"I am, though — I can't bear it," said Ellen, laughing and blushing. "There's Mr. Dennison caught me, in the first place, and tried to kiss me, but I tried so hard to get away, I believe he saw I was really in good earnest, and let me go. And just now — only think of it! — while I was standing talking to Miss Jane Huff, downstairs, her brother caught me, and kissed me, before I knew what he was going to do. I declare it's too bad!" said Ellen, rubbing her cheek very hard, as if she would rub off the affront. "You must let it pass, my dear; it is one way of expressing kindness. They feel kindly towards you, or they would not do it." "Then I wish they wouldn't feel quite so kindly," said Ellen — "that's all. Hark! — what was that?" "What is that?" said somebody else; and instantly there was silence, broken again, after a minute or two, by the faint blast of a horn. "It's old Father Swaim, I reckon," said Mr. Van Brunt; "I'll go fetch him in." "Oh, yes! bring him in — bring him in," was heard on all sides. "That horn makes me think of what happened to me once," said Jenny Hitchcock to Ellen. "I was a little girl at school, not so big as you are; and one afternoon, when we were all as still as mice, and studying away, we heard Father Swaim's horn —" "What does he blow it for?" said Ellen, as Jenny stooped for her knife, which she had let fall. "Oh to let people know he's there, you know; did you never see Father Swaim?" "No." "La! he's the funniest old fellow! He goes round and round the country, carrying the news-papers; and we get him to bring our letters from the post-office, when there are any. He carries 'em in a pair of saddle-bags hanging across that old white horse of his — I don't think that horse will ever grow old, no more than his master; — and in summer he has a stick — so long — with a horse's tail tied to the end of it, to brush away the flies, for the poor horse has had _his_ tail cut off pretty short. I wonder if it isn't the very same," said Jenny, laughing heartily: "Father Swaim thought he could manage it best, I guess." "But what was it that happened to you that time at school?" said Ellen. "Why, when we heard the horn blow, our master — the schoolmaster, you know — went out to get a paper; and I was tired with sitting still, so I jumped up, and ran across the room and then back again, and over and back again, five or six times; and when he came in, one of the girls up and told of it. It was Fanny Lawson," said Jenny, in a whisper to Alice, "and I think she ain't much different now from what she was then. I can hear her now — 'Mr. Starks, Jenny Hitchcock's been running all around the room.' Well, what do you think he did to me? He took hold of my two hands, and swung me round and round by the arms, till I didn't know which was head and which was feet." "What a queer schoolmaster!" said Ellen.