"That's what I supposed," grunted the elder.
Janice sipped her tea and, looking over the edge of her cup at him, asked:
"Having much trouble, Elder, with your new man?"
"What new man?" snorted the old gentleman, his mouth screwed up very tightly.
"I hear you have the school teacher working for you," she said.
"Well! So I have," he admitted, his face suddenly broadening. "Trust you women folks for finding things out in a hurry. But he ain't teaching school up here—believe me!"
"No?"
"He's helping clean up my hog lot. I dunno but maybe he thinks it isn't any worse than managing Polktown boys," and the elder chuckled.
But Janice was serious and she bent forward and laid a hand upon the old man's arm. "Oh, Elder Concannon! don't be too hard on him, will you?" she begged.
He grinned at her. "I won't break him all up in business. We want to use him down town in these meetings we're going to hold for temperance. He's got a way of talking that convinces folks, Janice—I vow! Remember how he talked for the new schoolhouse? I haven't forgotten that, for he beat me that time.