"How?"

"With a rule and diamond point just such as is used for cutting sheet
glass. The surface is scratched to give the line of fracture and then
it is split evenly."

"I should hate to have the responsibility of cutting or handling it
when it is all done," Jean observed with a little shiver.

"Well you might. Only men of the greatest skill and experience are
allowed to touch the big, heavy sheets. The risk is too great. They
turn only the best workmen into the plate glass department."

"But you work here, don't you, Giusippe?"

"I? Oh, I--I'm just learning," was the boy's modest reply.

"You seem to have learned pretty well," said a voice at his elbow.

Turning the lad was astonished to find Mr. Curtis standing just behind
him.

"I must own up to being an eavesdropper," laughed the older man. "I
couldn't resist knowing whether you were instructing Jean as she should
be instructed, Giusippe. Don't worry. I have no fault to find. I
couldn't have explained it better myself. You shall have your diploma
on plate glass making any time you want it."

Then as the superintendent advanced to speak to him, Mr. Curtis added:

"You had given your pupil a good bringing up, Mr. Hines. He does you
credit."

CHAPTER XI

JEAN'S TELEGRAM AND WHAT IT SAID

The winter in Pittsburgh passed rapidly. For Jean it was a happy year
despite much hard work at school, German lessons with Fraeulein, and
long hours of piano practising. It seemed as if the scales and finger
exercises were endless and sometimes the girl wondered which had the
more miserable fate--she who was forced to drum the same old things
over and over, or poor Uncle Tom who had to listen when she was doing
it. And yet as she looked back over her busy days she realized that she
neither studied nor practised all the time. No, there was many a good
time interspersed in her routine. For example, there was the
Shakespeare play at the school, a performance of "As You Like It," in
which Jean herself took the part of "Rosalind." This was an excitement
indeed! Uncle Tom became so interested that he got out his book and
spent several evenings coaching the leading lady, as he called the
girl; one night he even went so far as to impersonate "Orlando," and he
and Jean gave a dress rehearsal in the library, greatly to Giusippe's
delight and amusement. This set them all to reading Shakespeare aloud,
and going to a number of presentations of the dramas then being giv