Persephone He had seen the black horses leap down Mount Aetna s fiery throat Persephone was now in Pluto s dark realm and he had made her his wife The two women looked at each other and then back to me Mr Calhoun broke out with a proud smile beneath his bristly moustache and instead of the next child taking up where I had ended he nodded to me to go on So I read the story to the end where flying Mercury the messenger of the Gods brought Persephone back to the sunlit earth and restored her to the arms of Dame Ceres her mother that the world might have springtime and summer flowers autumn and harvest But because she had bitten the pomegranate while in Pluto s kingdom she must return to him for three months of each year and be his queen Then the world had winter until she returned to earth The class was dismissed and the visitors smiled us away and went into a low voiced conversation with Mr Calhoun for a few minutes They glanced my way once or twice and I began to worry Not only was I barefooted but my feet and legs were dusty My hair was more uncombed than usual and my nails were not shiny clean Oh I m going to catch it now Those ladies saw me too Mr Calhoun is promising to tend to me So I thought Then Mr Calhoun called me I went up thinking how awful it was to get a whipping before company Furthermore I heard a snicker run over the room Hennie Clark and Stell Brazzle did it out loud so I would be sure to hear them The smart aleck was going to get it I slipped one hand behind me and switched my dress tail at them indicating scorn I