brought both feet down with a thump, and said, in a rough, excited tone,

"Stop! I don't hear a word, and you may as well save your breath to
answer my question."

"What is it?" asked Rose, looking uneasy, for she had something on her
mind, and feared that he suspected what it was. His next words proved
that she was right.

"Now, look here, I want to know something, and you've got to tell me."

"Please, don't--" began Rose, beseechingly.

"You must, or I'll pull off this shade and stare at the sun as hard as
ever I can stare. Come now!" and he half rose, as if ready to execute
the threat.

"I will! oh, I will tell, if I know! But don't be reckless and do
anything so crazy as that," cried Rose, in great distress.

"Very well; then listen, and don't dodge, as everyone else does. Didn't
the doctor think my eyes worse the last time he came? Mother won't say,
but you shall."

"I believe he did," faltered Rose.

"I thought so! Did he say I should be able to go to school when it
begins?"

"No, Mac," very low.

"Ah!"

That was all, but Rose saw her cousin set his lips together and take
a long breath, as if she had hit him hard. He bore the disappointment
bravely, however, and asked quite steadily in a minute,

"How soon does he think I can study again?"

It was so hard to answer that! Yet Rose knew she must, for Aunt Jane had
declared she could not do it, and Uncle Mac had begged her to break the
truth to the poor lad.

"Not for a good many months."

"How many?" he asked with a pathetic sort of gruffness.

"A year, perhaps."

"A whole year! Why, I expected to be ready for college by that time."
And, pushing up the shade, Mac stared at her with startled eyes, that
soon blinked and fell before the one ray of light.

"Plenty of time for that; you must be patient now, and get them
thoroughly well, or they will trouble you again when it will be harder
to spare them," she said, with tears in her own eyes.

"I won't do it! I will study and get through somehow. It's all humbug
about taking care so long. These doctors like to keep hold of a fellow
if they can. But I won't stand it I vow I won't!" and he banged his fist
down on the unoffending pillow as if he were pommelling the hard-hearted
doctor.

"Now, Mac, listen to me," Rose said very earnestly, though her voice
shook a little and her heart ached. "You know you have hurt your eyes
reading by fire-light and in the dusk, and sitting up late, and now
you'