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to trouble itself in regard to his own privileged relations with its
rustic enchantress； the young men clearly were not jealous of him；
no matron had suggested any indecorum in a young girl of Cressy's
years and antecedents being intrusted to the teachings of a young
man scarcely her senior。 Notwithstanding the attitude which Mr。
Ford had been pleased to assume towards her； this implied compliment
to his supposed monastic vocations affected him almost as
uncomfortably as the 〃Star's〃 extravagant eulogium。 He was obliged
to recall certain foolish experiences of his own to enable him to
rise superior to this presumption of his asceticism。
In pursuance of his promise to McKinstry； he had procured a few
elementary books of study suitable to Cressy's new position；
without； however； taking her out of the smaller classes or the
discipline of the school。 In a few weeks he was enabled to further
improve her attitude by making her a 〃monitor〃 over the smaller
girls； thereby dividing certain functions with Rupert Filgee； whose
ministrations to the deceitful and 〃silly〃 sex had been characterized
by perhaps more vigilant scorn and disparagement than was necessary。
Cressy had accepted it as she had accepted her new studies； with an
indolent good…humor； and at times a frankly supreme ignorance of
their abstract or moral purpose that was discouraging。 〃What's the
good of that？〃 she would ask； lifting her eyes abruptly to the
master。 Mr。 Ford； somewhat embarrassed by her look； which always；
sooner or later； frankly confessed itself an excuse for a perfectly
irrelevant examination of his features in detail； would end in
giving her some severely practical answer。 Yet； if the subject
appealed to any particular idiosyncrasy of her own； she would
speedily master the study。 A passing predilection for botany was
provoked by a single incident。 The master deeming this study a
harmless young…lady…like occupation； had one day introduced the
topic at recess； and was met by the usual answer。 〃But suppose；〃 he
continued artfully； 〃somebody sent you anonymously some flowers。〃
〃Her ho！〃 suggested Johnny Filgee hoarsely； with bold bad
recklessness。 Ignoring the remark and the kick with which Rupert
had resented it on the person of his brother； the master continued：
〃And if you couldn't find out who sent them； you would want at
least to know what they were and where they grew。〃
〃Ef they grew anywhere 'bout yer we could tell her that；〃 said a
chorus of small voices。
The master hesitated。 He was conscious of being on delicate
ground。 He was surrounded by a dozen pairs of little keen eyes
from whom Nature had never yet succeeded in hiding her secrets
eyes that had waited for and knew the coming up of the earliest
flowers； little fingers that had never turned the pages of a text…
book； but knew where to scrape away the dead leaves above the first
anemone； or had groped painfully among the lifeless branches in
forgotten hollows for the shy dog…rose； unguided little feet that
had instinctively made their way to remote southern slopes for the
first mariposas； or had unerringly threaded the tule…hidden banks
of the river for flower…de…luce。 Convinced that he could not hold
his own on their level； he shamelessly struck at once above it。
〃Suppose that one of those flowers；〃 he continued； 〃was not like
the rest； that its stalks and leaves； instead of being green and
soft； were white and stringy like flannel as if to protect it from
cold； wouldn't it be nice to be able to say at once that it had
lived only in the snow； and that some one must have gone all that
way up there above the snow line to pick it？〃 The children； taken
aback by this unfair introduction of a floral stranger； were
silent。 Cressy thoughtfully accepted botany on those possibilities。
A week later she laid on the master's desk a limp…looking plant
with a stalk like heavy frayed worsted yarn。 〃It ain't much to look
at after all； is it？〃 she said。 〃I reckon I could cut a better one
with scissors outer an old cloth jacket of mine。〃
〃And you found it here？〃 asked the master in surprise。
〃I got Masters to look for it when he was on the Summit。 I described
it to him。 I didn't allow he had the gumption to get it。 But
he did。〃
Although botany languished slightly after this vicarious effort； it
kept Cressy in fresh bouquets； and extending its gentle influence
