“Gustus, come back,” called Beth.

He looked crestfallen, but felt in duty bound to do as his little mistress bade.  She brought her books, and had Gustus sit down beside her.  Then she tried him with the alphabet.  He proved woefully ignorant.  After pointing out to him, A, B, and C, many, many times, she said: 

“Show me A, Gustus.”

He grinned.  “A what, missy?”

“The letter A, of course, g——­” She almost said “goosie,” but thought in time that such a word would not be dignified for a teacher to use.

She did not find the fun in teaching that she had expected.  Nevertheless, she persevered.  Her face grew flushed as Gustus proved himself more and more ignorant.

When Mrs. Davenport returned from town, she found Beth at her self-imposed task.

“Mamma, Gustus ought to go to school.”

“I don’t wants to go,” he cried, his eyes rolling so there was hardly any black visible in them.

Mrs. Davenport did not press the point.  She intended to talk it over with her husband.

“Mr. Davenport and I bought these for you,” she said, untying a package and drawing out a suit of boy’s clothes, stockings, shoes, and underwear.

Gustus’s pride now passed all bounds.  He let forth a perfect avalanche of thanks, using large words, the meaning of which he had little idea.  Even young darkies like big-sounding speech.

The morning passed quickly to Beth.  To her delight, towards noon the sun broke through the clouds.  This reminded her of Harvey Baker’s invitation to fish.

“Mamma, may I go down to the wharf?” she asked immediately after luncheon.  “Harvey Baker asked me to fish with him.  He’s a neighbor’s boy I met Saturday.”

“Well, I declare.  Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I forgot.”  She had had so many things to think of and talk about, that she had not thought much about Harvey except at night.  Then that awful alligator haunted her until she wanted to call her mamma, but she had not dared because of her promise.

“May I go, mamma?”

“But I do not know anything about him.  He may not be nice at all.”

Maggie, who chanced to be present, now spoke up: 

“De Bakers am quality, Miss Mary.  I wouldn’t be feared to let missy go wid any Baker.  I’se s’prised, do, dat Harvey axed her, ’cause he don’t like girls.  Are yo’ sure, honey, he axed yo’?”

“Of course I am.”

“Den yo’ needn’t fear, Miss Mary.  Harvey’s a big boy, and he’ll take good care of her.”

With this assurance, Mrs. Davenport gave her consent.

Beth put on her hat and hurried down the avenue to the river.  On the end of the wharf sat Harvey, holding a fishing pole.  He turned his head at her approach.

“Hello, Beth.  I hardly expected you.  I thought your mamma might be ’fraid to let you come.”

She smiled.  “Maggie said you were ‘quality,’ and would take care of me.”