"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 classic," chuckled Nelson Haley. "I hear him at it morning, noon, and night. Seems to me 'Silver Threads Among the Gold' is kind of _passé_."