four o'clock
The day was full of joy and misgivings . She was happy when , with one of the new settler 's babies before the chart , she could point out the very lines the Yankton man had shown her , and hear the little one striving to lisp and learn them . She was filled with doubts when , having dismissed a class , the pupils looked back at her from their seats , some mockingly , she thought , others with laughing eyes that challenged hers . But at four o'clock , when , at the tap of the hand-bell , they cleared their desks and sat straight with folded arms , they seemed to have gotten over the novelty of her supervision , and marched out , with good-bys as they passed the teacher 's table , just as they had in former terms . She rode home , feeling that her work was well begun . The first six weeks of the term passed without incident . There had sprung up a complete understanding between her and the children , and her affection for them was returned with gratifying respect .