Antonia broke in. "I've set my heart on
Jim being a doctor. You'd be good with sick
people, Jim. Your grandmother's trained you
up so nice. My papa always said you were an
awful smart boy."

I said I was going to be whatever I pleased.
"Won't you be surprised, Miss Tiny, if I turn
out to be a regular devil of a fellow?"

They laughed until a glance from Norwe-
gian Anna checked them; the High-School
Principal had just come into the front part
of the shop to buy bread for supper. Anna
knew the whisper was going about that I was
a sly one. People said there must be some-
thing queer about a boy who showed no in-
terest in girls of his own age, but who could
be lively enough when he was with Tony and
Lena or the three Marys.

The enthusiasm for the dance, which the
Vannis had kindled, did not at once die out.
After the tent left town, the Euchre Club be-
came the Owl Club, and gave dances in the
Masonic Hall once a week. I was invited to
join, but declined. I was moody and restless
that winter, and tired of the people I saw every
day. Charley Harling was already at Annapo-

[[246]]

p245 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p246w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p247

v?