chance he came back to the site of the burned cabin, was solely their
own affair, and Russ and Rose realized the fact.

"We ought to be able to do something about it ourselves," declared Russ
to his sister. "I'm going to ask Mammy June again if she is sure Sneezer
can't read a word of writing."

This he did. Mammy June shook her head somewhat sadly.

"Dat boy always have to wo'k," she said. "When first he went away he
sent me back money by mail. The man he wo'ked for sent it. Then Sneezer
losed his job. But he never learnt to read hand-writin'. Much as he
could do to spell out the big print on the front of the newspapers.
That's surely so!"

Rose suddenly thought of something--and perhaps it was not a foolish
idea at that.

"Oh, Mammy!" she cried, "can your boy read newspaper print?"

"Sure can. De big print. What yo' call de haidlines in big print. Sure
can."

"Oh!" murmured Rose, and she dragged Russ away to confer with him in
secret.




CHAPTER XXII