Evening star., 1923-03-04

of the hour. I'll have to take dan
delion root" she announced. land
pass it off for a violet. They won't
know the difference" Already her un-
quenchable spirits were rising. She
borrowed Mr.. Wheeler's knife and
hastily dug up a dandelion. See. I'll
take two or three violet blossoms and
leaves''-she took them out of her
belt-"attach them to the dandelion
root, and wrap your handkerchief
around the center as though it were
damp-and there you are"
But, see here. they're nothing
alike" he protested.
"Oh we should worry" said the
bIithe Miss Mason. THANK YOU for
helping me. You can come along If
you want to, and see me teach. I'm
frightened senseless. anyway. at the
Vandyker. so one or two more able
bodied men won't matter"
Mr. Wheeler said he would he de
lighted to see the dandelion masque-
rading before the great man. So they
hurried up the gravel driveway TO the
huge training-school building. Marcia
| pointed out the door where he was
| to GO II have to go in another way,
| she explained; the righteous from
the wicked, you know"
TINE model primary room was All
| i awe-inspiring place. Eleven stu
| dent teachers notebooks in hand. sat
| by the side walls. Two critic teach
/
rear walls. The head supervisor. note
book in hand. walked through the
! room as though to remind one of the
day of judgment. The Capital city
| superintendent was there. and two or
| three lesser lights. Marcia and nine
small pupils held the center of the
! arena, after the manner of the early
| Christian martyrs. Her heart was
/ beating suffocatingly. but she con-
| Quoted very creditable little read
| ing class whose lesson was based on
a violet plant that was much less
modest than 1t should have been, ow-
ing to the fact that it's pedal ex-
tremities. so to speak. had been
grated from a member of family
noted for its brazen forwardness.
Marcia was a model of the sweet
young instructor. Only once did she
throw a f1eeting glance of roguish-
ness at Mr. Wheeler. to see his
mouth lift at the corners in the char
acteristic way she had liked.
The lesson was over. Every one
breathed more naturally. The student
teachers and visitors rose to go to
chapel exercises. Marcia looked
around for Mr.. Wheeler, but did not
see him. In the doorway she turned
to look at the Capital city superin-
tendent. in the hope that he was dis
cussing her with Miss. Rarick. He
was not so engaged. He was picking
up from the floor a dandelion root.
alias a violet.
The sight disturbed her somewhat,
but she put the thought of 1t aside
and went on to chapel Near the
auditorium she came upon group
of senior girls waiting for her. Some
days at chapel exercises these girls
sat on the front seat and acted vIr-
tuously. Some days they sat on the
back seat and acted villainously. To-
day was apparently one of their pious
days. for they filed decorously down
the center aisle to the front seat and
sang the opening hymn. Holy. Holy
Holy" as Justify as though they
were the original vestal virgins.
The superintendent OF the Capitai
city schools. in all his dignity. sat up
on the plataform with the faculty.
After the prayer and announcements
President Wells arose and said: we
have with us today the superinteno-
ent of the largest school system in the
state" Marcia looked at him, SIT
J ting there so calmly. How nice II
would be, she thought, to be SO un'
disturbed when you were about to ad'
J dress an audience. President Welis
had ceased introducing him, but ne
did not stir from his chair. Instead
from the semi gloom of the back ro"
there was stepping out a tall. clean
; cut, alert young man. with keen brown
eyes and q strong chin.
All eyes were upon him. Marcia
own, wide, fascinated. alarmed, watch
! cd him. The color dropped away from
her face and. then surEed back nka