I know he has that, and maybe I can help you
make it up."

"Thank-ee," she turned to go back, "but I reckon Mother Owsley's Cyantha
kin help some." She stood a moment, hesitating, then faced around,
asking: "Ye hain't got a primer, or sumthin', I kin take ter Mother
Owsley, hev ye? She's been hankerin' so ter larn a mite of readin' 'n'
writin' since I went thar, 'n' can't git out ter come down hyar!"

"Is she too feeble?" Jane sympathetically asked.

"No, she hain't feeble; but she's got the craps ter look arter. Mother
Owsley's right peert, but with sech a sight ter do 'tween sun-up 'n'
dark holds her 'round home right tight. Her man's been crippled 'n'
pohly fer a spell."

"Could she leave him to come here to a moonlight school?" Jane asked; an
idea that had been forming for sometime now suddenly receiving fresh
impetus. "Maybe even your Bill could come, and the children, too!"

Mrs. Owsley's hesitation showed her to be on unfamiliar ground, and
Jane, who had spoken impulsively, added: "I'll talk to you about it this
afternoon," whereupon the mountain woman this time went in.

"Now!" Nancy exclaimed, holding up her paper of long division. "It's
come out even!"

"Good!--it's a hard one, too!"

"You bet it's a hard one," Nancy straightened her shoulders.

"We won't work any more today," Jane said and, after a pause, asked:
"Did you hear what Mrs. Owsley and I were talking about?"

"I was tryin' to," Nancy laughed. "But this last old thing wouldn't come
out even so I had to bring down two moh noughts, an' that sort of mixed
me up! Is her husband out of the pen?"

"Mercy! I didn't know he was there!"

"I don't either, but she said somethin' 'bout a trusty, an' I just
supposed it was him."

Jane began to laugh, somewhat immoderately for a teacher, and several
heads appeared at the window in giggling surprise. She had become quite
suddenly and thoroughly happy.

"She said trustee, Nan,--a school officer. But the only trustee for this
school is the Colonel. There's a hitch somewhere," her eyes were
dancing. "Did Brent tell you to buy something, too?"

Had Nancy not already been sitting on the ground, this unexpected
question might have toppled her over. She gasped once, turned furiously
red, and sat staring.

"Why, no, Miss Jane!"

"With his usual discretion he left you and Dale out," she mused. "I
really think it was downright decent of him--the shoes, I mean!"

"I'm beginnin' to think those shoes hav