eak
of my marrying the County Superintendent! He'd be just as likely to ask
me!"

The county superintendent of public instruction was held in such awe
that his name was scarcely mentioned in an ordinary tone of voice.

"As if there's no difference from a teacher at William Penn to the
county superintendent! You ain't that dumm, Tillie!"

"The difference is that the teacher at William Penn is superior in
every way to the county superintendent!"

She spoke impulsively, and she regretted her words the moment they were
uttered. But Absalom only half comprehended her meaning.

"You think you ain't good enough fur him, and you think I ain't good
enough fur YOU!" he grumbled. "I have never saw such a funny girl!
Well," he nodded confidently, "you'll think different one of these here
days!"

"You must not cherish any false hopes, Absalom," Tillie insisted in
some distress.

"Well, fur why don't you want to have me?" he demanded for the
hundredth time.

"Absalom,"--Tillie tried a new mode of discouragement,--"I don't want
to get married because I don't want to be a farmer's wife--they have to
work too hard!"

It was enough to drive away any lover in the countryside, and for a
moment Absalom was staggered.

"Well!" he exclaimed, "a woman that's afraid of work ain't no wife fur
me, anyways!"

Tillie's heart leaped high for an instant in the hope that now she had
effectually cooled his ardor. But it sank again as she recalled the
necessity of retaining at least his good-will and friendship, that she
might protect the teacher.

"Now, Absalom," she feebly protested, "did you ever see me afraid of
work?"

"Well, then, if you ain't afraid of workin', what makes you talk so
CONTRARY?"

"I don't know. Come, let me read this nice book you've brought me," she
urged, much as she might have tried to divert one of her little sisters
or brothers.

"I'd ruther just set. I ain't much fur readin'. Jake Getz he says he's
goin' to chase you to bed at ten--and ten comes wonderful soon Sundays.
Leave us just set."

Tillie well understood that this was to endure Absalom's clownish
wooing. But for the sake of the cause, she said to herself, she would
conquer her repugnance and bear it.

For two weeks after Tillie's return home, she did not once have a word
alone with Fairchilds. He came several times, ostensibly on errands
from her aunt; but on each occasion he found her hard at work in her
father's presence. At his first visi