from pricking through her tone.
The wild temptation to sell her Plummer birthright for a kiss assailed
her. But she groped in the dimness for Duty's cool touch and found it.
In the Plummer code of laws it was writ, "Thou shalt not kiss."

"I'm going right to work to make you some new nightgowns," Aunt Olivia
added, hastily. "I think I shall make them plain," for it was in the
nature of a reinforcement to her courage to leave off the ruffles.

Rebecca Mary's eyes shone like stars in the dark little room. The child
thought she was glad to be going away to school.

"Shall I study algebra and Latin?" she demanded.

"I suppose so--that'll be what you go for."

"And French--not FRENCH?"

"Likely."

Rebecca Mary fell back on the pillows to grasp it. But she was presently
up again.

"And that thing that tells about the air and--and gassy things? And the
one that tells about your bones?"

Aunt Olivia did not recognize chemistry, but she knew bones. She sighed
gently.

"Oh yes; I suppose you'll find out just how you're put together, and
likely it'll scare you so you won't ever dare to breathe deep again.
Maybe learning like that is important--I suppose the minister knows."

"The minister knows everything," Rebecca Mary said, solemnly. "If you
let me go away to school, I'll try to learn to know as much as he does,
Aunt Olivia. You don't--you don't think he'd mind, do you?"

In the dark Aunt Olivia smiled. The small person there on the pillows
was, after all, a child. Rebecca Mary had not grown up, after all!

"He won't mind," promised Aunt Olivia for the minister. She went
away presently and cut out Rebecca Mary's new nightgowns. She sat and
stitched them, far into the night, and stitched her sad little bodings
in, one by one. Already desolation gripped Aunt Olivia's heart.

Rebecca Mary's dreams that night were marvelous ones. She dreamed she
saw herself in a glass after she had learned all the things there were
to learn, and she looked like the minister! When she spoke, her voice
sounded deep and sweet like the minister's voice. Somewhere a voice like
the minister's wife's seemed to be calling "Robert! Robert!"

"Yes?" answered Rebecca Mary, and woke up.

There were many preparations to make. The days sped by busily, and to
Rebecca Mary full of joyous expectancy. Aunt Olivia made no moan. She
worked steadily over the plain little outfit and thrust her Dreads away
with resolute courage, to wait until Rebecca M