it would appear that his affection for her has no few of
its roots in his stomach) and the other boys played numble-peg outside
my window, what were my grief and surprise to hear the most fearful
oaths I ever listened to issue from the sensitive lips of the "pure
scholar." Of course all the boys swear; but this was the worst ever.
Where can he have learned it, and his father such a perfect gentleman?
When I called him in and rebuked him, he was much downcast,--said he
didn't aim to cuss, but he had been at it so long he couldn't quit. I
told him the only way was to keep on trying, and how very, very happy it
would make me when he should succeed; and he promised to try and _try_,
"because," he added, almost in a whisper, "I like you." "And I _love_
you," I said, gathering his thin little body to my heart. How happy his
words made me,--they are the first to indicate that any of the boys care
for me. They have a great deal of reserve, and are hard to get
acquainted with, especially Nucky. But at least they are not leaving as
they did.

VI

A TRADE AND OTHER MATTERS

_Saturday Night._

Mrs. Salyer came in Thursday bringing some large pokes of beans, a gift
to the school, and a saddle-bag full of apples for her boys. Next
morning while supervising bed-making, I happened to glance into the box
on the wall where Keats had put the apples the night before, and, to my
surprise, saw that they were all gone. "We et half of 'em off'n'on in
the night, and Keats traded t'other half off to Geordie before we got
up," explained Hen,--the three occupy the same bed.

On my idle inquiry as to what Geordie gave for them, Keats produced with
pride a mangy little purse, about the size of a dollar, looking as if it
had been well-chewed.

"Why, that wasn't a fair trade," I said, "one apple would have been all
that purse was worth. I must speak to Geordie about that."

Of course in the rush later I forgot it. Moses and Zachariah having
departed without farewells later in the day, I gave Geordie permission
next morning to go to an uncle's over on Bald Eagle and bring back his
elder brother, Absalom, to the school. Before leaving, he "gave me his
hand" to be back "before the sun-ball draps this evening." The sun-ball
drapped and rose and drapped again, however, before he returned; and
last night as the boys were starting to bed, Philip asked me if I knew
how much Geordie had made on those apples he traded Keats out of. "He
sol