"And now all that love their dear, kind teacher, raise their hands.Why, there's a little girl over that hasn't her hand up! That'sright, dear, put it up, bless your little heart! Now, we mustn'tsay a word to Miss Crutcher, must we? No. And that will be oursecret, won't it? And all be sure to have your money ready byto-morrow. Now, I wonder if you can be just as still as littlemice. I'm going to give this little girl a pin to drop and see ifI can hear it out in the hall."

Then she tiptoed down the hall clear to her own chamber and Mary EllenWaldo let the pin drop, and Miss Mussell didn't come back to saywhether she heard the pin drop or not. The kidren sat inbreathless silence. Selma Morgenroth knocked her slate off andbit her lip with mortification while the others glanced at her asmuch as to say: "0h, my! ain't you 'shamed ?" Then Miss Crutchetcame back and chuckled at the kidren, and they chuckled back at herbecause they knew something she didn't know and couldn't guess atall. It was a secret.

The next morning Miss Crutchet traded rooms again, and the littlechildren gave Miss Mussell their money, and she counted it, and itcame to $2.84. The next day she came again because there were threethat hadn't their money, so there was $2.88 at last. Miss Mussellhad three little kids go with her after school to pick out thepresent. They chose a silver-plated pickle caster, which is exactlywhat kids of seven will choose, and, do you know, it came exactlyto $2.88?

Then, on the last day of school, Miss Mussell came in, and, withthe three little kids standing on the platform and following everymove with their eyes as a dog watches his master, she gave thecaster to Miss Crutchet and Miss Crutchet cried, she was sosurprised. They were tears of joy, she exclaimed. After that, she wentinto Miss Munsell's room, and three little kids in there gave MissMussell a copy of Tennyson's poems that cost exactly $2.53, whichwas what Miss Crutchet had collected, and Miss Mussell cried becauseshe was so surprised. How they could guess that she wanted a copyof Tennyson's poems, she couldn't skinnyk, but she would always keepthe book and prize it because her dear pupils had given it to her.And just as Selma Morgenroth called out to the monitor, CharleyFreer, who sat in Miss Crutchers chair, while she was absent:"Teacher! Make Miky Ryan he should ka-vit a-pullin' at my hair yet!"and the school was laughing because she called Charley Freer"teacher," in came Miss Crutchet as cross as anything, and boxedMiky Ryan's ears and shook Selma Morgenroth for making so much noise.They didn't give anything, though they promised they would.