TREASURE-TROVE AT THE SHORE 231 
The parents seemed to have entirely forgotten that 
school began at nine, and it was not to be expected that the 
children should remind them. And, truth be told, when 
Jared Barnes gathered his flock, grandma included, into 
the hay wagon, Sarah and Ruth, conscientious as they 
usually were about their lessons, entirely forgot the day of 
the week, so eager were they for the fray ; for the prospect, 
not only of oysters to roast and stew, but of oysters to pickle 
and keep, was too great a temptation to resist. 
Miss Wilde, who arrived at the schoolhouse rather 
earlier than usual, found the door locked, and no fire in 
the stove. It was Dave’s week to tend the fire, and, as 
Miss Wilde stood in the open doorway pondering on the 
matter, one of the most exacting of the school committee 
men came bumping along in a lumber cart. Pulling up his 
horses so suddenly that a neighbour who was with him 
tipped backward off the seat, he called to the astonished 
teacher: ‘‘ You had best close up and go home; you won’t 
have any pupils to-day. Or else come down, and hold 
school on the shore! The rest of the committee will 
probably meet together in a few minutes, and we’ll vote 
to extend Thanksgiving holidays over to-day.” So 
saying, he cracked his whip and rattled downhill, leaving 
Miss Wilde to wonder if he was losing his mind, or the 
world was turning topsyturvy, or if she was still asleep, 
for it was beginning to be hard to wake up as the mornings 
shortened. 
Miss Wilde locked the door and started to walk toward 
Eliza Clausen’s house, that being the nearest place where 
she could possibly find out what was happening. As she 
reached the cross-road that met the turnpike a little above 
