“It’s over beyant,” replied Mis’ Cassie, waving her hand vaguely toward the slope before them. “But he died, and Mis’ Ravenel took the childer’ and left. I reckon she would have given something toward keeping up the school if she could have spared the money, but she had four young ones to rear, and couldn’t see her way to it. The school and the teacher’s house is just as she left it. My old man’s kept an eye on things. He vowed he wouldn’t see the place tore to pieces. Thar was plenty hereabouts who would ‘a’ helped theirselves to the furniture and fixings if he’d let ’em, but he said, no, anybody who had the gift of peering into the future could see that sometime that school would be set up here ag’in. And what he said has come true.” “Yes, it has, hasn’t it?” cried Azalea, delighted as she always was at any sign of friendliness and hopefulness in the world. “Do hurry, Mrs. McEvoy, please; I’m just wild to see how the schoolhouse looks.” Mis’ Cassie slipped the huge key in the door and the four entered the musty schoolroom. It was, as mountain schools go, a well-equipped room. There was a fireplace on one side for comfort in mildly chill weather, and a large sheet iron stove on the other for use on colder days. The teacher’s platform was backed by a blackboard; there were good desks for both pupils and teacher, and comfortable seats with backs to them. The room was well lighted, and no dirtier than might be expected. It is needless to say, however, that Miss Zillah’s first thought was of the cleaning it must undergo. “Where can I find some one to do the cleaning for us, Mrs. McEvoy?” she asked. “We must have everything scrubbed and the walls whitewashed.” “Well,” said Mis’ Cassie, “I’d take pride in cleaning out, and Miles, he could whitewash.” “But are you strong enough?” asked Miss Zillah kindly. “Taking medicine all the time as you do, I’m afraid you oughtn’t to do such hard work.” Mis’ Cassie smiled so that she showed the vacant places between her long pointed teeth. “It’s taking all that thar medicine that’s pearted me up so I _can_ do it,” she said triumphantly. Miss Zillah said no more in the way of warning, but straightway came to terms with Mis’ Cassie. Azalea and Carin, looking from the windows, did not really think this the best site in the world for a schoolhouse. “I don’t know how it will be with the pupils,” Azalea said, “but I’m afraid the teachers won’t do a thing but look out of the window. Honestly, I’ve never seen such views, and you know, Carin, that first and last I’ve seen something of the mountains.” “Oh, how I can paint,” Carin sighed happily. “I shall get up early mornings and work before school. Oh, Azalea, anyone could learn to paint up here—a person couldn’t keep from painting.”