eyond his board and clothing.

This state of things he felt must not continue longer. It was now nearly
nine months since he had left Mr. Middleton's school, and there was no
chance of his ever entering another; so now he felt he must turn the
education he had received to some better account than merely keeping
Reuben Gray's farm books; that he must earn something to support himself
and to enable him to go on with his law studies; and he must earn this
"something" in this neighborhood, too; for the idea of leaving poor
Reuben with no one to keep his accounts never entered the unselfish mind
of Ishmael.

Various plans of action as to how he should contrive to support himself
and pursue his studies without leaving the neighborhood suggested
themselves to Ishmael. Among the rest, he thought of opening a country
school. True, he was very young, too young for so responsible a post;
but in every other respect, except that of age, he was admirably well
qualified for the duty. While he was still meditating upon this subject,
he unexpectedly reached the end of his walk and the gate of the cottage.

Reuben and Hannah were standing at the gate. Reuben's left arm was
around Hannah, and his right hand held an open letter, over which both
their heads were bent. Hannah was helping poor Reuben to spell out its
contents.

Ishmael smiled as he greeted them, smiled with his eyes only, as if his
sweet bright spirit had looked out in love upon them; and thus it was
that Ishmael always met his friends.

"Glad you've come home so soon, Ishmael--glad as ever I can be! Here's
another rum go, as ever was!" said Gray, looking up from his letter.

"What is it, Uncle Reuben?"

"Why, it's a sort of notice from the judge. 'Pears like he's gin up his
v'y'ge to forrin parts; and 'stead of gwine out yonder for two or three
years, he and Miss Merlin be coming down here to spend the
summer--leastways, what's left of it," said Gray.

Ishmael's face flushed crimson, and then went deadly white, as he reeled
and leaned against the fence for support. Much as he had struggled to
conquer his wild passion for the beautiful and high-born heiress, often
as he had characterized it as mere boyish folly, or moon-struck madness,
closely as he had applied himself to study in the hope of curing his
mania, he was overwhelmed by the sudden announcement of her expected
return: overwhelmed by a shock of equally blended joy and pain--joy at
the prospect of soon meeti