"Mollie was young then and very good to you. I knew almost nothing about her except that she was giving you a mother's care. For that reason, when Mrs. Shannon said it was the thing to do, I married her. You understand, my Jeanne, it was not because I cared for _her_--it was just because I cared for _nothing_ in the whole world. Perhaps not even very much for you. I seemed to be asleep--numb and weak. It was two years before I realized what I had done for myself. Then it was too late. Of course I could not take Mollie and her mother to the town where I had lived with your mother; so I was obliged to find work here. I tried to be good to Mollie. She has always been kind to you. And now do you know why I want _your_ speech to be different from Mollie's?"
"Yes, yes," cried Jeanne. "I'll _never_ say 'I done it' again! Or 'I should have went' or 'I ain't got no money.' Oh, I _wish_ I'd _never_ said them. Daddy! Do you s'pose I _could_ grow up to be a _lady_?"
Her father looked at the eager young creature.
"Yes," he said, "I believe there's a way. But it's a hard, heart-breaking way for one of us."
"If _you're_ the one," said Jeanne, "I guess I'll stay just me and _not_ be a lady. Anyhow, a girl has to grow up first, doesn't she?"
"Of _course_," returned Mr. Duval, with a sudden brightness in his dark eyes and something very like a note of relief in his tone. "There's still time for you to do a lot of growing. But these things had to be said. Now let us put the treasures away and do our spelling, or Old Captain will get here and put an end to our lessons."
"Will you show me the picture again, some day, Daddy?"
"Some day," he promised, opening the spelling book at the pink clover.
The next day was bright, the weather was warm, and the little Duvals, to put it frankly, were very, very dirty. Jeanne, who had charge of the family while lazy Mollie dozed in one of the frowzy bunks, decided to give her charges a bath. There was a beautiful spot for the purpose along the edge of the Cinder Pond. The bottom at that place was really quite smooth and sandy. A tiny bit of beach had formed below the sloping bank of fine cinders and never were young trees more useful than those in the two clumps of shrubbery that screened this little patch of sandy beach. The shallow water was pleasantly warm.