"Nice little gal!" said Captain Nazro, assenting. "Mighty nice little
gal! Ain't it time she was going to school, January? My wife and I
were speaking about it only the other day. Seems as if she'd oughter
be round with other children now, and learning what they do. Mis Nazro
would be real pleased to have her stop with us a spell, and go to
school with our gals. What do you say?" He spoke very heartily, but
looked doubtfully at the old man, as if hardly expecting a favourable
answer.

Captain January shook his head emphatically, "You're real kind, Cap'n
Nazro!" he said; "real kind, you and Mis Nazro both are! and she
makin' the little un's frocks and pinafores, as is a great help. But
I can't feel to let her out o' my sight, nohow; and as for school,
she ain't the kind to bear it, nor yet I couldn't for her. She's
learnin'!" he added, proudly. "Learnin' well! I'll bet there ain't
no gal in your school knows more nor that little un does. Won'erful,
the way she walks ahead!"

"Get the school readers, hey! and teach her yourself do you?" queried
Captain Nazro.

"No, sir!" replied the old man; "I don't have no school readers. The
child learns out o' the two best books in the world,--the Bible, and
William Shakespeare's book; them's all the books she ever seed--_saw_,
I should say."

"William Shak--" began Captain Nazro; and then he broke off in sheer
amazement, and said, simply, "Well, I'm blowed!"