“Theholyfathersusedsometimestoletmeridewiththemontheirmules，“saidConcha，leaningoverhersaddletowardstheschoolmaster。
“Eh，what，missy？“saidtheProtestantMr。Hoover，prickinguphisears。“NowyoujustlistentoMr。Brooks’sdoctrines，andnevermindthemPapists，“headdedasherodeaway，withthefirmconvictionthatthemasterhadalreadycommencedthetaskofherspiritualconversion。
Thenextdaythemasterawoketofindhislittleschoolfamous。
Whateverweretheexaggerationsorwhateverthefanciescarriedhometotheirparentsbythechildren，theresultwasanoverwhelminginterestintheproceedingsandpersonneloftheschoolbythewholedistrict。PeoplehadalreadycalledattheHooverranchtoseeMrs。Hoover’sprettyadopteddaughter。Themaster，onhiswaytotheschoolroomthatmorning，hadfoundafewwoodmenandcharcoalburnersloungingonthebridlepaththatledfromthemainroad。Twoorthreeparentsaccompaniedtheirchildrentoschool，assertingtheyhadjustdroppedintoseehow“Aramanta“or“Tommy“were“gettin’on。“Astheschoolbegantoassembleseveralunfamiliarfacespassedthewindowsorwereboldlyflattenedagainsttheglass。Thelittleschoolhousehadnotseensuchagatheringsinceithadbeenborrowedforapoliticalmeetinginthepreviousautumn。AndthemasternoticedwithsomeconcernthatmanyofthefaceswerethesamewhichhehadseenupliftedtotheglitteringperiodsofColonelStarbottle，“thewarhorseoftheDemocracy。“
Forhecouldnotshuthiseyestothefactthattheycamefromnomerecuriositytoseethenovelandbizarre；noappreciationofmerepicturesquenessorbeauty；andalas！fromnoenthusiasmfortheprogressionofeducation。Heknewthepeopleamongwhomhehadlived，andherealizedthefatalquestionof“color“hadbeenraisedinsomemysteriouswaybythoseSouthwesternemigrantswhohadcarriedintothis“freestate“theirinheritedprejudices。A