"Must 'a been a 'stonishing sight," agreed Mr. Jenks, "but naow, friends,
we've talked fer quite a spell on one thing or another, an we ain't much
nigher ter settlin' the question of a bigger schoolroom than when we
started.

"Naow instead er hagglin' 'baout it, I b'lieve we'd better have a
committee meetin' called, and a reg'lar vote taken, an' I say right here
and naow, that I shall vote fer better quarters fer the school an' I'll
'gree, as I said, ter put my hand right in my pocket an' give the thing a
start.

"Nathan Lawton gave the use of his best room fer a schoolroom last year,
an' 'twas kind an' generous fer him ter do it, but the village has been
growin' just amazin', an' this year shows a bigger list of inhabitants,
an' it 'pears as if most of the new comers had a family er children, so
something's got ter be done 'baout that school buildin'."

"Good fer ye," squeaked old Nate Burnham, "an' I wish ye luck at the
meetin'."

The village gossip was not monopolized by the frequenters of Barnes'
store. Indeed it seemed as if the place had taken on new life and
ambition, and if at any corner or turn of the road one chose to listen, he
could often hear a few stray bits of conversation in regard to the
interests which lay nearest to the hearts of the various newsmongers.

Of all the tale-bearers, and there were many, none were as harmless, and
at the same time as busy as Mrs. Hodgkins.