Deacon Farnham and his party managed to secure seats, and then they could look around them. Up on the platform, behind the pulpit-desk, were several very dignified gentlemen; and it did the Benton people good to see Elder Evans among them.
"He's come to see fair play," whispered Corry. "He won't let 'em put out any words they ought not to. Our chance is good."
That was encouraging; and at that very moment Elder Evans arose, and came forward to say to his own parishioners,—
"Some of our friends of the Cobbleville district have visitors among their young people, and the committee have consented to their taking part in the exercises."
"That fixes you and Susie all right," said Corry. "They can't object to you now."
Of course not; and the other final arrangements were speedily completed.
It was simple enough, or would have been if there had not been so many boys and girls who had not learned to stand still. The pews and the galleries, all but a few of the very forward pews, were given up to the general public.
The young folk from the Benton district were made to stand in the right-hand aisle, in a line that reached from the platform to the door. The other aisle belonged to Cobbleville, and its line of spellers came near being a double one.
"Two to our one, Port," said Corry; "but they'll thin out fast enough after we begin to spell."
There was no such thing as selecting places at first. The spelling began at the head of each line, alternating from one to the other. If the speller missed, he or she sat down wherever a seat could be found; but, as fast as words were spelled rightly, their happy victors were entitled to march to the heads of their lines, and so these were kept continually in motion. It was a proud thing to walk up the whole length of that meeting-house again and again, but it was not so proud to walk down the aisle hunting for a seat.