e had always been to her, never telling her
what a queer school she kept! And now that he had consented to be her
grandson in Jimmy's play, just to please her and the rest of the family,
it did seem as if she needn't put on airs in this way!

"Ahem!" said he; "did you hear about that dreadful earthquake in San
Diego?"

There had been a very slight one, but he was trying to tease her.

"No, oh, no!" she replied, throwing up both hands. "When was it?"

"Last night. I'm afraid of 'em myself, and if we get one here to-day you
needn't be surprised to see me cut and run right out of the
schoolhouse."

The children looked at him in alarm. Kyzie could not allow this.

"Oh, you wouldn't do that!" said she, with another toss of the head.
"Before I'd run away from an earthquake! Besides, what good would it
do?"

By afternoon the news had spread about among the children that there was
to be a terrible earthquake that day. They huddled together like
frightened lambs. The little teacher, wishing to reassure them, planted
herself against the wall, and made what Edith would have called a
"little preach."

She pointed out of the window to the clear sky and said she "could not
see the least sign of an earthquake." But even if one should come they
need not be afraid, for their heavenly Father would take care of them.

"And you mustn't think for a moment of running away! No, children, be
quiet! Look at me, _I_ am quiet. I wouldn't run away if there were fifty
earthquakes!"

Strange to say, she had hardly spoken these words when the house began
to shake! They all knew too well what it meant, that frightful rocking
and rumbling; the ground was opening under their feet!

Kyzie, though she may have feared it vaguely all along, was taken
entirely by surprise, and did--what do you think? As quick as a flash,
without waiting for a second thought, she turned and jumped out of the
window!

Next moment, remembering the children, she screamed for them to follow
her, and they poured out of the house, some by the window, some by the
door, all shrieking like mad.

It was a wild scene,--the frantic teacher, the terrified children,--and
Kyzie will never cease to blush every time she recalls it. For there was
no earthquake after all! It was only the new "colonel" and his men
blasting a rock in the mine!

Of course this escapade of the young teacher amused the people of Castle
Cliff immensely. They called it "the little schoolma'am's earth