d overheard the wish, two little boys came
running down the hill, and one of them was barefooted. Moreover, when
Kyzie asked if they would stand for a picture, they consented at once.

"My name's Joseph Rolfe," said the elder, twitching off his hat, "and
his name,"--pointing to his companion with a chuckle,--"his name is
Chicken Little."

"No such a thing! Now you quit!" retorted the younger lad in a choked
voice, digging his toes into the dirt, "quit a-plaguing me! My name's
Henry Small and you know it!"

While Edith was busy taking their photographs, Kyzie thanked the urchins
very pleasantly. They both gazed at her with admiration.

"See here," said Joe Rolfe, twitching off his hat again very
respectfully, "Are you going to keep school in the schoolhouse? I wish
you would!"

At this remarkable speech Jimmy and Edith fell to laughing; but Kyzie
only blushed a little, and smiled. How very grown-up she must seem to
Joe if he could think of her as a teacher! She was now a tall girl of
fourteen, with a fine strong face and an earnest manner. She was
beginning to tire of being classed among little girls, and it was
delightful to find herself looked upon for the first time in her life as
a young lady. But she only said:--

"Oh, no, Joe, people don't teach school in summer! Summer is vacation."

"Well, but they do sometimes," persisted Joe; "there was a girl kep'
this school last summer. She called it 'vacation school.' But we didn't
like her; she licked like fury."

"So she did," echoed Chicken Little, "licked and pulled ears. Kep' a
stick on the desk."

And with these last words both the little boys took their leave, running
up hill with great speed, as if they thought that standing for a picture
had been a great waste of time.

"That Chicken boy is the biggest cry-baby," said Nate. "The boys like to
plague him to see him cry. Joe Rolfe has some sense."

As the little party walked on, Miss Katharine turned her head more than
once for another look at the schoolhouse.

"Wouldn't it be fun, Edy, to teach school in there and ring that
'lin-lan-lone bell' to call in the scholars? I'd make you study botany
harder'n you ever did before."

"No, thank you, Miss Dunlee," replied Edith, courtesying. "You'll not
get me to worrying over botany. I studied it a month once, but when I go
up in the mountains I go to have a good time."

She pursed her pretty mouth as she spoke. Her sister Katharine was by
far the best botan