Whether they really dimly understood the meaning or not is possibly
doubtful, yet it appealed to their sense of dignity in so indirect a
way, that they did not themselves realize what inclined them to quiet
for a moment, while she finished her sentence earnestly. In the midst of
the quiet the closing-bell rang, and the seven young scamps seemed at
once to take into their hearts seven other spirits worse than
themselves, and behaved abominably during the closing exercises, and
tumbled out of the door over each other, in the wildest fashion, the
moment the signal was given, halting only to say, in the person of their
leader:--

"You be on hand next Sunday; we like your yarns first rate."

Mrs. Roberts, with glowing cheeks, and eyes behind which there were
unshed tears, made her way to the desk where Mr. Durant was standing,
and spoke quickly:

"There is a difference between others who have tried it and myself, Mr.
Durant. The sentence in Mr. Ried's account that gave me courage was,
'Every one has failed, so far; people are unwilling to take the class a
second time.' I have failed, but I want to try again."




CHAPTER III.

"ANYTHING UNCOMMON ABOUT ME?"