"I didn't say that!" cried Janice, in some little panic, for she knew Dexter's proneness to gossip. "Don't you dare say I did!" He chuckled. "Wa-al, ye meant it. Come now--didn't ye? An' he _is_ a mighty young feller ter be teachin' school. 'Specially with sech big girls an' boys in it. He'll have ter fight the boys, it's likely, an' I shouldn't wonder if the big gals set their caps for him." "I'm afraid you're a very reckless talker, Mr. Dexter," sighed Janice. Then her hazel eyes brightened suddenly, and she added, "They ought to call you 'Talky' Dexter, instead of 'Walky', I believe." "'Talkworthy Dexter', eh?" he grinned. "I'm not sure that you _do_ always _talk worthy_," she told him, shaking a serious head. "You're very apt to say things to 'stir folks all up,' as my Aunt says. Oh, yes, you do! You know you do, Mr. Dexter." "Wal, I declare!" chuckled the man, but with a queer little side glance at the serious face of the girl. "Think I'm a trouble-breeder, do ye?" "You just ask yourself that, sir," said Janice, firmly. "You know you're just delighted if you can say something to start things going, as you call it. And it isn't worthy of you----" "Whether I'm 'Talkworthy', or 'Walkworthy', eh?" he broke in, laughing. "Oh, I didn't mean any offence!" exclaimed Janice, much disturbed now to think that she had criticised the man just as he was in the habit of criticising everybody else. "I snum! mebbe you're right," grunted Walky Dexter. "And I reckon talkin' don't do much good after all. Now, look at Cross Moore. I been at him a year an' more to fix that rail fence along the ditch by his house. 'Tain't done no good. But, by jinks! somebody else got at him," added Walky, slyly, "an' I see this mornin' Cross was gittin' the rails and new posts there. He was right on the job." Janice's cheeks grew rosy. "Why!" she cried, "I never said a word to him about it." "No; but somehow he got the idee from you. He told me so," and Walky chuckled. "I think Mr. Moore likes to joke--the same as you do, Mr. Dexter," said Janice, quietly. "Ahem! You sartainly have got some of us goin'," said the driver, whimsically. "Look at Jase Day! I never _did_ think nothin' less'n Gabriel's trump would start Jase. But yest'day I'm jiggered if I didn't see him mendin' his pasture fence. And the old Day house looks like another place--that's right. How d'you do it?" "I--I don't just know what you mean," stammered Janice, feeling very uncomfortable. He looked at her with his eyes screwed up again. "D'you know what they said about yer uncle las' year? He come down to Jefferson's store with a basket of pertaters. All the big ones was on top and the little ones at the bottom. Huh! _He_ ain't the only one that 'deacons' a basket of pertaters," and Walky chuckled.