skin coat, his eyes and cheeks bright with the
cold. At sight of grandmother, he snatched
off his fur cap, greeting her in a deep, rolling
voice which seemed older than he.

"I want to thank you very much, Mrs. Bur-
den, for that you are so kind to poor strangers
from my kawn-tree."

He did not hesitate like a farmer boy, but
looked one eagerly in the eye when he spoke.
Everything about him was warm and spon-
taneous. He said he would have come to see
the Shimerdas before, but he had hired out to
husk corn all the fall, and since winter began
he had been going to the school by the mill,
to learn English, along with the little children.
He told me he had a nice "lady-teacher" and
that he liked to go to school.

At dinner grandfather talked to Jelinek
more than he usually did to strangers.

"Will they be much disappointed because
we cannot get a priest?" he asked.

Jelinek looked serious. "Yes, sir, that is very
bad for them. Their father has done a great
sin," he looked straight at grandfather. "Our
Lord has said that."

Grandfather seemed to like his frankness.
"We believe that, too, Jelinek. But we be-

[[120]]

p119 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p120w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p121

v?