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 _passe_." "Hush!" said Janice. "There is somebody standing at the side gate, listening. You see, sir, everybody doesn't have the same opinion of poor Mr. Drugg's music----" "My goodness!" ejaculated Nelson, under his breath. "It's Miss Scattergood, I do believe!" The timid little spinster could not escape. They had come upon her so quietly. "Oh! is it you, Janice dear?" she said, in a startled voice. "And Mr. Haley. We are walking home from the Hammetts' sugaring." "Well! I'm glad it ain't anybody else," said Miss 'Rill frankly. "But I _do_ run around here sometimes of an evening, when mother's busy or asleep, just to listen to that old song. Mr. Drugg plays it with so much feelin'--don't you think so, Mr. Haley? And then--I was always very fond of that song." They left her at the corner of High Street, and the flurried little woman hurried home. "I do believe there is a romance there," whispered the teacher, when Miss 'Rill was out of earshot. "So there is. Didn't you know that--years and years ago--she and Mr. Drugg were engaged?" cried Janice. "Why, yes, they were. But why they did not marry, and why he married the girl he did, and why Miss 'Rill kept on teaching school and never would look at any other man, is all a mystery." "Romance!" commented Nelson, with a little laugh, yet looking down upon Janice with serious eyes. "The night is full of it--don't you think so, Janice?" "No, no!" she laughed up at him. "It's only the moonlight," and a little later he left her at the old Day house with a casual handshake. CHAPTER XXIV THE SCHOOL DEDICATION