that she might wear it for several
years, while the sleeves were short so that she might have no excuse for
not getting her hands in the dish water. Her bare feet were very dirty but
her face shone from its recent scrubbing.

This was a great day for Janie, for the missionary had once again come to
the schoolhouse. It had been three years since she was there before, and
all that time Janie had waited for her. So she had hurried with her work
in order that she might sit on the very front seat and hear every word.
Last time she had told much about the school many miles away and Janie had
said over and over to herself, "I shall go there; I shall go there." But
of course it was foolish to say so, for there wasn't any chance that she
ever could go. Why, there were seven brothers and sisters younger than
she, and she had to work all day long to help to get them enough to eat.
She could never go.

But she listened eagerly as the missionary told of all that was being done
in the little schoolhouses all about the mountains and of the need of
teachers to do the work.

"We like best to take a boy or girl from some hamlet and let them work
with us for several years and then send them back to their own homes to
serve there. I am wondering if there isn't a girl here who would like to
be the teacher here and help to make Round Creek what it ought to be. If
there is such a one, send them to us and we will do our best. If you will
pay $10 a term, we will do the rest."

Janie's little body was leaning far forward and her eyes were big with
excitement. She knew a girl that would like to go. But $10 a term! Why,
one dollar seemed big in their home. So she crept out into the darkness of
the night without saying a word to any one about her great, big longing.
But up in the loft of the log house she lay long after the rest went to
sleep trying to think of a way. Auntie was coming to stay with them in the
fall. If she could just get the ten dollars by that time, maybe she could
be spared for a term. That would help a little, anyway.

In the morning she loosened one of the boards of the woodshed. Beneath it
she placed a little tin can, and in the can she put the five pennies that
she owned. It was berry time and she thought she knew of a way to earn
some money that should be all her own. Near the mill, there were beautiful
pieces of bark. In the woods there were many rare ferns. She would make
some little baskets like she had made many time