170 TROTTY'S WEDDING TOUR.

“I thought,” said Jake, after a moment’s pause, “ you’d
like to know it.”

Now that, I think, was one of the advantages of being both
a doctor and a “marm.” Of course I was glad to know it,
very glad; but not so glad as Jake himself, by any means.

“No,” said Jake, gravely, like a grown man, “ no, not so
glad as I be.”

“You think more of going to school than most ae I sus-
pect, Jake?”

Jake must have thought more of something than ‘most
boys. He sat up straight in the carriage, and began to
tremble.

“See here. It’s jest like this. Now see here. It seems
to me as ef I did n’t get an edication, I should —I should be
sech a fool!” said poor Jake. ‘“ It seems to me as ef I must
have an edication, any way. They would n’t send me.”
Jake broke off, abruptly. ‘“Mar’s got scairt, now. I’m

goin’ for three months. I thought ye ’d like to know it.”
But Jake’s little grimy, mangled hand trembled in the rest ;
he turned such a twisted face up to me that I could not untie
a strand of it. It was all a knot. So I sat and looked at
Jake, and Jake sat and looked at me.

“T’ve ben to work sence I was ’most eight year old,” said
Jake.

“ Poor little fellow!”

“ An’ I alwers begged to go to school, and mar never sent
me sence. I’m twelve years old next month, marm.”