Curled up on her window seat, reading, Charlie saw the sun beginning its descent, and her stomach began to rumble. She pulled out

her spelling homework, and began copying the words. She'd left her door open, and after a time she heard footsteps on the stairs, and down

the hallway.

Scott paused just a brief moment at the doorway, and then stepped into the room, walking over to the seat.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Alright," Charlie said, looking up at him.

Scott sat down beside her and Charlie scooted over slightly, to make room for him. He took a look at what she held in

her hands. "Spelling?" he asked.

At her nod, he said, "There's plenty left for you, if you want something to eat."

"I think I will."

"Stomach settling down a bit?"

"Yes."

"That's good," he said. He paused, looking as though he was collecting his thoughts. "Is there a lot of misbehavior in the classroom?"

Charlie hesitated, and then said, "I guess there is."

"You guess? Or there is?" he specified.

"There is," Charlie admitted.

"How long has it been going on?"

Charlie shrugged slightly. "Mostly since the beginning."

"Since Miss Hummle came?"

Charlie nodded.

"What all's going on? Besides the whispering and dropping books?" he asked.

"Well-sometimes there's talking out-and she has to talk real loud to be heard. If she was nice, though, then the kids wouldn't

act out like they do, Scott-" Charlie said, in an abrupt excuse.

Scott held up a hand. "Just wait, now," he said, and Charlie quieted down, looking at him.

"I don't agree with the way she disciplined John," he said. "But whether she's kind or not shouldn't have anything to do

with the behavior of the students."

Charlie frowned at him, her forehead furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"There's many different types of teachers. Some are easy-going, and others are stern. Whatever the teacher's like, though,

they're there to teach. And that can't be done if the kids won't behave."

"I know," Charlie admitted. "But, she hasn't even tried to get along, Scott. It's been just horrible since the first day. She doesn't

act as though she even likes kids! Not one bit!"

"Well, I hope that's not true," he said, sounding regretful. He looked thoughtful again, and then he reached out and lifted a strand

of her auburn hair, running his fingers over it.

Charlie sensed, rather than knew, that Scott was about to make a point of some sort-and she felt fairly certain that she

wasn't going to like it, not one bit.

"Even Rebecca says she doesn't like school anymore!" Charlie burst out. Scott knew Rebecca, and liked her. Charlie knew that. He thought

Rebecca and Jason were polite and well-behaved. She'd heard him say so. She felt as though Scott's sympathy from earlier had

diminished somewhat, and she wanted to bring him back to it.

"And Jason! He never ever says anything bad about anyone, and he said its going to be a long, long rest of the term!"

"He may be right about that," Scott said, surprising her by agreeing. "It may be something that has to be mostly endured, and not

enjoyed."

Just when Charlie was about to protest, and say that what he'd said sounded just horrible, Scott surprised her again. He wrapped his

arm around her shoulders and said, quietly, "And that makes me really sad for you. And for Rebecca and Jason. For all the

students. I want school to be a source of joy for you. So that you never get weary of learning."

"It's never going to a joy!" Charlie said, in protest.

"But, you know that it can be. You learned that when Miss Susan was the teacher. Right?"

Charlie gave him a dubious nod, still feeling as though he was getting ready to say something she wouldn't like.

"And it will be a joy to you again. Sometime. Not with this teacher, probably, but sometime," he said.

"She shouldn't have hit John that way," Charlie muttered.

"Not on the back of his hand, no," Scott said. "Another punishment, possibly."

Charlie looked up at him, studying his face. "You think it's right? That she punished him?"

"I don't know the answer to that, kiddo. I wasn't there to observe. It does sound as though things are out of hand, and she

needs to restore order somehow."

"He wasn't doing anything more than some of the other boys, though-I told you that."

"I know you did. And, like I said, I don't know all the answers because I wasn't there."

There was a few moments of silence, then. Charlie felt suddenly very tired of talking about it.

"May I go get something to eat?" she asked.

"Yeah. You can."

"Okay," Charlie said, and scooted a bit, preparing to stand up.

"I want you to listen to me first, though," Scott said, catching her hand.

Charlie paused, looking at him again.

"I hope things improve at school. If they don't, and there's more misbehavior, I don't want you to be a part of any of it," he

said. His tone was quiet, but very firm. Almost stern. Charlie's eyes widened at him, as he continued talking.

