Cressy | Page 8

for you to do is to just throw over
Dobell and Parsons and Jones and the old quill pen that I see you're
accustomed to, and start in fresh as if you'd never known them. Forget
'em all, you know. It will be mighty hard of course to do that," he
continued, looking out of the window, "but you must do it."
He turned back, the brightness that transfigured Uncle Ben's face at that
moment brought a slight moisture into his own eyes. The humble
seeker of knowledge said hurriedly that he would try.
"And begin again at the beginning," continued the master cheerfully.
"Exactly like one of those--in fact, as if you REALLY were a child
again."
"That's so," said Uncle Ben, rubbing his hands delightedly, "that's me!
Why, that's jest what I was sayin' to Roop"--
"Then you've already been talking about it?" intercepted the master in
some surprise. "I thought you wanted it kept secret?"
"Well, yes," responded Uncle Ben dubiously. "But you see I sorter
agreed with Roop Filgee that if you took to my ideas and didn't object,
I'd give him two bits* every time he'd kem here and help me of an
arternoon when you was away and kinder stand guard around the

school-house, you know, so as to keep the fellows off. And Roop's
mighty sharp for a boy, ye know."
* Two bits, i. e., twenty-five cents.
The master reflected a moment and concluded that Uncle Ben was
probably right. Rupert Filgee, who was a handsome boy of fourteen,
was also a strongly original character whose youthful cynicism and
blunt, honest temper had always attracted him. He was a fair scholar,
with a possibility of being a better one, and the proposed arrangement
with Uncle Ben would not interfere with the discipline of school hours
and might help them both. Nevertheless he asked good-humoredly,
"But couldn't you do this more securely and easily in your own house?
I might lend you the books, you know, and come to you twice a week."
Uncle Ben's radiant face suddenly clouded. "It wouldn't be exactly the
same kind o' game to me an' Roop," he said hesitatingly. "You see
thar's the idea o' the school-house, ye know, and the restfulness and the
quiet, and the gen'ral air o' study. And the boys around town ez
wouldn't think nothin' o' trapsen' into my cabin if they spotted what I
was up to thar, would never dream o' hunting me here."
"Very well," said the master, "let it be here then." Observing that his
companion seemed to be struggling with an inarticulate gratitude and
an apparently inextricable buckskin purse in his pocket, he added
quietly, "I'll set you a few copies to commence with," and began to lay
out a few unfinished examples of Master Johnny Filgee's scholastic
achievements.
"After thanking YOU, Mr. Ford," said Uncle Ben, faintly, "ef you'll jest
kinder signify, you know, what you consider a fair"--
Mr. Ford turned quickly and dexterously offered his hand to his
companion in such a manner that he was obliged to withdraw his own
from his pocket to grasp it in return. "You're very welcome," said the
master, "and as I can only permit this sort of thing gratuitously, you'd
better NOT let me know that you propose giving anything even to
Rupert." He shook Uncle Ben's perplexed hand again, briefly explained

what he had to do, and saying that he would now leave him alone a few
minutes, he took his hat and walked towards the door.
"Then you reckon," said Uncle Ben slowly, regarding the work before
him, "that I'd better jest chuck them Dobell fellers overboard?"
"I certainly should," responded the master with infinite gravity.
"And sorter waltz in fresh, like one them children?"
"Like a child," nodded the master as he left the porch.
A few moments later, as he was finishing his cigar in the clearing, he
paused to glance in at the school-room window. Uncle Ben, stripped of
his coat and waistcoat, with his shirt-sleeves rolled up on his powerful
arms, had evidently cast Dobell and all misleading extraneous aid aside,
and with the perspiration standing out on his foolish forehead, and his
perplexed face close to the master's desk, was painfully groping along
towards the light in the tottering and devious tracks of Master Johnny
Filgee, like a very child indeed!

CHAPTER II.
As the children were slowly straggling to their places the next morning,
the master waited for an opportunity to speak to Rupert. That beautiful
but scarcely amiable youth was, as usual, surrounded and impeded by a
group of his small female admirers, for whom, it is but just to add, he
had a supreme contempt. Possibly it was this healthy quality that
inclined the master towards him, and