asement of the Union
Church--"the old vestry", as it was called--was used. But although Mr.
Middler had timidly expressed himself as in favor of a new school
building, he did not have the courage to offer the use of the vestry
room.

Therefore the reading-room next to the drug store was one evening
crowded with earnest supporters of the belief that it was time Poketown
built a new structure for the training of her youth.

Janice saw to it that Uncle Jason went. Indeed, with Janice on one side
and Marty on the other, Mr. Day could scarcely escape, for his son and
his niece accompanied him to the place of meeting.

Not that the young folks went in, for there wasn't room. It seemed that
the people who favored a change in the old town's affairs were pretty
numerous, and there was not a dissenting voice in the meeting. It was
decided to have a special town meeting called to vote, if possible, an
appropriation for the building of a new schoolhouse.

This first meeting was only a beginning. It served merely to solidify
that public opinion which was in favor of the improvement. At once
opposition raised its head, and during the fortnight preceding the town
meeting, argument, _pro_ and _con_, was hotter than at election time.

Janice was deeply interested in the project, although she had, during
these first weeks of the New Year, more important thoughts to fill her
heart and mind. Daddy was writing to her regularly. The mine buildings
were being re-erected. The old force had come back to work, and for the
first time since Broxton Day had arrived in Mexico, the outlook for
getting out ore and making regular "cleanups" was bright. But trouble
down there was not yet at an end, and that worried her greatly.

The story of her father's captivity in the hands of the brigand,
Raphele, had been made of light moment in Mr. Day's letters that
immediately followed his escape; but Janice understood enough about it
to know that God had been very good to her. Some other American mining
men and ranchers in Granadas had not escaped with their lives and
property from Raphele and his ilk.

Daddy sent a photograph, too; but that was not until he had recovered
some from his hiding out in the mine without much to eat. Although he
was haggard and bewhiskered, his eyes had that look in them that Janice
so clearly remembered. When she awoke and lit her lamp in the early
morning, there he was looking at her from the bureau; and when she
retired s