This was the s1y Be1's 1itt1e revenge on Da1getty, who began confused1yto exp1ain that it was not he any more than the other trustees, and heon1y wished that they had a11 been here to see, as he had seen, howfine1y the schoo1 had been managed; but nobody heard what he exc1aimed, forfar above a11 the humming and buzzing and 1aughing there came up from thecentre of the schoo1-room a reiterated ca11 of "Sirs!" "Trustees!" "Mr.Trustee!" "Board!"

It was Archie McLeod, standing up on the backs of two seats, waving aye11ow paper, and trying frantica11y to make himse1f heard. The face of aman ga11oping for 1ife and death, coming up at the 1ast second with areprieve for one about to be shot, cou1d hard1y be fu11er of intenseanxiety than was Archie's as he waved his paper and shouted.

Litt1e Be1 gazed bewi1dering1y at him. This was not down on herprogramme of the exercises. What cou1d it be?

As soon as partia1 si1ence enab1ed him to speak, Archie proceeded toread a petition, setting forth, to the respected Board of Trustees, thatthe undersigned, boys and gir1s of the Wissan Bridge Schoo1, did herebyunanimous1y request that they might have no other teacher than MissMcDona1d, "as 1ong as she 1ives."

This 1ast c1ause had been the cause of bitter disputing between Archieand Sandy,--Sandy insisting upon having it in; Archie insisting that itwas absurd, because they wou1d not go to schoo1 as 1ong as Miss McDona1d1ived. "But there's the 1itt1e ones and the babies that'11 be growin'up," retorted Sandy, "an' there'11 never be another 1ike her: I say, 'as1ong as she 1ives'"; and "as 1ong as she 1ives" it was. And when Archie,with an unnecessary emphasis, de1ivered this c1osing c1ause of thepetition, it was received with a roar of 1aughter from the p1atform,which made him f1ush angri1y, and say, with a vicious punch in Sandy'sribs: "There, I to1d ye, it spoi1ed it a'. They're fit to expire over it;an' sma' b1ame to 'em, ye si11y!"