pter III. "FISHING"

Nan told of Bess Harley's desire to have her chum accompany her to
Lakeview Hall the following autumn, as a good joke.

"I hope I'll be in some good situation by that time," she said to her
mother, confidentially, "helping, at least, to support myself instead of
being a burden upon father and you."

"It's very unselfish of you to propose that, honey," replied her mother.
"But, perhaps, such a sacrifice as the curtailment of your education
will not be required of you."

"But, my DEAR!" gasped Nan. "I couldn't go to Lakeview Hall. It would
cost, why! a pile!"

"I don't know how much a pile is, translated into coin of the realm,
honey," responded Mrs. Sherwood with her low, sweet laugh. "But the only
thing we can give our dear daughter, your father and I, is an education.
That you MUST have to enable you to support yourself properly when your
father can do no more for you."

"But I s'pose I've already had as much education as most girls in
Tillbury get. So many of them go into the mills and factories at my age.
If they can get along, I suppose I can."

"Hush!" begged her mother quickly. "Don't speak of such a thing. I
couldn't bear to have you obliged to undertake your own support in any
such way.

"Both your father and I, honey, had the benefit of more than the
ordinary common-school education. I went three years to the Tennessee
Training College; I was prepared to teach when your father and I met
and married. He obtained an excellent training for his business in a
technical college. We hoped to give our children, if we were blessed
with them, an even better start in life than we had.

"Had your little brother lived, honey," added Mrs. Sherwood tenderly,
"we should have tried to put him through college, and you, as well. It
would have been something worthwhile for your father to work for. But I
am afraid all these years that his money has been wasted in attempts to
benefit my health."

"Oh, Momsey! Don't say it, that way," urged Nan. "What would we ever
do without you? But I sometimes think how nice it would be had I been a
boy, my own brother, for instance. A boy can be so much more help than a
girl."

"For shame!" cried her mother, laughing. "Do you dare admit a boy is
smarter than a girl, Nan?"

"Not smarter. Only better able to do any kind of work, I guess. They
wouldn't let me work in the file shop, or drive a grocery wagon."

"Goodness! Listen to the child!" gasped Mrs. Sherwood