"I want you to try to focus on your lessons, and listen while she's teaching. If there's any nonsense, you do your best to

ignore it. I do not want you joining in on it."

For a moment, and just a moment, Charlie was hurt that he would think she might-but then, she remembered the

nickname that she'd helped to pin on Miss Hummel, and the whispering of her own that she'd done a good bit of.

"I won't," she said.

"Okay," he said, and then the sternness faded from his expression and he smiled. He patted her leg. "Go on now, and

see what you can find to eat."

L

Things in the school classroom the next day were not much improved. No one got their hand smacked with a ruler, but Miss Hummel seemed

distracted, and even a bit nervous. John had not come to school, and Monte sat at his desk, stony-faced.

Once, when Monte was called on to recite his spelling words, he stood up, as was required, but he did not go to the front of the

room. Instead, he said, looking right at Miss Hummel, unblinking, "I didn't learn my spelling."

Miss Hummle's face flamed with anger. "And why is that, Monte?"

"I had to help Ma tend to John. He saw the doctor-" and here Monte paused, dramatically, "About his hand, and doctor said we had

to keep it iced thru the night-I hadn't time to learn my words."

And, then, without being excused, Monte promptly sat down again, still keeping his eyes steady on Miss Hummel. Watching him from her

own seat, next to Rebecca, Charlie felt admiring of Monte's pluck, and yet horrified at the same time. What if Miss Hummle decided to

punish Monte like she had John?

And Miss Hummel, her cheeks still high with color, said, "I see," in a taut voice. She then clapped her hands for attention

and called the youngest readers to the front to read.

Charlie exchanged a look with Rebecca, as the morning wore on. Not much learning seemed to be getting done. At one point

Miss Hummel slapped her ruler down on the desk, and the students were startled.

"We will have learning in this classroom," she snapped. "No hooliganism will be tolerated. And from here on, anyone who doesn't

know their lessons will stay in at recess to make up their work."

The children were more subdued after that, until the first recess time. Still, it seemed to Charlie that some of the kids, the boys, especially,

were just simmering, for something.

Once outside, in the morning air, groups were gathered. The very youngest children were the only ones involved in game-playing. The rest of the

kids were talking, keeping their voices somewhat low, even though Miss Hummel was inside the school building.

Monte was peppered with questions. How is John? How's his hand look? Did your Ma say he didn't have to come back to

school?

"Ma says he can stay home if he wants, till Pa gets home and she talks to him about what happened," Monte relayed. "His hand's

doin' alright."

"What did the doctor say?" Charlie asked him.

"Doc was gone off somewhere-so Ma tended to it herself-"

"You lied?" Charlie asked, and couldn't help being a bit shocked at Monte's nerve.

Monte gave a careless shrug. "Figured she needed to be some worried. Don't matter. I'm gonna get even with her-"

Jason, who had stood quiet all this time, not contributing to the complaining, now said, "Don't make things worse for yourself

and John."

Monte gave Jason an even stare. "You sayin' you'd take it if somebody treated your brother thataway?"

When Jason was silent, Monte said, impatiently, "If you had a brother, I mean-" Monte gestured to Rebecca. "How 'bout Becca? What

if that ole witch was to mistreat her?"

Jason still kept his calm expression, but Charlie had been acquainted with him long enough to see the flash in his eyes.

"Nobody's goin' to mistreat my sister," he said.

"Well-" Monte shrugged again. "Then you see how it is."

"I reckon I do," Jason said, then, and Charlie felt a bit surprised. Did Jason mean that he, too, would seek revenge if he thought

Rebecca had been wronged by the teacher? Not for the first time, Charlie wished that she had an older brother, her own self.

L

At the end of the day, Charlie felt simply worn down. Miss Hummel grew only more tetchy, more harsh in her manners and speaking.

It wore on a person's nerves, it really did, to always be expecting somebody to snap or find fault.

She was trying to figure out why the feelings seemed like-well, familiar-and then, riding home on Gurth, it suddenly came

to her. It was like with Katherine, Charlie realized. Katherine had sometimes snapped, and seemed intolerant. She'd made Charlie

feel like a bother. As if she could never understand what Charlie was feeling or thinking, or why.

