“Thank you, Sam,” said Michael more moved than he dared show, “And now that’s settled I want to talk about this room. I’m going to have five little kids here tomorrow early in the evening. I told them I’d show them how to whittle boats and we’re going to sail them in the scrub bucket. They’re about the age you and I were when I went away to college. Perhaps I’ll teach them a letter or two of the alphabet if they seem interested. They ought to know how to read, Sam.” “I never learned to read—” muttered Sam half belligerently. “That so?” said Michael as if it were a matter of small moment. “Well, what if you were to come in and help me with the boats. Then you could pick it up when I teach them. You might want to use it some day. It’s well to know how, and a man learns things quickly you know.” Sam nodded. “I don’t know’s I care ’bout it,” he said indifferently, but Michael saw that he intended to come. “Well, after the kids have gone, I won’t keep them late you know, I wonder if you’d like to bring some of the fellows in to see this?” Michael glanced around the room. “I’ve some pictures of alligators I have a fancy they might like to see. I’ll bring them down if you say so.” “Sure!” said Sam trying to hide his pleasure. “Then tomorrow morning I’m going to let that little woman that lives in the cellar under Aunt Sally’s room, bring her sewing here and work all day. She makes buttonholes in vests. It’s so dark in her room she can’t see and she’s almost ruined her eyes working by candle light.” “She’ll mess it all up!” grumbled Sam; “an’ she might let other folks in an’ they’d pinch the picters an’ the posy.” “No, she won’t do that. I’ve talked to her about it. The room is to be hers for the day, and she’s to keep it looking just as nice as it did when she found it. She’ll only bring her work over, and go home for her dinner. She’s to keep the fire going so it will be warm at night, and she’s to try it for a day and see how it goes. I think she’ll keep her promise. We’ll try her anyway.” Sam nodded as to a superior officer who nevertheless was awfully foolish. “Mebbe!” he said. “Sam, do you think it would be nice to bring Aunt Sally over now a few minutes?” “No,” said Sam shortly, “she’s too dirty. She’d put her fingers on de wall first thing—” “But Sam, I think she ought to come. And she ought to come first. She’s the one that helped me find you—” Sam looked sharply at Michael and wondered if he suspected how long that same Aunt Sally had frustrated his efforts to find his friends. “We could tell her not to touch things, perhaps—” “Wal, you lemme tell her. Here! I’ll go fix her up an’ bring her now.” And Sam hurried out of the room.