“It certainly would be splendid to have him get the position.  And I am sure father will do all he can for him:  but I would not mention it to your mother, just yet.”

“All right Doro, I have given you my promise, but you have made me so happy!” and Tavia hugged Dorothy so enthusiastically that the latter was obliged to beg off.

“And I tell you what,” went on Tavia, “when Pop gets Squire Sander’s place I—­this—­me—­you know” and she made another wonderful, sweeping all-around bow, “I will be ‘city clerk.’  I will keep the books and Dorothy Hill-and-Dale, if ever your name gets on the books it shall be promptly eliminated, elucidated, expurgated—­there now!  Don’t you think I should be in the grad. class?  I was looking up words with ‘ate’ in—­my favorite pastime,—­and I came across that bunch.”

“I do really think, Tavia, that you would do better at school if you only tried.  We cannot always have studies that we are especially interested in.  It is like the scales in piano practice, they give us the mechanical work for pretty dances and other brilliant pieces.”

“Well, we have no piano, so I do not have to worry about that.  I suppose you will play at the closing exercises?”

“Miss Ellis has asked me to.  But Tavia, we really must be going.  I have promised to go over to Sarah’s this afternoon.”

“May I go with you?  I just would like to feel that we had talked it all off, you know.  I do not want to think Sarah has any hard feelings.”

“Certainly; come, I am sure Sarah will be glad to see you, and her mother is very pleasant.  Be careful not to tell too much about to-day’s affairs, It might worry Sarah.”

“If I forget myself you just squint, and I’ll be as mum as a mummy.”

So Dorothy and Tavia started off homeward, arm in arm.

CHAPTER XV

DOROTHY IN POLITICS

The news of Squire Sanders’ downfall spread rapidly throughout Dalton.  To the men interested in public affairs it was no surprise, for they had known, of course, of his shortcomings; but there were those in the town who looked upon the “disgraceful scene” in the office that morning as something too serious for ordinary treatment—­it should be brought to the attention of the sheriff, they declared.

Among those of that opinion was Mr. Ford, father of Sarah.  He was one of the men who felt they had been wronged, personally, by the squire, and in reference to this matter Mr. Ford called upon Major Dale.

It was late that same afternoon, when Dorothy and Tavia were visiting Sarah, that Mr. Ford arrived at the office of Major Dale.

“I have been a fool,” he told the major, “to listen to such arguments as that man made against mere children.  Of course my daughter was injured and that angered me; but it was the foolish talk of that old man which made me think I should have revenge—­revenge upon a girl no more guilty than a babe in its cradle.”