to her friends and acquaintances became slightly confounded with
horticulture； led to the planting of one or two gardens； and was
accepted in school as an implied concession to berries； apples； and
nuts。 In reading and writing Cressy greatly improved； with a
marked decrease in grammatical solecisms； although she still
retained certain characteristic words； and always her own slow
Southwestern； half musical intonation。 This languid deliberation
was particularly noticeable in her reading aloud； and gave the
studied and measured rhetoric a charm of which her careless
colloquial speech was incapable。 Even the 〃Fifth Reader；〃 with its
imposing passages from the English classics carefully selected with
a view of paralyzing small； hesitating； or hurried voices； in
Cressy's hands became no longer an unintelligible incantation。 She
had quietly mastered the difficulties of pronunciation by some
instinctive sense of euphony if not of comprehension。 The master
with his eyes closed hardly recognized his pupil。 Whether or not
she understood what she read he hesitated to inquire； no doubt； as
with her other studies； she knew what attracted her。 Rupert
Filgee； a sympathetic if not always a correct reader； who boldly
took four and five syllabled fences flying only to come to grief
perhaps in the ditch of some rhetorical pause beyond； alone
expressed his scorn of her performance。 Octavia Dean； torn between
her hopeless affection for this beautiful but inaccessible boy； and
her soul…friendship for this bigger but many…frocked girl； studied
the master's face with watchful anxiety。
It is needless to say that Hiram McKinstry was； in the intervals of
stake…driving and stock…hunting； heavily contented with this latest
evidence of his daughter's progress。 He even intimated to the
master that her reading being an accomplishment that could be
exercised at home was conducive to that 〃kam〃 in which he was so
deficient。 It was also rumored that Cressy's oral rendering of
Addison's 〃Reflections in Westminster Abbey〃 and Burke's
〃Indictment of Warren Hastings；〃 had beguiled him one evening from
improving an opportunity to 〃plug〃 one of Harrison's boundary
〃raiders。〃
The master shared in Cressy's glory in the public eye。 But
although Mrs。 McKinstry did not materially change her attitude of
tolerant good…nature towards him； he was painfully conscious that
she looked upon her daughter's studies and her husband's interests
in them as a weakness that might in course of time produce
infirmity of homicidal purpose and become enervating of eye and
trigger…finger。 And when Mr。 McKinstry got himself appointed as
school…trustee； and was thereby obliged to mingle with certain
Eastern settlers；colleagues on the Board；this possible
weakening of the old sharply drawn sectional line between 〃Yanks〃
and themselves gave her grave doubts of Hiram's physical stamina。
〃The old man's worrits hev sorter shook out a little of his sand；〃
she had explained。 On those evenings when he attended the Board；
she sought higher consolation in prayer meeting at the Southern
Baptist Church； in whose exercises her Northern and Eastern
neighbors； thinly disguised as 〃Baal〃 and 〃Astaroth；〃 were
generally overthrown and their temples made desolate。
If Uncle Ben's progress was slower； it was no less satisfactory。
Without imagination and even without enthusiasm； he kept on with a
dull laborious persistency。 When the irascible impatience of
Rupert Filgee at last succumbed to the obdurate slowness of his
pupil； the master himself； touched by Uncle Ben's perspiring
forehead and perplexed eyebrows； often devoted the rest of the
afternoon to a gentle elucidation of the mysteries before him；
setting copies for his heavy hand； or even guiding it with his own；
like a child's； across the paper。 At times the appalling
uselessness of Uncle Ben's endeavors reminded him of Rupert's
taunting charge。 Was he really doing this from a genuine thirst
for knowledge？ It was inconsistent with all that Indian Spring
knew of his antecedents and his present ambitions； he was a simple
miner without scientific or technical knowledge； his already slight
acquaintance with arithmetic and the scrawl that served for his
signature were more than sufficient for his needs。 Yet it was with
this latter sign…manual that he seemed to take infinite pains。 The
master； one afternoon； thought fit to correct the apparent vanity
of this performance。
〃If you took as much care in tr