Dixie Martin, the Girl of Woodford's Cañon

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO TEACHER REVOLUTIONIZES

  Surprising things happened the following Monday morning in the littlelog schoolhouse. After leaving the theater on the Saturday previous,Miss Bayley, who had been told by the one having authority to procurewhatever she might need for her little classes, had returned with Dixieto the book department of the emporium, and had purchased several gradedreaders from the first to the eighth. The light of a new resolve shonein her eyes as she called upon Dixie Martin to lead in the Good-Morningsong.

  When this was done, Miss Bayley looked about her at her littlestraggling group of mountain pupils and made a startling announcement.

  "Girls and boys," she said brightly, "I have decided to change the oldregime, which means that we are going to desert the former way of doingthings and start in on a new. To begin with, I am going to give you allan examination in reading and place you in the grades where I believeyou belong."

  Jessica Archer was on her feet in an instant, saying: "My pa wouldn'tlet you do that. He says nothin' is ever to be done diff'rent in thishere school unless he tells the teacher to do it."

  "Kindly be seated, Jessica, and hereafter do not speak without firstraising your hand and receiving permission to do so." The teacher's tonewas firm, and, although the little "sheep-princess" pouted and lookedher defiance, she said no more just then.

  "I have here," Josephine Bayley continued, "eight new graded readers,that are very attractively illustrated. I will begin with the first, andyou may each read one of the little stories; then we will progress tothe second, and so on, and, when you have reached the book which is toodifficult for you, we will know exactly in which grade you belong. Doesthis method seem fair to you? Ira Jenkins, what do you think?"

  The long, lank, overgrown son of the burly blacksmith flushed to theroots of his hair, but he managed to uncurl his ungainly length from themuch-carved desk that was too small for him, and say stutteringly:"Yes'm, Miss Bayley. Seems like 'tis to me. I should say 'twas fairenough."

  "Do any of you, except Jessica Archer, object to being regradedaccording to your ability to read?" There was no dissenting voice, andso the first book was handed to Dixie Martin, who, with an amused smile,read the tiny story that told the adventures of a pussy-cat. When thebook had been passed from pupil to pupil, it was found that even thosesimple words had been too difficult for the two little children of Mr.Archer's Mexican overseer, and so Franciscito and Mercedes were classedas "first readers."

  The six-year-old twins of the trapper, Sage Brush Mullet, poor, forlornlittle Maggie and Millie, stopped at the second.

  Jessica Archer did well enough in the third, but could not read many ofthe words in the new fourth, and was so graded. With her was CarolMartin, but to the very evident indignation of the little daughter ofMr. Sethibald Archer, Dixie, Ken, and Ira Jenkins were placed above her.

  Each was asked to read one of the last three stories in the fifth book.Ken and Dixie hesitated not at all, but Ira did stumble over the longerwords, and the first story in the sixth proved quite beyond him, and sohe was placed there.

  Ken, although two years older than his sister, had a more mathematicalmind, and found the seventh reader rather difficult, but Dixie reachedthe last, and was declared by the teacher to be in the eighth grade.

  Miss Bayley purposely avoided looking in the direction of the iratelittle girl in the much-be-ruffled dress as she said: "You are now eachplaced in the grade where you should be, and I am sure that we shall inthe future make real progress." Then, glancing at the clock, shesmilingly added: "Ten already, and time for recess. Dixie, you maycollect the new books please, and Ken, will you lead the line to theplayground?"

  But Jessica Archer did not wait to go out with the others. Catching herhat from its hook on the wall, she darted out, and when, fifteen minuteslater, Miss Bayley rang the bell, recalling the pupils to their lessons,she was not at all surprised to find that the rebellious little"sheep-princess" was not among them.

  Miss Bayley was not long kept in doubt as to what the absence of JessicaArcher meant. Having decided to carry her new method of grading throughall the subjects,--reading, writing, and arithmetic,--the teacher hadsent Ira Jenkins and Ken to the board to work out rather advanced sums,when the sound of hurrying wheels was heard without, and a moment laterthe short, stocky Mr. Sethibald Archer burst into the room, his faceflushed, his small gimlet-like eyes blinking very fast.

