her steps was
away from home when she arrived and it was necessary to consider where she
would go next. After some thought she decided to try the Chamberlain
district, which lay between there and her home. It was eight miles from
the Farnshaw homestead and far enough away so that she would not have to
board with her parents and she determined to try to meet the school board,
which met usually on the first Tuesday night in April.

The fact of facing around toward the north again set her to considering
what course of action she would pursue when she went back home.

"I'll go back, I guess, and be patient with whatever he feels like doing
with me," she resolved, reflecting that from her father's standpoint he
had a very real grievance against her. "It was a dreadful thing for him to
hear me advising ma to leave him. I guess I owe it to them to try to
straighten it up. But I don't believe it can ever be straightened up," she
ended doubtfully.

Elizabeth was passing a grove of young cottonwood trees and was so
absorbed in her thoughts that, becoming only half conscious that Patsie
was lagging and that time was passing rapidly, she gave her a slap with
the strap in her hand, urging the horse to a faster pace as she rounded
the corner of the section without looking up. Patsie broke into a long,
easy lope. Suddenly Elizabeth became conscious of the noise of other hoofs
splashing toward them. Glancing up, she saw a farm team almost upon them,
whose driver was stooped to avoid the rain.

Elizabeth pulled her horse up sharply, and to one side. The trail was an
old one, and the sloping, washed-out rut was deep. Patsie lost her footing
and, after a slipping plunge or two, fell floundering on her side before
her mistress could support her with the rein. Active as a boy, Elizabeth
loosened her foot from the stirrup and flung herself to the other side of
the road, out of the way of the dangerous hoofs. Elizabeth slipped as her
feet struck the ground and she landed on "all-fours" in the grass.

The young man, suddenly awake to what had happened, was out of his high
seat and had the mare by the bridle before its rider had fairly scrambled
up.

"I beg your pardon! Are you hurt?" he called across the wagon, when
Patsie, still nervous from her fall, hung back as far as her rein would
permit and not only refused to be led but threatened to break away
altogether.

"Not at all! Not a bit! Whoa! Patsie! Whoa! Lady!" Elizabeth cried, com