altered. Miss Thorne, since I knowed it first."

"Is it?" said Hazel.

"Oh, a deal. Why, when I left Plumton thirty year ago, after being two
year with old Marks the butcher, and went up to London to seek my
fortune--and I think I found it eh, Betsey?"

"That you did indeed, dear," said little Miss Burge proudly.

"Ah, I did, Miss Thorne," he continued. "Why, at that time--"

"I beg your pardon," said Hazel; "the girls are not yet used to me."

She had become aware just then that something else was wrong in the van
of her little army, and hurrying to the front, she found fat Ann
Straggalls furiously red, and choking with laughter.

"For shame!" began Hazel severely. "I don't yet know your name."

"Straggalls, teacher," burst out a chorus of voices. "Annie
Straggalls."

"Straggalls, I shall have to punish you if you do not walk properly. A
great girl like you, and setting so bad an example."

"Please, teacher, it wasn't me," began fat Ann Straggalls.

"It was you," retorted Hazel; "I saw you laughing and behaving very
badly."

"But please, teacher, it was Feelier Potts kept tiddling of me--"

"Oh, what a wicked story, teacher."

"Silence!" cried Hazel.

"Inside of my 'and, where there's a 'ole in my glove, teacher."

"'Strue as goodness I didn't, teacher," cried Feelier.

"Not another word. Walk quietly on to church. I will talk about it
to-morrow."

This was, of course, as the progression went on, and just at that
moment, as she was resuming her place. Hazel Thorne felt as if she had
been attacked by a severe spasm. Her heart seemed to stand still, and
she turned pale; then it began to beat furiously, and there was a
crimson flush in her face and temples as she became aware of the fact
that a tall, well-dressed, gentlemanly-looking young man was walking on
the other side of the long street leading into the town, and she saw him
change his thin, closely-folded umbrella from one hand to the other,
ready to raise his hat to her if she would have looked across the road
again. But she let her eyes fall, and this time returned to her place
between Mr and Miss Burge, feeling glad that they were there, and
almost glorying in the vulgarity of their appearance as a safeguard to
her from recollections of the past, and the possibility of troubles in
the future.

"Ah, as I was a-saying," resumed Mr William Forth Burge, "Plumton's
wonderfully changed since I went to London. Do you know London, Miss