CHAPTER XXIII

"DO YOU MEAN THAT?"

"It was right along here--at the bridge, you know--I saw you the first time, Janice," said the teacher, when they had covered some two miles of the way. "Do you remember?"

"I didn't suppose _you_ would," laughed Janice, blushing a little. "And I stared at you because you were the first citified-looking person I had seen since coming to Poketown."

He laughed. "Did I look as bad as all that? I was going fast, I know, but I could see that you were a mighty pretty girl."

"Why! That's a story!" exclaimed Janice, seriously, and looking at the young man in astonishment. "You know that isn't so. I'm _not_ pretty."

"Goodness me! am I not to have my way in _anything_?" demanded Nelson Haley, in mock anger. "If I think you're pretty I can say so, I hope?"

"No, sir. Such ridiculous statements are forbidden. I shall think your eyes need treating almost as badly as do poor little Lottie's. Dear me, whatever are we going to do about that child?"

"If either of us were rich it would be an easy question to answer."

"True enough. I know what _I'd_ do. And I believe you'd be a very generous young man, indeed--as long as being generous did not entail any particular work on your part."

"Oh--now--I call that unfair!" he complained. "We can't all be like you, Janice. I believe you lay awake nights thinking up nice things to do for folks----"

"There you go again--making fun of me," she said, shaking a gloved finger at him. "I don't claim to be a bit more unselfish than the next one. But I'm not lazy."

"Thanks! I suppose I am?"

"There you go--picking one up so quick," Janice repeated. "I _do_ think, however, that you just don't care, a good deal of the time. If things only go on smoothly----"

"That's what I told you Christmas Day," he said, quickly.

"And isn't it so?"

"Well--it used to be," he admitted, shaking his head ruefully. "But I'm not sure but that, since you've got me going----"

"_Me?_" exclaimed Janice. "What have _I_ got to do with it?"

"Now, there's no use your saying that you don't know _why_ I took up that matter of the new school last month," said Nelson Haley, seriously.

"You spoke just as though you were ashamed of me when we talked about it, and I began to wonder if I wasn't a fit subject for heart-searching inquiry," and the teacher burst into laughter again.

But Janice felt that he was more serious than usual, and she hastened to say: "I should really feel proud to know that any word of _mine_ suggested your present course, Mr. Nelson Haley. Why! what a fine thing that would be."

"What a fine thing _what_ would be?" he demanded.

"To think that I could really influence an educated and clever young man like you to do something very much worth while in the world. Nelson, you are flattering me."

"Honest to goodness--it's so," he said, looking at her with a rather wry smile. "And I'm not at all sure that I thank you for it."

"Why not?"

"See what you've got me into?" he complained. "I've got a whole bunch of extra work because of the school building, and in the end the old Elder and his friends may discharge me!"

"But you've brought about the building of a new school, and Poketown ought always to thank you."

"Likely. And they'll build a monument to me to stand at the head of High Street, eh?" and he laughed.

"I do not care," said Janice, seriously, and looking up at him with pride. "_I_ shall thank you. And I shall never forget that you said it was _my_ little influence that made you do it."

"Your _little_ influence----"

But she hastened to add: "It's a really great thing for me to think of.

And how proud and glad I'll be by and by--years and years from now, I mean--when you accomplish some great thing and I can think that it was because of what _I_ said that you first began to use your influence for good among these people----"

Her voice broke a little and she halted. She feared she had gone too far and that perhaps Nelson Haley would misunderstand her. But he was only silent for a moment. Then, turning to her and grasping her hands firmly, he said:

"Do you mean that, Janice?"

"Yes. I mean just that," she said, rather flutteringly. "Oh! here comes a wagon. It must be Walky."

"Never mind Walky," said Nelson, firmly. "I want to tell you that I sha'n't forget what you've said. If there really is a nice girl like you feeling proud of me, I'm going to do just my very best to retain her good opinion. You see if I don't!"

They were in the shadow as Walky drove by and he did not see them.

After that Janice and the teacher hurried on so as not to be overtaken by the noisy party of young folks before they reached the village.

As they came up the hill toward Hopewell Drugg's store they saw a dim light in the storekeeper's back room, and the wailing notes of his violin reached their ears.

"Hopewell is grinding out his usual cla.s.sic," chuckled Nelson Haley. "I hear him at it morning, noon, and night. Seems to me 'Silver Threads Among the Gold' is kind of _pa.s.se_."

"Hush!" said Janice. "There is somebody standing at the side gate, listening. You see, sir, everybody doesn't have the same opinion of poor Mr. Drugg's music----"

"My goodness!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Nelson, under his breath. "It's Miss Scattergood, I do believe!"

The timid little spinster could not escape. They had come upon her so quietly.

"Oh! is it you, Janice dear?" she said, in a startled voice.

"And Mr. Haley. We are walking home from the Hammetts' sugaring."

"Well! I'm glad it ain't anybody else," said Miss 'Rill frankly. "But I _do_ run around here sometimes of an evening, when mother's busy or asleep, just to listen to that old song. Mr. Drugg plays it with so much feelin'--don't you think so, Mr. Haley? And then--I was always very fond of that song."

They left her at the corner of High Street, and the flurried little woman hurried home.

"I do believe there is a romance there," whispered the teacher, when Miss 'Rill was out of earshot.

"So there is. Didn't you know that--years and years ago--she and Mr.

Drugg were engaged?" cried Janice. "Why, yes, they were. But why they did not marry, and why he married the girl he did, and why Miss 'Rill kept on teaching school and never would look at any other man, is all a mystery."

"Romance!" commented Nelson, with a little laugh, yet looking down upon Janice with serious eyes. "The night is full of it--don't you think so, Janice?"