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"Yeh. Mr. Sandage brought me up here to-day. He got into trouble on account of not sendin' me to school."

This was still more astounding information. "Why, ain't you never been to school none?"

"Not much."

"Why, when I was a-lookin' at you I thought you must be a awful smart boy and had been to school a lot."

The admission that she had been looking at him and thinking about him struck the first chord of pleasure in Abner's bosom during this interview.

"Well, I aint. . . ." He was sorry to admit it, although, undoubtedly, to stay away from school was the helpful course to pursue.

"How come you not to?" she asked curiously.

"Well, ralely, there wasn't nobody to send me. My mammy died in the porehouse when I wuz jest a baby."

"O-oh!" breathed the girl, and the high pink of her face faded.

"She didn't haff to go to the porehouse for bein' pore," explained Abner quickly; "she went crazy and they wa'n't no place for her at the asylum in Nashville."

"Jess think!" cried the girl, deeply moved, staring spellbound at Abner. "Why, that's jest like a novel!" Wonder was in her blue eyes, reminiscent of the wonders she had found in novels. "I bet you are smart," she added with conviction, "even if you ain't been to school, especially with your mammy goin' crazy."

For the first time in his life Abner was openly admired by a girl, and this one delicately fair.

"I dunno about that," he said, sticking to his modesty even in the face of such flattery. "I know I'd hate to go to school and git to be a edjercated fool like Lem Overall."

"You wouldn't be like him, you'd be some great somebody if you was educated, a big lawyer or something, and you would come back home and marry your old sweetheart."