"Our village schoolmaster left very suddenly last week, to go to his invalid mother’s bedside, and it may be some months before his return. Indeed, it is possible that he will not come back at all. He intimated as much before he left. We have not had opportunity as yet to find another teacher, and the school has been dismissed for a few days until we can look about for a substitute." "Oh, will you let me try?" Dawn sat on the edge of her chair, her hands clasped, her lovely eyes pleading eagerly. "But some of the scholars are larger than you are." "That will not matter," responded Dawn, undaunted. "I could always make the girls at school do what I wanted." "There are some big boys who might make you a good deal of trouble," went on the minister. "Our school has the name of being a hard one to discipline. We have always had a man at its head." "I am not afraid," said Dawn, fire in her eyes. "I should like to try, if you will let me. You cannot tell whether I can do it unless you let me try." "That is true," agreed the minister gravely. "I suppose there would be no harm in your trying. I could talk with the trustees about it, though the matter has been practically left to me." "Oh, then, please, _please_, try me! I am sure I can do it," Dawn pleaded, and the look of his dead child’s eyes in her face conquered the minister’s scruples. "Very well, I will try you," he said, after a thoughtful pause. "I will see the trustees and have the notices put up at once. School will open to-morrow morning. But I warn you it will be no easy task. I feel that it will be an extremely doubtful experiment." "Oh, thank you!" cried Dawn, her eyes bright with anticipation. "I am not afraid, and I shall do my best. I am sure I can teach a school." "Poor child!" thought the minister. "Am I doing right to send her into such a trial?" Aloud, he only said: "You will receive sixteen dollars a month, and will board around, Miss Montgomery." Dawn looked up at the new name she had chosen, and saw a twinkle in his eye. She smiled in recognition of his acceptance of it. "Where are you stopping?" he asked. "I am at the Golden Swan," she answered. "I can stay there a little while yet. I have a little money, though it will not last many weeks." She wrinkled her sweet face into dimples and smiled at him, as if having no money were a matter of little consequence. He admired her courage, and, bending upon her a look of benediction, said kindly: "We will arrange the matter of boarding as soon as possible. I will see Mrs. Gillette, the wife of the proprietor of the Golden Swan. They have a daughter in school, and possibly their two boys will attend also, though sometimes at this time of year they are both out working on the farm. But the Gillettes always take the teacher for their share of the term."