must think so, he's on the school board,” Laura pointed out. “Though maybe they hired her because she's the Wilder boy's sister. Oh, Carrie, remember those beautiful brown horses?”
“Just because he has those horses don't make his sister nice,” Carrie argued. “But maybe she is.”
“Anyway, she knows how to teach. She has a certificate,” said Laura. She sighed, thinking how hard she must study to get her own certificate.
Main Street was growing longer. Now a new livery stable was on Pa's side of it, across from the bank. A new grain elevator stood tall beyond the far end of the street, across from the railroad tracks.
“Why are all those lots vacant, between the livery stable and Pa's?” Carrie wondered.
Laura did not know. Anyway, she liked the wild prairie grasses there. Pa's new haystacks stood thick around his barn. He would not have to haul hay from the claim to burn this winter.
She and Carrie turned west on Second Street. Beyond the schoolhouse, new little claim shanties were scattered now. A new flour mill was racketing by the railroad tracks, and across the vacant lots between Second Street and Third Street could be seen the skeleton of the new church building on Third Street.
Men were working on it. A great many strangers were in the crowd of pupils gathered near the schoolhouse door.
Carrie timidly shrank back, and Laura's knees weakened, but she must be brave for Carrie, so she went on boldly. The palms of her hands grew moist with sweat when so many eyes looked at her. There must have been twenty boys and girls.
Taking firm grip on her courage, Laura walked up to them and Carrie went with her. The boys stood back a little on one side and the girls on the other. It seemed to Laura that she simply could not walk to the schoolhouse steps.
The n suddenly she saw on the steps Mary Power and Minnie Johnson. She knew them; they had been in school last fall, before the blizzards came. Mary Power said, “Hello, Laura Ingalls!”
Her dark eyes were glad to see Laura, and so was Minnie Johnson's freckled face. Laura felt all right then. She felt she would always be very fond of Mary Power.
“We've picked out our seats, we're going to sit together,” said Minnie. “But why don't you sit across the aisle from us?”
They went into the schoolhouse together. Mary's books and Minnie's were on the back desk next to the wall, on the girls' side. Laura laid hers on the desk across the aisle. Those two back seats were the very best seats. Carrie, of course, must sit nearer the teacher, with the smaller girls.
Miss Wilder was coming down the aisle, with the school bell in her hand. Her hair was dark and her eyes were gray. She seemed a very pleasant person.
Her dark gray dress was stylishly made, like Mary's best one, tight and straight in the front, with a pleated ruffle just touching the floor, and an overskirt draped and puffed above a little train.
“You girls have chosen your seats, haven't you?” she said pleasantly.
“Yes, ma'am,” Minnie Johnson said bashfully, but Mary Power smiled and said, “I am Mary Power, and this is Minnie Johnson, and Laura Ingalls. We would like to keep these seats if we may, please. We are the biggest girls in school.”
“Yes, you may keep these seats,” said Miss Wilder, very pleasantly.
She went to the door and rang the bell. Pupils came crowding in, till nearly all the seats were filled. On the girls' side, only one seat was left vacant. On the boys'
side, all the back seats were empty because the big boys would not come to school until the winter term.
They were still working on the claims now.
Laura saw that Carrie was sitting happily with Mamie Beardsley, near the front where younger girls should sit. The n suddenly she saw a strange girl hesitating in the aisle. She seemed about as old as Laura, and as shy. She was small and slim. Her soft brown eyes were large in a small round face. Her hair was black and softly wavy, and around her forehead
“Just because he has those horses don't make his sister nice,” Carrie argued. “But maybe she is.”
“Anyway, she knows how to teach. She has a certificate,” said Laura. She sighed, thinking how hard she must study to get her own certificate.
Main Street was growing longer. Now a new livery stable was on Pa's side of it, across from the bank. A new grain elevator stood tall beyond the far end of the street, across from the railroad tracks.
“Why are all those lots vacant, between the livery stable and Pa's?” Carrie wondered.
Laura did not know. Anyway, she liked the wild prairie grasses there. Pa's new haystacks stood thick around his barn. He would not have to haul hay from the claim to burn this winter.
She and Carrie turned west on Second Street. Beyond the schoolhouse, new little claim shanties were scattered now. A new flour mill was racketing by the railroad tracks, and across the vacant lots between Second Street and Third Street could be seen the skeleton of the new church building on Third Street.
Men were working on it. A great many strangers were in the crowd of pupils gathered near the schoolhouse door.
Carrie timidly shrank back, and Laura's knees weakened, but she must be brave for Carrie, so she went on boldly. The palms of her hands grew moist with sweat when so many eyes looked at her. There must have been twenty boys and girls.
Taking firm grip on her courage, Laura walked up to them and Carrie went with her. The boys stood back a little on one side and the girls on the other. It seemed to Laura that she simply could not walk to the schoolhouse steps.
The n suddenly she saw on the steps Mary Power and Minnie Johnson. She knew them; they had been in school last fall, before the blizzards came. Mary Power said, “Hello, Laura Ingalls!”
Her dark eyes were glad to see Laura, and so was Minnie Johnson's freckled face. Laura felt all right then. She felt she would always be very fond of Mary Power.
“We've picked out our seats, we're going to sit together,” said Minnie. “But why don't you sit across the aisle from us?”
They went into the schoolhouse together. Mary's books and Minnie's were on the back desk next to the wall, on the girls' side. Laura laid hers on the desk across the aisle. Those two back seats were the very best seats. Carrie, of course, must sit nearer the teacher, with the smaller girls.
Miss Wilder was coming down the aisle, with the school bell in her hand. Her hair was dark and her eyes were gray. She seemed a very pleasant person.
Her dark gray dress was stylishly made, like Mary's best one, tight and straight in the front, with a pleated ruffle just touching the floor, and an overskirt draped and puffed above a little train.
“You girls have chosen your seats, haven't you?” she said pleasantly.
“Yes, ma'am,” Minnie Johnson said bashfully, but Mary Power smiled and said, “I am Mary Power, and this is Minnie Johnson, and Laura Ingalls. We would like to keep these seats if we may, please. We are the biggest girls in school.”
“Yes, you may keep these seats,” said Miss Wilder, very pleasantly.
She went to the door and rang the bell. Pupils came crowding in, till nearly all the seats were filled. On the girls' side, only one seat was left vacant. On the boys'
side, all the back seats were empty because the big boys would not come to school until the winter term.
They were still working on the claims now.
Laura saw that Carrie was sitting happily with Mamie Beardsley, near the front where younger girls should sit. The n suddenly she saw a strange girl hesitating in the aisle. She seemed about as old as Laura, and as shy. She was small and slim. Her soft brown eyes were large in a small round face. Her hair was black and softly wavy, and around her forehead
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