But, yet, Miss Hummle was worse than Katherine in some ways. Of course, that could be because there was no getting away

from Miss Hummle during the school day. Katherine, on the other hand, was mostly able to be avoided.

Really, Charlie decided, it wasn't like Katherine at all.

"I don't know why I thought that," Charlie muttered to Gurth.

At home, she slid down from Gurth, untacked him, and spent a good amount of time brushing him.

Teresa, coming out to take clothes from the line, called out, "Charlie!"

Charlie closed the gate to the pasture, and went to put the brush and currycomb away.

She scooped up her lunch pail and books, and went to where Teresa was still unclipping the sheets.

"How was it today?" Teresa asked, her voice kind.

Charlie shrugged. "The same."

"Oh." For a moment Teresa didn't seem to know what to say next. Then she sighed, and folded a sheet, placing it in the

wicker basket on the ground.

"I've got lots of work-" Charlie said, and moved to go around Teresa.

Inside, Maria offered the customary snack, and, to keep peace, Charlie took a sugar cookie, and went to change her clothes.

Which, really, made no difference, because her school dress was covered in horse hair. After that, she went to do her

chores, gather the eggs, and feed the chickens. She fed the cats, and it was while she was finishing that, that she heard Scott

calling her. She called back, and he appeared at the barn door.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted her, pulling off his work gloves.

"Hi," Charlie said, setting the kitten she held back onto the barn floor.

He seemed about to ask about her day, but then, instead, he asked, "Do you have schoolwork?"

Charlie nodded. "A lot. I'll have to work hard to get it all finished by bedtime."

"Oh," Scott said. He hesitated, and then said, "Things calmer today?" And Charlie knew that he meant in the classroom.

"No."

"Kids still being unruly?"

"Some of 'em," Charlie said.

"How's John?"

"He didn't come-their mother said he didn't have to."

"Oh," Scott said, again, and Charlie thought he sounded regretful.

"Monte's plenty sore about it," Charlie said.

"Is he?" Scott asked, not sounding surprised. "Well, he probably feels he's looking out for his brother."

They stood in silence for a few long moments, and then Scott said, "Maybe things will settle down."

He still thought that? Charlie was about to ask him how he thought that that might happen, when Scott said, "Well, I'd best get back

to work. I'll see you at supper. Alright?"

Charlie nodded in response, and watched as he walked away, back towards the corral.

Charlie began on her homework, sitting at Murdoch's desk, and was so involved in copying her spelling words that she

was surprised by Johnny, who'd come up beside her as her back was turned, swiveling in Murdoch's big chair. He gave her a poke

in the ribs that made her jump, startled.

"Oooo, Johnny," she said, and he laughed, his eyes dancing.

"Supper time," he said.

At the supper table, Murdoch brought the subject around to school, and the school board, and it was mentioned that

Lucy's father was on the school board.

"Who else is on the school board?" she asked, curiously.

"Let's see," Murdoch paused to consider. "Pastor Curry, and-" he looked at Teresa for confirmation. "Who else, Teresa?"

"Both of the McConnell brothers," Teresa said, without hesitation. "And then there's that empty spot that hasn't been filled."

"Yes, that's right," Murdoch said.

"Why is there an empty spot?" Charlie asked.

"One of the men that was on the board moved away a few months ago," Teresa said.

After supper Charlie returned to her schoolwork, until she was so tired that she went to bed before eight o'clock, without

being told. When Scott came to say goodnight, he read only a few pages of their book, and then tucked her up.

"She says if any of us don't finish or don't know our lessons-we have to stay in at recess time," Charlie told him.

"I don't think that's unreasonable, Charlie," he said.

"But there's so much-and some of it's hard-" she complained.

"It's challenging you. That might be a good thing." He tapped his fingers on her forehead softly "Stimulate your brain."

"My brain's too tired to be stimulated," she said, crossly.

Scott smiled slightly. "Sleep." He leaned to kiss her forehead. "Then tomorrow your brain will be wide awake again." He put a hand to

his chest in uncharacteristic silliness, and proclaimed in mock-dramatics, "To soak up new avenues of learning-to discover facts which have never been discovered

before-"

Charlie couldn't help it. She giggled.

L