ship of the school (he was to begin with one assistant for
the kindergartners), he threw up his clerkship and hastened to a certain
summer normal school in central Massachusetts.

Janice was very glad, although his action surprised her, knowing, as she
did, how much young Haley needed the money he was earning at the hotel.
His tuition at the summer school for a month, and his board there, would
eat up a good deal of the money he had saved. He might not be able to
enter for his law studies at the end of another school year.

Janice believed, however, that Nelson Haley was "cut out," as the local
saying was, for a teacher. He had an easy, interesting manner, which was
bound to hold the attention of even the wandering minds among his
pupils. She knew by the improvement in Marty that the young man's
influence, especially on the boys of Poketown, was for good.

"If he would only make up his mind to _work_, he might rise high in the
profession," she thought. "Some day he might even be president of a
college--and wouldn't that be fine?"

But she did not write anything of this nature to the absent Nelson. She
treasured in her mind what he had said about working because _she_ was
proud of him; and she wisely decided that Nelson Haley was a young man
who needed very little encouragement in some ways. Janice was by no
means sure that she liked Nelson Haley as he liked her.

So she kept her answers to his letters upon a coolly friendly basis and
only showed him, when he returned to Poketown in September in time for
the dedication exercises of the school building, how glad she was to see
him by the warmth of her greeting.

It was a real gala day in Poketown when the new school building was
thrown open for public inspection. In the evening the upper floor of the
building (which for the present was to be used as a hall) was crowded by
the villagers to hear the "public speaking"; and on this occasion Nelson
Haley again covered himself with glory.

He seemed to have gained enthusiasm, as well as a distinct idea of
modern school methods, from his brief normal training. He managed to
inspire his hearers with hope for a broader and higher education; his
hopes for the future of the Poketown school lit responsive fires in the
hearts of many of his listeners.

Of course, Elder Concannon did not agree. He was heard to say afterward
that he couldn't approve of "no such new-fangled notions," and that he
believed the boys and girls of Pok