ase on the mantel.
There were white curtains at the big window and a bed to herself--her
own bed. She went over to the window. There was a steep bank, lined with
rhododendrons, right under it. There was a mill-dam below and down the
stream she could hear the creaking of a water-wheel, and she could see
it dripping and shining in the sun--a gristmill! She thought of Uncle
Billy and ole Hon, and in spite of a little pang of home-sickness she
felt no loneliness at all.

"I KNEW she would be pretty," said Miss Anne at the gate outside.

"I TOLD you she was pretty," said Hale.

"But not so pretty as THAT," said Miss Anne. "We will be great friends."

"I hope so--for her sake," said Hale.

* * * * * * *

Hale waited till noon-recess was nearly over, and then he went to take
June to the school-house. He was told that she was in her room and he
went up and knocked at the door. There was no answer--for one does not
knock on doors for entrance in the mountains, and, thinking he had made
a mistake, he was about to try another room, when June opened the door
to see what the matter was. She gave him a glad smile.

"Come on," he said, and when she went for her bonnet, he stepped into
the room.

"How do you like it?" June nodded toward the window and Hale went to it.

"That's Uncle Billy's mill out thar."

"Why, so it is," said Hale smiling. "That's fine."

The school-house, to June's wonder, had shingles on the OUTSIDE around
all the walls from roof to foundation, and a big bell hung on top of
it under a little shingled roof of its own. A pale little man with
spectacles and pale blue eyes met them at the door and he gave June a
pale, slender hand and cleared his throat before he spoke to her.

"She's never been to school," said Hale; "she can read and spell, but
she's not very strong on arithmetic."

"Very well, I'll turn her over to the primary." The school-bell sounded;
Hale left with a parting prophecy--"You'll be proud of her some day"--at
which June blushed and then, with a beating heart, she followed the
little man into his office. A few minutes later, the assistant came
in, and she was none other than the wonderful young woman whom Hale had
called Miss Anne. There were a few instructions in a halting voice and
with much clearing of the throat from the pale little man; and a moment
later June walked the gauntlet of the eyes of her schoolmates, every one
of whom looked up from his book