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 of comprehending respect. And yet he did not quite gage the mettle of these young visitors.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

There was a moment of silence.

"We come here," Praska said then, "as citizens of the Northfield High School. We come as the voice of the school. We ask for a hearing."

"You shall have it," the Commissioner said promptly. "I would invite you into my office, but the room is too small. You could not all fit into it. If there are no objections we can transact our business out here. Do you come here with a complaint?"

"Yes, sir." Praska's voice was earnest. "We come to protest against the condition of Nelson Avenue in front of the high school. We take pride in our school, but we cannot take pride in our street. It fills with mud and water after every rain, and we have to track through the muck to reach the school. We feel that this condition should be corrected, and we have come to-day to ask you to correct it. I voice the sentiment of the entire school."

A flurry of broke out, but was instantly hushed. The delegation, in its sense of dignity, in its self-control, expressed its desires in a way that was even stronger than Praska's words. Behind the Commissioner's back the news-