She was sixteen years old, she said, and although her opportunities for study had been so limited, she had managed to keep up with her classes by studying every spare moment. For the past two years her teacher had taken a special interest in her and had advised and helped her in every possible way. She had a great ambition. It was to become a school teacher and thus be able to help her mother and younger sisters. “Toots is past fourteen and strong for her age,” she concluded, “and May is twelve. They could help Maw out if I was gone. If I could only have Jeff’s chance—just have some place to live while I went to school. But Maw won’t hear of it. I just don’t know what to do. It’s not for me alone, it’s all the little ones. Paw gets worse all the time, and Jeff’s got no ambition. I got to succeed to save the family.” She squared her wiry little shoulders as though to support the world. “Sometimes people are willing to take a good, strong girl and let her earn her board and keep while she goes to school by working mornings and nights and holidays. It’s a pretty hard way to live. A girl must be a servant and never gets any fun. Would you want to do that?” Mandy stretched out her browned and calloused hands. “Do you see those paws? I’ve milked cows and curried mules and ploughed and suckered corn, to say nothing of washing dishes and packing wood and water and such like, all without any hope at all. Give me a chance to earn an education and I’ll work these fingers to the bone and be glad to do it.” “Well, I can’t promise you anything definite, but I meet lots of people and I’ll see what I can do. If I do find a place, how’ll I let you know?” “I’ll give you the address of Mrs. Cummings. That’s where my teacher boarded. You can send a letter there for me and she’ll see that I get it safely. Oh, if you’ll only get me a chance!” “Are you sure you have the courage to leave your home in the face of the opposition of your father and mother and go away alone to work in some stranger’s kitchen? You’re under age, too, you know, and if your parents can find you, they can force you to return. You’ll have to cut yourself off from them for two whole years.” “Yes, I can do it. I swear to you, I will do it—cross my heart and hope to die. I wouldn’t leave my mother, if I didn’t feel sure it’s for her own good. I can do so much for her when I get to be a teacher. You’ll try to get me a chance, won’t you?” I promised to do my best. As Mrs. Adams came out of the door with her side of bacon, Mandy dashed inside, and returned in a few moments with a piece of paper which she slipped into my hand. “Here’s the address,” she whispered. “You won’t forget, will you? Please, please, don’t forget.” With a few reassuring words I bade her good-bye and took my place in the wagon.