e to us where owns
her," he said, as though his child were an item of live stock on the
farm.

"She could come home to you in the summer vacations," Margaret
suggested.

"Yes, and she'd come that spoilt we couldn't get no work out of her.
No, if I hire her out winters, it'll be where I kin draw her wages
myself--where's my right as her parent. What does a body have childern
fur? To get no use out of 'em? It ain't no good you're plaguin' me. I
ain't leavin' her go. Tillie!" he commanded the child with a twirl of
his thumb and a motion of his head; "go set the supper-table!"

Margaret laid her arm about Tillie's shoulder. "Well, dear," she said
sorrowfully, "we must give it all up, I suppose. But don't lose heart,
Tillie. I shall not go out of your life. At least we can write to each
other. Now," she concluded, bending and kissing her, "I must go, but
you and I shall have some talks before you stop school, and before I go
away from New Canaan."

She pressed her lips to Tillie's in a long kiss, while the child clung
to her in passionate devotion. Mr. Getz looked on with dull
bewilderment. He knew, in a vague way, that every word the teacher
spoke to the child, no less than those useless caresses, was "siding
along with the scholar ag'in' the parent," and yet he could not
definitely have stated just how. He was quite sure that she would not
dare so to defy him did she not know that she had the whip-handle in
the fact that she did not want her "job" next year, and that the Board
could not, except for definite offenses, break their contract with her.
It was only in view of these considerations that she played her game of
"plaguing" him by championing Tillie. Jacob Getz was incapable of
recognizing in the teacher's attitude toward his child an unselfish
interest and love.

So, in dogged, sullen silence, he saw this extraordinary young woman
take her leave and pass out of his house.

IX

"I'LL DO MY DARN BEST, TEACHER!"

It soon "got put out" in New Canaan that Miss Margaret was "promised,"
and the doctor was surprised to find how much the news depressed him.

"I didn't know, now, how much I was stuck on her! To think I can't have
her even if I do want her" (up to this time he had had moments now and
then of not feeling absolutely sure of his inclination), "and that
she's promised to one of them tony Millersville Normal professors! If
it don't beat all! Well," he drew a long, deep sigh as, lounging back
in