Part 15 (1/2)

”It's a problem for one o' them smart detecatifs ye read abeout in the magazines--one o' them like they have in stories. I read abeout one of 'em in a story. Yeou leave him smell the puffumery on a gal's handkerchief and he'll tell right away whether she was a blonde or a brunette, an' what size glove she wore! Haw! haw! haw!

”This ain't no laughing matter, Walky,” Mr. Day said, with a side glance at Janice.

”Better laff than cry,” declared Walky. ”Howsomever, folks seed Mr.

Haley go into the schoolhouse and come out ag'in----”

”He told the committee he had been there,” Janice interrupted.

”That's right, too. Mebbe not so many folks would ha' knowed they'd seen him there if he hadn't up and said so. Proberbly there was ha'f a dozen other folks hangin' abeout the schoolhouse, too, at jest the time the coin collection was stole; but they ain't remembered 'cause they didn't up and tell on themselves.”

”Oh, Walky!” gasped the girl, startled by the suggestion.

”Wal,” drawled the expressman, in continuation, ”that ain't no good to us, for n.o.body had a key to the door but him and Benny Thread.”

”I wonder----” murmured Janice; but said no more.

”It's a scanderlous thing,” Walky pursued, receiving his book back and preparing to join Josephus at the gate. ”Goin' ter split things wide open in Polktown, I reckon. 'Twill be wuss'n a church row 'fore it finishes. Already there's them that says we'd oughter have another teacher in Mr. Haley's place.”

”Oh, my!” cried Aunt 'Mira.

”Ain't willin' ter give the young feller a chance't at all, heh?” said Mr. Day, puffing hard at his pipe. ”Wall! we'll see abeout _that_.”

”We'd never have a better teacher, I tell 'em,” Walky flung back over his shoulder. ”But Mr. Haley's drawin' a good salary and there's them that think it oughter go ter somebody that belongs here in Polktown, not to an outsider like him.”

”Hi tunket!” cried Marty, after Walky had gone. ”There ye have it.

Miss Pearly Breeze, that used ter substi-_toot_ for 'Rill Scattergood, has wanted the school ever since Mr. Haley come. She'd do fine tryin'

to be princ.i.p.al of a graded school--I don't think!”

”Oh, don't talk so, I beg of you,” Janice said. ”Of course Nelson won't lose his school. If he did, under these circ.u.mstances, he could never go to Millhampton College to teach. Why! perhaps his career as a teacher would be irrevocably ruined.”

”Now, don't ye take on so, Janice,” cried Aunt 'Mira, with her arm about the girl. ”It won't be like that. It _can't_ be so bad--can it, Jason?”

”We mustn't let it go that fur,” declared her spouse, fully aroused now. ”Consarn Walky Dexter, anyway! I guess, as Marty says, what he puts in his mouth talks as well as sings for him.

”I snum!” added the farmer, shaking his head. ”I dunno which is the biggest nuisance, an ill-natered gossip or a good-natered one. Walky claims ter feel friendly to Mr. Haley, and then comes here with all the unfriendly gossip he kin fetch. Huh! I ain't got a mite o' use fer sech folks.”

Uncle Jason was up, pacing the kitchen back and forth in his stocking feet. He was much stirred over Janice's grief. Aunt 'Mira was in tears, too. Marty went out on the porch, ostensibly for a pail of fresh water, but really to cover his emotion.

None of them could comfortably bear the sight of Janice's tears. As Marty started the pump a boy ran into the yard and up the steps.

”Hullo, Jimmy Gallagher, what you want?” demanded Marty.

”I'm after Janice Day. Got a note for her,” said the urchin.

”Hey, Janice!” called her cousin; but the young girl was already out on the porch.

”What is it, Jimmy? Has Nelson----”