red the appointment."

"How did it happen?" asked Josie.

Mary Louise looked across at her grandfather.

"How did it happen, Gran'pa Jim?" she repeated.

The old colonel lowered his book.

"We haven't been residents of Dorfield many years," said he, "so I am
not well acquainted with the town's former history. But I remember to
have heard that the Herring political ring, which elected our Board of
Education, proposed John Dyer for the position of school
superintendent--and the Board promptly gave him the appointment."

"Was he properly qualified?" Josie asked.

"I think so. A superintendent is a sort of business manager. He doesn't
teach, you know. But I understand the Professor received his education
abroad--at Heidelburg--and is well versed in modern educational
methods. Our schools seem to be conducted very well."

Josie was thoughtful for a time, and after the colonel had resumed his
book, she asked Mary Louise:

"Who was Mrs. Dyer, before her marriage?"

"That is ancient history, as far as I am concerned, but I heard the
girls talking about her, just the other day. Her family, it seems, was
respectable but unimportant; yet Mrs. Dyer is very well liked. She's
not brilliant, but kindly. When we first came here, the Dyers lived in
a little cottage on Juniper street, and it is only lately that they
moved to the big house they've just bought. Mrs. Dyer is now trying
hard for social recognition, but seems to meet with little
encouragement. Mrs. Charleworth speaks to her, you know, but doesn't
invite Mrs. Dyer to her affairs."

Next day Edna Barlow, after a morning's quest of contributions,
returned to the Shop in triumph.

"There's almost a truck-load of stuff outside, to be unloaded," she
announced, "and a good half of it is from Mrs. Dyer--a lot of the old
Dudley-Markham rubbish, you know. It has class to it, girls, and when
it has been freshened up, we're sure to get good prices for the lot."

"I'm surprised that Mrs. Dyer was so liberal," said Mary Louise.

"Well, at first she said the Professor had gone to Chicago on business,
and so she couldn't do anything for us," replied Edna; "but I insisted
that we needed goods right now, so she finally said we could go up in
the attic, and rummage around, and take whatever we could find. My,
what a lot of useless stuff there was! That attic has more smashed and
battered and broken-legged furniture in it than would furnish six
houses--provided it was in shape.