"Oh! That's the why-for of it, eh?" crowed Walky. "Much obleeged. I'll know what to say now when anybody asks me."
"I hope so," returned Nelson Haley, with some sarcasm. "But fair exchange, Mister. You might tell me who I have the honor of speaking to—and, especially, you might introduce me to the lady?"
"Oh! Eh?" and Walky looked at the blushing Janice, questioningly. The girl smiled, however, and the driver cleared his throat and gravely made the introduction. "And I'm Walky Dexter," he concluded. "If you git the Poketown school you'll come ter know me quite well, I shouldn't wonder."
"That is something to look forward to, I am sure," declared Nelson Haley, drily. Then he turned to Janice, and asked:
"Will you be one of my pupils, if I have the good fortune to get the school, Miss Day?"
"I—I am afraid not. I do not really belong in Poketown," Janice explained. "And the ungraded school could not aid me much."
"No, I suppose not," returned the young man. "Well! I hope I see you again, Miss Day."
Walky clucked to the horses and they jogged on, leaving Nelson Haley to finish his repairs. Walky chuckled, and said to Janice:
"He's quite a flip young feller. He is young to tackle the Poketown school. An' 'twill be an objection, I shouldn't wonder. Ye see, they couldn't find that fault with 'Rill Scattergood."
"But I venture to say that they did when she first came to Poketown to teach," cried Janice.