THE CORN LADY 37 



fore. I could see all the royal strength of 

 his blue-blooded Scotch Calvinist ancestors 

 in him, as he stood so straight after school 

 and said: 



"Teacher, I wouldn't take ten dollars for 

 this ribbon and this ear of corn." 



And Edward, the dark-faced boy, looked 

 almost sunshiny as he asked: 



"Now, will we get to take our corn to the 

 County Farmers' Institute?" 



"Surely we will, Edward," I answered. 

 "And you have all done so well that, per- 

 haps, we can win the beautiful trophy for 

 our school district." 



Florence had the best apron. I haven't 

 told you about her. She is the oldest girl in 

 a big family. Her father is the kind of man 

 who is always "agin things." They live off 

 the road and seldom visit anyone. For years 

 this man has made trouble in school. If one 

 of his children he has six in school is rep- 

 rimanded, he comes up and tells the "school 

 ma'am" what he thinks of her for punish- 

 ing his children when they haven't done a 

 thing wrong. He thinks what was good 

 enough for him is good enough for his 

 "younguns." He regards school taxes as 

 altogether too high and has been waiting for 



