If a Bates teaches the school it makes my word good.”
So Hiram is going to teach for me. He is brushing
up a little nights and I am helping him on “theory,”
and I am wild with joy, and so is Robert. I
shall have plenty of time to do all my sewing and we
shall be married at, or after, Christmas. Robert
says to tell you to come to see him if you ever come
to Hartley. He is there in his office now and
it is lonesome, but I am busy and the time will soon
pass. I might as well tell you that Father said
right after you left that you should never enter his
house again, and Mother and I should not speak your
name before him. I do hope he gets over it before
the wedding. Write me how you like your school,
and where you board. Maybe Robert and I can slip
off and drive over to see you some day. But that
would make Father so mad if he found out that he would
not give me the money he promised; so we had better
not, but you come to see us as soon as we get in our
home. Love from both, NancyEllen.
Kate read the joyful letter slowly. It contained
all she hoped for. She had not postponed Nancy
Ellen’s wedding. That was all she asked.
She had known she would not be forgiven so soon, there
was slight hope she ever would. Her only chance,
thought Kate, lay in marrying a farmer having about
a thousand acres of land. If she could do that,
her father would let her come home again sometime.
She read the letter slowly over, then tearing it in
long strips she cross tore them and sifted the handful
of small bits on the water, where they started a dashing
journey toward the river. Mrs. Holt, narrowly
watching her, turned with snaky gleaming eyes to her
son and whispered: “A-ha! Miss Smart
Alec has a secret!”
HELPING NANCY ELLEN AND ROBERT TO ESTABLISH A HOME
The remainder of the time before leaving, George
Holt spent in the very strongest mental and physical
effort to show Kate how much of a man he was.
He succeeded in what he hoped he might do. He
so influenced her in his favour that during the coming
year whenever any one showed signs of criticising
him, Kate stopped them by commendation, based upon
what she supposed to be knowledge of him.
With the schoolhouse and grounds cleaned as they never
had been before, the parents and pupils naturally
expected new methods. During the week spent in
becoming acquainted with the teacher, the parents
heartily endorsed her, while the pupils liked her
cordially. It could be seen at a glance that
she could pick up the brawniest of them, and drop
him from the window, if she chose. The days at
the stream had taught them her physical strength,
while at the same time they had glimpses of her mental
processes. The boys learned many things:
that they must not lie or take anything which did
not belong to them; that they must be considerate
and manly, if they were to be her friends; yet not
