. Only it never had a good teacher yet, and you'll have hard work
to get it into order."

"What will they say in Crofield!" said Mary uneasily. "They'll say I'm
not fit for it."

"I'm sure Miss Glidden will not," said Mrs. Edwards, proudly. "I'm
glad it was unanimous. It shows what they all thought of you."

Perhaps it did; but perhaps it was as well for Mary Ogden's temper that
she could not hear all that was said when the other trustees went home
to announce their action.

It was a great hour for Mary, but her brother Jack was at that same
time beginning to think that New York City was united against him,--a
million and a half to one.

He had been fairly turned out of the last store he had entered.

CHAPTER XVI.

JACK'S FAMINE.

At Crofield, the morning mail brought a letter from Mary, telling of
her election.

There was not so very much comment, but Mrs. Ogden cried a little, and
said:

"I feel as if we were beginning to lose the children."

"I must go to work," said the tall blacksmith after a time; "but I
don't feel like it. So Mary's to teach, is she? She seems very young.
I wish I knew about Jack."

Meanwhile, poor Jack was half hopelessly inquiring, of man after man,
whether or not another boy was wanted in his store. It was only one
long, flat, monotony of "No, sir," and at last he once more turned his
weary footsteps up-town, and hardly had he done so before he waked up a
little and stood still, and looked around him.

"Hullo!" he exclaimed, "I never was here before. This must be Chatham
Square and the Bowery. I've read about them in the guide-book. I can
go home this way. It's not much like Broadway."

So he thought, as he went along. And it did not at all resemble
Broadway. It seemed to swarm with people; they appeared to be
attending to their own business, and they were all behaving very well,
so far as Jack could see.

"Never saw such a jam," said Jack, as he pushed into a small throng on
a street corner, trying to get through; but at the word "jam" something
came down upon the top of his hat and forced it forward over his eyes.

Up went both of his hands, instinctively, and at that moment each arm
was at once caught and held up for a second or two. It was all done in
a flash. Jack knew that some boisterous fellow had jammed his hat over
his eyes, and that others had hustled him a little; but he had not been
hurt, and he did not feel like quarreling, just then. He