has a first-class certificate," said Janet. "Until
lately it was easy to get a school in Texas. But the country school
boards rate you by your certificate more and more. This time I am
going to get first-class, or at least second. If I don't I 'll have to
go back North."

"What kind of questions does that fellow ask when he examines people?"
Steve inquired.

"Well--for instance--'Give the source and course of the Orizaba.'"

"Huh!" remarked Steve.

"To tell the truth," said Janet, "I would n't have got even third-class
if it had n't been for the way I pulled through in geography."

"Are you good in geography?"

"Hardly. I just passed. He asked a great many questions about
climate, and every time he asked that I wrote that it was salubrious.
You see," she explained, with a sly little air, "in the children's
geographies the climate of a country is nearly always salubrious. So I
took a chance on every country. That brought my average up."

"Good for you," exclaimed Steve. "Nothing like beating them at their
own game. Won't you have some more coffee?"

"No, thank you," said Janet. "Two cups is really more than I ought to
drink at night."

Having risen in expectation of getting the coffee, he gave the fire
another armful of mesquite.

"You take a good deal of notice of flowers, don't you!" he said,
sitting down again.

"A person could hardly help it in Texas. Lilies and trumpet-flowers
and lobelias and asters and dahlias and wax-plants--they all grow wild
here. And in spring it is just wonderful. There is scarcely room for
grass."

"Texas won't be like that long, if it keeps on."

"No?"

"These plants all grow from seed. And when the land is heavily grazed
they don't have a chance to plant themselves. They become--what do you
call it--extinguished?"

"Extinct," prompted Janet.

"On my ranch, about twelve miles from here, it is n't what it used to
be in springtime. We've got it pretty heavily stocked; we 're working
it over into shorthorn. This place that we're on now has a fence all
around it; the country is becoming crowded. And they are breaking
farms all the time, too. It won't last long."

"Won't that be a shame!" said Janet. "People spoil everything, don't
they? I am glad I came down here just to see the Texas prairie in
spring. Even if I do have to go back again. Just look at that!"

She reached out, and, grasping a handful, she bent the still rooted
bouquet so that the