. At eleven years old she had become so interested in
her work that she was quite an excited little student. By the time she
was twelve Tom began to shake his head at her.

"If you go on like this," he said, "I sha'n't be able to keep up with
you, and what I've got to do is to keep ahead. If I can't, I shall have
to send you to the Academy at Ralston; and how should we stand that?"

She came and sat upon his big knee--a slim little thing, as light as a
bird.

"We couldn't stand it, Uncle Tom," she said. "We _have_ to be together.
We always have been, haven't we?" And she rubbed her ruffled head against
his huge breast.

"Yes, we always have been," answered Tom; "and it would go pretty hard
with us to make a change, Sheba."

She was not sent to Ralston. The war broke out and altered the aspect of
things even at the Cross-roads. The bank in which Tom's modest savings
were deposited was swept away by misfortune; the primitive resources of
Hamlin County were depleted, as the resources of all the land were. But
for the existence of the white, vine-embowered house and the garden full
of scents and bloom, Tom's position at the close of the rebellion was far
less fortunate than it had been at the time the mystery of Blair's Hollow
had occurred. In those old, happy-go-lucky days the three rooms behind
the store and the three meals Mornin cooked for him had been quite
sufficient for free and easy peace. He had been able to ensure himself
these primitive comforts with so little expenditure that money had
scarcely seemed an object. He had taken eggs in exchange for sugar, bacon
in exchange for tea, and butter in exchange for everything. Now he had no
means of resource but the store, and the people were poorer than they had
been. Farms had gone to temporary ruin through unavoidable neglect during
the absence of their masters. More than one honest fellow had marched
away and never returned, and their widows were left to struggle with the
land and their children. The Cross-roads store, which had thriven so
wonderfully for a year or two before the breaking out of the war, began
to wear a less cheerful aspect. As far as he himself was concerned, Tom
knew that life was a simple enough thing, but by his side there was
growing up a young goddess. She was not aware that she was a young
goddess. There was no one in the vicinity of the Cross-roads who could
have informed her that she presented somewhat of that aspect, and that
she was yo