d I considered it advisable to employ a male teacher
in Maitland school. We should have better order. Not that I disapprove
of you personally--far from it. I should be glad to see you succeed.
But I have heard many complaints regarding the order in school at
present."

"I had no trouble until your boys came," retorted Esther, losing her
temper a little, "and I believe that if you were willing to co-operate
with me that I could govern them."

"Well, you see," said Mr. Cropper easily, "when I send my boys to
school I naturally expect that the teacher will be capable of doing
the work she has been hired to do."

"Then you refuse to help me?" said Esther in a trembling voice.

"Why, my dear young lady, what can I do? Boys soon know when they can
disobey a teacher with impunity. No doubt you will be able to secure a
school easier to control and will do good work. But here, as I have
already said, we need a firm hand at the helm. But you are not going
yet, Miss Maxwell? You need some refreshment after your long walk.
Mrs. Cropper will bring you in something."

"No, thank you," said poor Esther. She felt that she must get away at
once or she would burst into heartsick tears under those steely, bland
blue eyes. When she got home she shut herself up in her room and
cried. There was nothing for her to do but resign, she thought
dismally.

On the following Saturday Esther went for an afternoon walk, carrying
her kodak with her. It was a brilliantly fine autumn day, and woods
and fields were basking in a mellow haze. Esther went across lots to
Mrs. Charley Cropper's house, intending to make a call. But the house
was locked up and evidently deserted, so she rambled past it to the
back fields. Passing through a grove of maples she came out among
leafy young saplings on the other side. Just beyond her, with its
laden boughs hanging over the line fence, was the famous plum tree.
Esther looked at it for a moment. Then an odd smile gleamed over her
face and she lifted her kodak.

Monday evening Esther called on Mr. Cropper again. After the
preliminary remarks in which he indulged, she said, with seeming
irrelevance, that Saturday had been a fine day.

"There was an excellent light for snapshots," she went on coolly. "I
went out with my kodak and was lucky enough to get a good negative. I
have brought you up a proof. I thought you would be interested in it."

She rose and placed the proof on the table before Mr. Cropper. The
p