“Lannie stood quite six feet tall, while his broad shoulders looked as though he could carry with ease and grace the burdens which might quickly crush other men out of all semblance of humanity. If his blue eyes were tender, they were only a relief from the firmly set jaws, which plainly said, ‘I will,’ without so much as a movement of the rather thin lips. I knew that Lannie would know and tell me, for he was honest; he had been in the family for years; I had learned to lean upon him as a brother, and as I sought him out from among the whirling pullies, singing saws, and swiftly crawling belts that day, I felt proud to think that I had at different times during my infancy sat on one of those square shoulders or clung tenaciously to that sinewy neck, as Lannie had waded through slough and brush, taking me from place to place in the forest; he had killed the snakes and chased away the wild boars that would so frighten me in childhood, and when young squirrels were susceptible to capture he would always keep the cage well filled with every known variety with which the woods abounded. If Lannie was the strong rod on which I learned to lean, wherein was I to blame? “Lannie saw me as I wistfully watched and waited, then giving some orders (for he was papa’s foreman), he came to where I was standing and said, ‘What is it, Ailene?’ “‘Lannie, I want to tell you something.’ I think the tremor of my childish voice impressed Lannie, for he asked me to go to the office, a rough affair, but there were chairs there, and we could be alone and away from the clanging saws and flying dust. “‘Now tell me what it is, little one,’ said Lannie, as he closed the door and took up a handful of curls which had crowded out from under the gingham bonnet which I wore. “‘Lannie, I am going away,’ said I. “‘I know it,’ replied Lannie. “‘You; who told you?’ “‘I heard the bargain.’ “‘Bargain; what’s that, Lannie?’ “‘I heard your father say that you could go.’ “‘Oh, did you hear him tell mamma?’ “‘No, I heard him tell the old man with the white side whiskers.’ “‘Do you know where I am going to, Lannie?’ “‘I only know that you are going away to school; the rich old man is to select the place and you are to be sent there, and⸺’ “Lannie turned to the window without finishing the sentence. Presently he resumed his speech again by asking if I was glad. I did not know what the change in Lannie’s voice meant then, but I could not fail to notice it. “‘Yes, I want to go and learn to be a lady, but—I—don’t like to go away and leave mamma and⸺’ “‘And who, Ailene?’ “‘You, Lannie. I will be lonely with a whole lot of dressed up children and mean old teachers around.’ “Before I had closed my sentence Lannie had drawn me to him and was kissing me fondly. “‘Oh, little girl, you don’t know how much Lannie will miss you, and to think I won’t see you any more.’ “‘Why, Lannie, why do you say that? I won’t stay always.’