"You bet it wasn't my fault!" said the boy, vigorously. "I was sore's a pup at you, after you'd made a date and all, to do like that; but I thought if you wanted to go with that guy it was up to you." "Well, I didn't and I don't. You'll please understand hereafter that I'd always rather have your company than his. How about going down to the school-house some time to-day? Have you time?" "Didn't you go yet?" The boy's face looked as if he had received a kingdom, and his voice had a ring of triumph. "We drove down there, but I didn't care to go in without you, so we came back." "Wanta go now?" The boy's face fairly shone. "I'd love to. I'll be ready in three minutes. Could we carry some books down?" "Sure! Oh--gee! That guy's got the buckboard. We'll have to walk. Doggone him!" "I shall enjoy a walk. I want to find out just how far it is, for I shall have to walk every day, you know." "No, you won't, neither, 'nless you wanta. I c'n always hitch up." "That'll be very nice sometimes, but I'm afraid I'd get spoiled if you babied me all the time that way. I'll be right down." They went out together into the sunshine and wideness of the morning, and it seemed a new day had been created since she got back from her ride with the minister. She looked at the sturdy, honest-eyed boy beside her, and was glad to have him for a companion. Just in front of the school-house Margaret paused. "Oh, I forgot! The key! Mr. West has the key in his pocket! We can't get in, can we?" "Aw, we don't need a key," said her escort. "Just you wait!" And he whisked around to the back of the building, and in about three minutes his shock head appeared at the window. He threw the sash open and dropped out a wooden box. "There!" he said, triumphantly, "you c'n climb up on that, cantcha? Here, I'll holdya steady. Take holta my hand." And so it was through the front window that the new teacher of the Ridge School first appeared on her future scene of action and surveyed her little kingdom. Bud threw open the shutters, letting the view of the plains and the sunshine into the big, dusty room, and showed her the new blackboard with great pride. "There's a whole box o' chalk up on the desk, too; 'ain't never been opened yet. Dad said that was your property. Want I should open it?" "Why, yes, you might, and then we'll try the blackboard, won't we?" Bud went to work gravely opening the chalk-box as if it were a small treasure-chest, and finally produced a long, smooth stick of chalk and handed it to her with shining eyes. "You try it first, Bud," said the teacher, seeing his eagerness; and the boy went forward awesomely, as if it were a sacred precinct and he unworthy to intrude. Shyly, awkwardly, with infinite painstaking, he wrote in a cramped hand, "William Budlong Tanner," and then, growing bolder, "Ashland, Arizona," with a big flourish underneath.