Part 16 (1/2)
”Are you a good scholar, Andrew?”
”I'm a mighty poor one, ma'am.”
”Did you ever study much?”
”No, ma'am, I've had to work ever since I was so high,” indicating a point about two feet from the ground.
”Dear me,” said Sophia, ”you must have been very small.”
”Yes, ma'am, I was very small of my size.”
”I've been thinking, Andrew, that perhaps we could spare you half the day, so that you could go to school in the forenoon--you could learn something in three hours--should you like it?”
”Would I like it, ma'am? Wouldn't I, though? I don't want to grow up a poor, ignorant crathur, hardly able to read and write.”
”Then you can go to school to-morrow, and ask the teacher if he will take you for half the day. You can get up early, and get your ch.o.r.es done before school.”
”Oh, yes, ma'am, I can do that easy.”
”I think we have some schoolbooks in the house. Some years ago we had a nephew stay with us, and go to school. I think his books are still in the closet.”
”Thank you, ma'am. It'll save me buyin', and I haven't got any money to spare.”
”We shall give you the same wages, Andrew, though you will work less.”
”Thank you, ma'am. You're very kind.”
”Try to improve your time in school, as becomes the great-grandson of such a distinguished orator.”
”I'll try, ma'am,” said Andy, looking a little queer at this allusion to the great Edmund Burke. In fact, he was ashamed of having deceived the kind old ladies, but didn't like now to own up to the deception lest they should lose confidence in him. But he determined hereafter to speak the truth, and not resort to deception.
The next morning, at twenty minutes of nine, Andy left the house provided with books, and joyfully took his way to the schoolhouse, which was a quarter of a mile distant. As he ascended the small hill on which it stood, he attracted the attention of a group of boys who had already arrived. Among them was his old adversary, G.o.dfrey Preston.
”Is that Irish boy coming to school?” he said in a tone of disgust.
”What? Andy Burke? I hope so,” said Charles Fleming, ”he's a good fellow.”
”He's only an Irish boy,” said G.o.dfrey, with a sneer.
”And I am only an American boy,” said Charles, good-humoredly.
”You can a.s.sociate with him if you want to; I shan't,” said G.o.dfrey.
”That's where I agree with you, G.o.dfrey,” said Ben Travers, who made himself rather a toady of G.o.dfrey's.
Andy had now come up, so that Charles Fleming did not reply, but called out, cordially:
”Are you coming to school, Andy?”
”Yes,” said Andy.