  "Say, Miss Bayley," he blurted out, waiving the formality of a greeting,"what's this here my gal's been tellin' me 'bout you upsettin' methodswhich I started and makin' out she's a numskull alongside ofthose--those no-account Martins? I'll not have it, I tell you," heblustered. "I'm governin' board of this here school, and things have gotto be done as I say, or you can pack and leave this here locality onto-morrow mornin's stage. D'ye hear?"

  Miss Bayley did not take advantage of his pause to defend her action,and, still further angered by her calm, he went on, his high-pitchedvoice growing louder, if that were possible. "I'd like to know wherefrom you got your authority,--_you_, an upstart teacher we don't knownothin' about. Who was it told you to spend money that's not yoursbuying new books that we don't need for this here school?"

  So indignant had been the self-important little man, and so loud hisvoice, that he had not heard the arrival of a horse and buggy without,nor was he aware that another listener had stopped in the doorway toawait the end of the tirade. When the speaker paused to take a breath,the newcomer stepped into the school-room, saying in a voice, the calm,even tones of which did not betray the just anger that he felt: "Mr.Archer, may I answer the question you have just put to Miss Bayley? I,Samuel Clayburn, head of the governing board of education in thisdistrict, gave our teacher full authority to purchase whatever shebelieved was needed to further the interests of this little districtschool, and I am indeed glad to find that she is now introducingprogressive methods." Then he added, in a pleasanter tone, for it washard for the portly banker to be unkindly severe: "Mr. Archer, I regretthat the delivery of mail in the mountain sections is so dilatory,otherwise you would have known by now that I have decided to devote moreof my time to the schools in the outlying districts, and so will nolonger require your aid. I will bid you good-morning."

  The stocky, florid man was clenching and unclenching his hands, andalmost bursting with indignation. When the quiet voice ceased speaking,he blurted out with: "It's an outrage, that's what it is! A cooked-upscheme of this here new teacher's to oust me from a place that'srightfully mine. But I'll get even. I'll take my darter out of this hereschool. Come along, Jessie, I won't have you pizened by no suchcorruptin' influence."

  With a toss of her curls, the little girl flounced out of the door,closely following her irate father, and they were soon heard to driveaway.

  "Miss Bayley," the banker said, "I regret this most unfortunateincident. Last Saturday, immediately after your departure from the bank,I wrote Mr. Archer that I would no longer need his services, but thestage probably has not as yet passed his place. Realizing that somethingof this very nature might occur when he did receive the letter, Idecided to drive over, knowing that otherwise you would have to bearalone the brunt of his wrath."

  "Thank you," Josephine Bayley said simply. "I am indeed sorry to havebeen the cause of this unpleasantness, but really, Mr. Clayburn, I dobelieve that the other pupils can now have a much better chance."

  The banker nodded, "I am sure of it," he said, as he smiled about at thesolemn faces.

  "My pupils," Miss Bayley said to them, "this gentleman is Mr. SamuelClayburn, of the board of education, and he it is who made us a gift ofthose attractive new readers that have pleased you all so much."

  Carol and Dixie arose at once, and the others shyly and stragglinglyfollowed. Then curtsying, as Miss Bayley had taught them to do when sheintroduced a visitor, in a faltering chorus they piped, "Good-morning,Mr. Clayburn." But it was Dixie who thought to add, "And thank you forthe books."
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  "You are very welcome, and I'm sure you'll make good use of them," wasthe genial reply. Then, turning again to the girl-teacher, he added: "Ihope no further unpleasantness will result from this, Miss Bayley, butif there does, report to me at once. You can telephone to me from theinn."

  Later, as he was driving down the pine-shaded canyon road, the good manwas thinking, "How I do wish my Sylvia could attend this mountainschool. She seems to be making very little headway with her Frenchgoverness. If only she could live awhile the simple, healthful life thatthe little Martins are living, how much good it would do her."