"My goodness me, child!" drawled Aunt Almira. "Can't you be content to jest let things go along easy?" "Yer must want sumthin' ter do mighty bad, ter want ter go ter 'Rill Scattergood's school," was again Marty's scornful comment. "Just the same I'm going," declared Janice. "It's not far, is it?" "Right up at the edge of town," said her uncle. "They built it there ter git the young'uns out o' the way. Hard on some of 'em in bad weather, it's sech a long walk. Some o' these here flighty folks has been talkin' up a new buildin' an' a new teacher; but taxes is high enough as they be, I tell 'em!" "'Rill Scattergood ain't no sort er teacher," said Mrs. Day. "She didn't have no sort er control over Marty." "Huh!" grunted that young man, "she couldn't teach nothin' ter nobody--that ol' maid." "But 'most of the girls and boys of Poketown go to school to her, don't they?" asked Janice. "Them whose folks can't send 'em to the Middleboro Academy," admitted her aunt. "Then I'm going up to get acquainted after dinner," announced Janice. "I--I had so many friends in Greensboro--so many, many girls at school--and some of the boys were real nice--and the teachers--and other folks. Oh, dear! I expect it's Daddy I miss most of all, and if I don't pretty soon find something to _do_--something to take a real interest in--I'll never be able to stand having him 'way down there in Mexico and me up here, not knowing what's happening to him!" The girl's voice broke and the tears stood in her eyes. Her earnestness made even Marty silent for the moment. Aunt Almira leaned over and patted her hand. "You go on to the school, if ye think ye got to. I'd go with ye an' introduce ye ter 'Rill Scattergood if I didn't have so much to do. It does seem as though I allus was behindhand with my work." A little later, when Janice, in her neat summer frock and beribboned shade-hat, passed down Hillside Avenue, she was conscious of a good many people staring at her--more now than when she had come up the hill with her uncle several days before. Here and there some attempts had been made to grow flowers in the yards, or to keep neat borders and rake the walks. But for the most part Hillside Avenue displayed a forlorn nakedness to the eye that made Janice more than ever homesick for Greensboro. The schoolbell had ceased ringing before she turned into High Street and began to ascend the hill again, so there were no young folks in sight. Higher up the main street of Poketown there were few stores, but the dwellings were no more attractive. Nobody seemed to take any pride in this naturally beautiful old town. Janice realized that she was a mark for all idle eyes. Strangers were not plentiful in Poketown.