pathways of knowledge were thorny and difficult. Reaching the master's
desk and the ministering presence above it, he stopped awkwardly, and
with the rim of his soft felt hat endeavored to wipe from his face the
meek smile it had worn when he entered. It chanced also that he had
halted before the minute stool of the infant Filgee, and his large
figure instantly assumed such Brobdingnagian proportions in contrast
that he became more embarrassed than ever. The master made no attempt to
relieve him, but regarded him with cold interrogation.

"I reckoned," he began, leaning one hand on the master's desk with
affected ease, as he dusted his leg with his hat with the other, "I
reckoned--that is--I allowed--I orter say--that I'd find ye alone at
this time. Ye gin'rally are, ye know. It's a nice, soothin', restful,
stoodious time, when a man kin, so to speak, run back on his eddication
and think of all he ever knowed. Ye're jist like me, and ye see I sorter
spotted your ways to onct."

"Then why did you come here this morning and disturb the school?"
demanded the master sharply.

"That's so, I sorter slipped up thar, didn't I?" said Uncle Ben with
a smile of rueful assent. "You see I didn't allow to COME IN then, but
on'y to hang round a leetle and kinder get used to it, and it to me."

"Used to what?" said the master impatiently, albeit with a slight
softening at his intruder's penitent expression.

Uncle Ben did not reply immediately, but looked around as if for a seat,
tried one or two benches and a desk with his large hand as if testing
their security, and finally abandoning the idea as dangerous, seated