olling-chair.

Extending her thin white hand to Shawn, she bestowed upon him a smile of
tenderness.

"I am glad you came, Shawn; take that chair." Shawn was striving hard
to remember his mother's parting injunction in regard to his shins.

"How old are you, Shawn?"

"Yes, mam, fourteen past in March."

"How long have you attended school?" The black eyelashes fell and the
smile vanished. "I went to old 'fesser Barker up to Christmas twice."

"Why did you stop?"

"I put red pepper on his plug tobacker!"

"Did you go to any other school?"

"Yes, mam, I went to Miss Julie Bean six months."

"Did you quit that school?"

"Yes, mam, I put cuckle burrs in her bonnet."

"Weren't you sorry for it?"

"Yes, mam, but too late."

"You spend a good part of your time fishing, don't you?"

"Yes, mam, but I catches them."

"Isn't there anything you would rather do than fish?" A long silence
followed, then the eyes suddenly brightened:

"Yes, mam."

"What is it?"

"I'd rather blow up hog bladders with a quill and bust 'em!"

"Shawn, have you ever thought of what you would like to do in life; what
you would like to make of yourself as you grow to manhood?"

"Yes, mam, I'm goin' to be a doctor!"

"Indeed!"

"Yes, mam, indeed, I help doctor Hissong roll pills now, and he helps me
in my books more than I learned at school."

"Shawn, I am going to ask you to begin with the term of school which
opens soon. I will furnish you with books and tuition and will help you
in every way."

"Will it help me to be a doctor?"

"It will help you in everything."

"Could I take Coaly with me?"

"I hardly think so."

Shawn gazed out of the window. The fleecy clouds were moving
majestically above the river, along the old haunts he loved so well, but
something in the kind blue eyes of the good woman sitting there with
folded hands, touched his innermost being, and he arose and turning
squarely to face his benefactress, said: "I'll do it, Mrs. Alden."

"I thank you, Shawn."

"Yes, mam, but I did not ketch that fish I brought you for niggers to
eat; they never told you I brought it."

Mrs. Alden rolled her chair near him, and placing her hand on his
shoulder, said, "I appreciate your bringing it very much and will
remember it."

As Shawn left the porch he turned to his little dog and said, "Oh, Lord,
Coaly, we're goin' to school!"

CHAPTER II

DOCTOR HISSONG'S OFFICE

"So you are going to school, Shawn?"