their facial expressions hostile, but perhaps this was more for one
another's benefit than for Ramsey's; and several of them went so far out
of their way to find even private opportunities for reproving him that
an alert observer might have suspected them to have been less indignant
than they seemed--but not Ramsey. He thought they all hated him, and
said he was glad of it.

Dora was a non-partisan. The little prig was so diligent at her books
she gave never the slightest sign of comprehending that there had been
a fight about her. Having no real cognizance of Messrs. Bender and
Milholland except as impediments to the advance of learning, she did not
even look demure.

Chapter V

With Wesley Bender, Ramsey was again upon fair terms before the winter
had run its course; the two were neighbours and, moreover, were drawn
together by a community of interests which made their reconciliation a
necessity. Ramsey played the guitar and Wesley played the mandolin.

All ill feeling between them died with the first duet of spring, yet the
twinkling they made had no charm to soothe the savage breast of Ramsey
whenever the Teacher's Pet came into his thoughts. He daydreamed a
thousand ways of putting her in her place, but was unable to carry
out any of them, and had but a cobwebby satisfaction in imagining
discomfitures for her which remained imaginary. With a yearning so
poignant that it hurt, he yearned and yearned to show her what she
really was. "Just once!" he said to Fred Mitchell. "That's all I ask,
just once. Just gimme one chance to show that girl what she really is.
I guess if I ever get the chance she'll find out what's the matter with
her, for _once_ in her life, anyway!" Thus it came to be talked about
and understood and expected in Ramsey's circle, all male, that Dora
Yocum's day was coming. The nature of the disaster was left vague, but
there was no doubt in the world that retribution merely awaited its
ideal opportunity. "You'll see!" said Ramsey. "The time'll come when
that ole girl'll wish she'd moved o' this town before she ever got
appointed monitor of _our_ class! Just you wait!"

They waited, but conditions appeared to remain unfavourable
indefinitely. Perhaps the great opportunity might have arrived if Ramsey
had been able to achieve a startling importance in any of the "various
divergent yet parallel lines of school endeavour"--one of the phrases by
means of which teachers and principal clogged th