of days later in Hopewell Drugg's
store. The matter had been decided ere then; Haley had obtained the
school and had quickly established himself in a boarding-place, as the
school would open the next week.

'Rill Scattergood and her mother had already gone to housekeeping in
three nice rooms just around the corner on High Street, and Mr. Haley
had the good fortune to be "taken in" by Mrs. Beasely. The gaunt old
widow was plainly delighted once more to have "a man to do for."

"If my digestion holds out, Miss Day," whispered the young man to
Janice, "I'm going to do fine with Mrs. Beasely. Good old creature! But
she may kill me with kindness. I don't see how I am going to be able to
do full justice to her three meals a day."

"I hope you will like it as well in school as you do at your
boarding-place," ventured Janice, timidly.

"Oh, the school? That's going to be pie," laughed Haley. "You know about
how it's been run, don't you?"

"I--I attended for more than a month last spring," admitted the girl.

"Then you know very well," said the young man, smiling broadly, "that it
won't be half a trick to satisfy the committee. They don't expect much.
'Just let things run along easy-lik