"No. Why?" asked Jack Mackinnon, glad of a chance of hearing his own voice. 

 "Because he says he can't afford to keep himself here and his wife in Toronto on three hundred a year." 

 "Then he'd better get," said old Mrs. Slick, as she took the packet of cream of tartar Hiram was weighing.  "He'd better get."  She hobbled out, giving malevolent sniffs at the thought of the teacher's extravagant ideas. 

 "Yes, he's going," continued Hiram.  "He's going, and there's a school meeting to-morrow." 

 Andrew Cutler, Hiram Green and Ben Braddon were school trustees, and it had occurred to each of them that Sam Symmons' Suse would be sure to apply for the position. She held a county certificate permitting her to teach for three years. 

 "I wonder," Andrew said that morning to his aunt, Miss Hannah Myers, "I wonder if Suse will know enough to apply for the place." 

 "Not she! too empty-headed," said Miss Myers, briskly.  "I'll go down this afternoon and tell her what I think of her, and make her apply." 

 "Do," said Andrew, heartily. 

 Andrew liked old Sam, and he was a special favourite of the old man's. Many a long story of election fights and tricks, secrets Sam kept even yet, of how votes had been gained and lost, many tales of drinking bouts and more gallant adventures, did old Sam retell for Andrew's benefit. 

 Andrew was not at all worried by Miss Myers' brusqueness of speech. He knew how kind she was to everybody in her own vinegary way. Tall, angular, hatchet-faced and sharp-tongued, Hannah Myers had a heart full of love for every living creature that needed help, only, 'the beggar at her door had first abuse and then a shilling.' 

 And how well the tramps knew the way up to that quaint old kitchen door, with the uneven flag-stones set in a little court-yard round it! A table always covered with glistening tin milk-pans stood outside, and many a good meal had the gentlemen of the road had off that table; scolded vigorously by Miss Myers whilst they ate, the tirade only interrupted by sudden journeys she made to find perhaps a pair of socks, a shirt, or something else she saw they needed: now and then a surly tramp would answer her back, and she would laugh at him in her grim way and say, "Hear the man! Why, don't you see, I like to scold as much as you like to eat; so if you enjoy the one, why mayn't I the other?"  

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