that institution.

Janice had been the young man's inspiration when he had first come to
Polktown, a raw college graduate, bent only on "teaching for a living"
and on earning his salary as easily as possible. Awakened by his
desire to stand well in the estimation of the serious-minded
girl--eager to "make good" with her--Nelson Haley had put his shoulder
to the wheel, and the result was Polktown's fine new graded school,
with the young man himself at the head of it.

Nelson was good looking--extremely good looking, indeed. He was light,
not dark like Janice, and he was muscular and sturdy without being at
all fleshy. The girl was proud of him--he was always so well-dressed,
so gentlemanly, and carried himself with such an assured air. Daddy
was bound to be pleased with a young man like Nelson Haley, once he
should see the schoolteacher!

In his companionship now, Janice rather lost sight of the troubles that
had come upon her of late. Nelson told her of his school plans as they
strolled down High Street.

"And I fancy these lectures and readings the School Committee are
arranging will be a good thing," the young man said. "We'll slip a
little extra information to the boys and girls of Polktown without
their suspecting it."

"Sugar-coated pills?" laughed Janice.

"Yes. The old system of pounding knowledge into the infant cranium
isn't in vogue any more."

"Poor things!" murmured Janice Day, from the lofty rung of the
scholastic ladder she had attained. "Poor things! I don't blame them
for wondering: 'What's the use?' Marty wonders now, old as he is.
There is such a lot to learn in the world!"

They talked of other things, too, and it was the appearance of Jim
Narnay weaving a crooked trail across High Street toward the rear of
the Inn that brought back to the girl's mind the weight of new trouble
that had settled upon it.

"Oh, dear! there's that poor creature," murmured Janice. "And I
haven't been to see how his family is."

"Who--Jim Narnay's family?" asked Nelson.

"Yes."

"You'd better keep away from such people, Janice," the young man said
urgently.

"Why?"

"You don't want to mix with such folk, my dear," repeated the young
man, shaking his head. "What good can it do? The fellow is a drunken
rascal and not worth striving to do anything for."

"But his family? The poor little children?" said Janice, softly.

"If you give them money, Jim'll drink it up."

"I believe that," admitt