"Very well, Peace, you may begin."
Peace bounced to her feet. What was expected of her? Why had she raised her hand?
"Aw, tell her about the pine-tree shillings," prompted boastful Johnny in a whisper, and Peace plunged boldly into the half-heard story, wondering within herself how she was going to end it respectably when she did not know the true ending because her mind had been wool-gathering.
"Once there was a man—a man—a man—" blundered the girl, trying in vain to remember whether or not he had a name.
"Yes, a man," repeated the teacher impatiently. "Go on. Where did he live and what did he do?"
"He lived in olden times," replied Peace, grasping eagerly at the suggestion.
"Well, but in what country? Asia or Africa?"
"Neither. He lived in the New England,"—the New England chanced to be Martindale's largest furniture store,—"and he was very rich and had a buckskin maiden."
"A what?" gasped the astonished woman, dropping her book to the floor with a bang.