"Yes, I heard about it last night, but I hadn't put the two together," said Ham. "Do you really mean Dab is to go?" "Of course," said Mrs. Kinzer. "Well, if that isn't doing it easy. Do you know it's about the nicest thing since I got here?" "Except the barn afire," said Dabney, unable to keep still any longer. "Mother, may I stand on my head a while?" "You'll need all the head you've got," said Ham. "You wont have much time to get ready." "Books enough after he gets there," exclaimed Mrs. Kinzer. "I'll risk Dabney." "And they'll make him give up all his slang," added Samantha. "Yes, Sam, when I come back I'll talk nothing but Greek and Latin. I'm getting French now from Ford, and Hindoo from Frank Harley. Then I know English and slang and Long Islandish. Think of one man with seven first-rate languages." But Dabney found himself unable to sit still, even at the breakfast-table. Not that he got up hungry, for he had done his duty by Miranda's cookery, but the house itself seemed too small to hold him, with all his new prospects swelling so within him. Perhaps, too, the rest of the family felt better able to discuss the important subject before them after Dab had taken himself into the open air. "It beats dreaming all hollow," said the latter to himself, as he stood, with his hands in his pockets, half-way down toward the gate between the two farms. "Now I'll see what can be done about that other matter." Two plans in one head, and so young a head as that? Yes, and it spoke very well for Dab's heart, as well as his brains, that plan number two was not a selfish one. The substance of it came out in the first five minutes of the talk he had with Ford and Frank, on the other side of the gate. "Ford, you know there's twenty dollars left of the money the Frenchman paid us for the blue-fish." "Well, what of it? Isn't it yours?" "One share's mine, the rest yours and Dick's." "He needs it more'n I do." "Ford, did you know Dick was real bright?" "'Cute little chap as I ever saw. Why?" "Well, he ought to go to school." "Why don't he go?" "He does, except in summer. He might go to the academy if they'd take him and he had money enough." "What academy?" "Why, Grantley, of course. I'm going, and so are you and Frank. Why shouldn't Dick go?" "You're going? Hurrah for that! Why didn't you say so before?" "Wasn't sure till this morning. You fellows'll be a long way ahead of me, but I mean to catch up." For a few minutes poor Dick was lost sight of in a storm of talk, but Dab came back to him with: "Dick's folks are dreadful poor, but we might raise it. Twenty dollars to begin with--" "I've ten dollars laid up, and I know mother'll say pass it right in," exclaimed Ford. It was hardly likely Mrs. Foster would express her assent precisely in that way, but Frank added: "I think I can promise five." "I mean to speak to Ham Morris and mother about it," said Dab. "All I wanted was to fix it about the twenty to start on."