Miss Walters cleared her throat. “Sam, please tell your parents that if it’s not spring planting or fall harvest, the law requires children to attend school. So long as there’s no illness or death in the family.”

“Yes, miss.” He shook his head, then mumbled, “They know that.”

He took his sister’s hand. She looked up at him, her lower lip trembling. He made a face, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue. To Hanna’s relief, Pearl smiled.

They left, closing the door quietly. Neither of them said goodbye.

Hanna drew in a long breath, trying to relax her jaw. I thought their aim would be to stop me. I didn’t think they’d stop their own children instead.

By being in class, she was preventing nearly all the other students from getting an education. I can’t do that. I’ll have to leave school.

So they had succeeded, those townspeople who were against her.

In the midst of her terrible disappointment, she also felt a moment of appreciation for Sam. His parents were angry that Hanna was going to school. They would have wanted him to stay home. He had disobeyed them and slipped out of his house—a brave thing to have done.

Miss Walters was sitting with her fingers interlaced beneath her chin, looking very thoughtful. Then she raised her head and looked at Hanna, Bess, and Dolly at the back of the room. “Fifth Reader class, please rise and pass to the front.”

Her voice sounded perfectly normal. Hanna could only stare, frozen in surprise.

“Fifth Reader class?” Miss Walters said, a little more severely.

As Hanna jumped to her feet, she saw Bess and Dolly stand, looking every bit as puzzled as Hanna felt.

“Girls, you’re here to get an education, are you not?”

“Yes, miss,” Hanna said.

“Yes, miss,” Bess echoed, while Dolly nodded, her eyes wide.

“And I’ve been hired to teach school. I will fulfill my duty by teaching any pupil in attendance!” Her voice grew louder and her cheeks flushed pink as she spoke. She sounded almost angry.

Hanna’s gaze met the teacher’s and held it for a moment. Miss Walters had just made her realize something important.

She has a choice. She could tell the school board not to let me attend. But she isn’t doing that.

The families of the other students—they could send their children to school, or not.

They’re free to choose.

So am I.

She raised her chin a little, and Miss Walters seemed to acknowledge her with the tiniest of nods.

Then Miss Walters smiled and shrugged. “But it does seem silly for you to have to sit in the back row. Why don’t you come to the front desks.”

So the three of them moved their books to seats in the second row, next to Sadie. Miss Walters opened her reader, and the school day began.