The board all thought this a fine scheme, and so it was decided to hold the spelling match on Thanksgiving evening at the schoolhouse. The teacher was to pronounce the words, while the members of the board were to give her lists of words from which to choose. “What are you going to give for a prize, Mr. Edwards?” asked the teacher. “Well, I thought I would give twenty dollars,” replied the man. “Yes, I rather plan to give a bright twenty-dollar gold piece.” The news spread like wild fire. Never had there been such excitement. This was a small fortune, and Mable’s mother pinned a bright red bow in her hair, and put on her prettiest frock,--Mable had already considered the prize as won,--in fact, she had planned just how she would spend it,--she was a good speller and felt confident that she could win. The night arrived, bright and crisp November weather, with a bright moon overhead,--the little schoolhouse was packed. It was decided that all children in the fifth, sixth and seventh grades would be allowed to compete. Now, Margaret had been in a highly excited state ever since hearing of the contest--strange to say, she was a good speller. It has often been said, and quite correctly, too, that spelling is a gift,--that some people spell correctly quite naturally, while no amount of study or practice can make a good speller out of any one who was born with a head that ached and throbbed at the mere thought of spelling. She had never had fifty cents of her own in her whole life--twenty dollars in gold--it did not seem possible that there could be that much money in the whole world. Sides were chosen and Margaret was almost hidden by fat Reggie Andrews, who stood next to her. Mable was right across the room from her, and smiled in a somewhat scornful manner at the girl she thought was a “dummy.” The teacher began to pronounce the words and you could have almost heard a pin drop; the first few times around but few scholars dropped out, Reggie going down the third time on “mucilage.” Margaret gave a sigh of relief--Reggie had made her very nervous. Nothing happened that amounted to much until the teacher began to give out words containing “ie” and “ei.” Now these words are very difficult unless a speller knows the rule--“ie” is almost always used except after the letter “c,”--following this letter “c,” it is always “ei.” Margaret had learned this rule in the second grade, and these words had no terror for her--she was gaining confidence now and the audience began to sit up and take notice. Soon but five were left standing,--three on Margaret’s side and only Mable and one little colored boy on the other. It seemed for a time that these five would have to divide the prize,--word after word was spelled and no one missed--the audience was hanging spellbound on every syllable, and the dignified members of the board were trying to act naturally, although in reality, greatly wrought up. “Exhaustible,” suddenly said the teacher.