Mr. Brians would be there ahead of him and get
it done anyway, so where's the use of bothering? I'm a member of the
school board, and I might be betraying my trust if I encouraged you to
neglect your work, but I feel I ought to tell you that if any day you
would like to take a few hours off, why, do so, Mr. Brians will teach
for you."

There was a great deal more banter and fun, and the March of Education
was resumed with small recruits in clean pinafores darting out of homes
here and there to join it. It ended at last at the battered gate of
the little schoolhouse. The East Ward was a small part of the town,
consisting mostly of lake, so the population was not very large. There
were but two grades, of which Mrs. Adam taught the younger.

The children scampered over the yard, and swarmed into the building.
Lawyer Ed ran about, scattering pink "bull's-eyes" all over the floor
and yard, calling, "Chukie, Chukie!" with the whole school at his heels
like a flock of noisy chickens. And when he had the place in an
uproar, he shouted good-bye and rushed away in a fit of laughter.

Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby sank heavily into a chair, with a relieved
smile, and said, as Helen hung up her hat, and looked about
apprehensively, "Now, my dear child, I remember my first day at
school-teaching distinctly, and if yours is anything the same, you are
scared to death. So if you want to know anything or need any help, you
just come right along into my room, and we'll fix it up. And whatever
you do, don't worry. We're going to have just a glorious time
together, you and I."

And the new teacher went to her first day's work with a heart far less
heavy than she would have believed possible. Far ahead had begun to
show the first faint glimmer of the light that was leading her through
sorrow and pain to a higher and better life. And all unconsciously she
had begun to follow its gleam.

CHAPTER VI

LAUNCHING HIS VESSEL

Roderick had been but two days in the office of Edward Brians,
barrister, and already he had learned a great deal. Two important
facts, not directly connected with the legal profession, had been
impressing themselves upon him. The first was that if he were going to
reach the goal of success that shone so alluringly ahead of him, he
must give every effort and every minute of time to his work; and the
second was that he was going to have a hard time concentrating upon it
in the various interests of the l