" I wonder that you haven't more ambition. Uncle Joe."
" That died and was buried long ago. The little that I have left is for you. I want you to have the benefit of what I have learned from books and life ; I want you to be happy — I can't say that I'm interested in any thing beyond that."
She threw him a kiss. " You're too good to be true almost." Then, with a quite inexplicable diffidence she faltered, " Uncle Joe, that — that boy asked me to go to a dance."
He turned his head quickly and asked with a sharp note in his voice :
"Where?"
"In Prouty."
" Do you want to go? " " I can't tell you how much! " she cried eagerly. " I can hardly believe it is me I invited to a dance. I've never been out in the evening in all my life. I don't know a single woman and may be I'll never have such a chance again to get acquainted and make friends."
" I didn't know that you had been lonely, Katie," he said after a silence.
" Just sometimes," she admitted.
" You said you didn't want to go to Prouty again because the children bleated at you the last time you were in."
"But that was long ago — a year — they wouldn't do that now — they're older, and, besides, there are others who have sheep. We're not the only ones any more. But," with a quaver in her voice, " don't you want me to go. Uncle Joe? "
" I don't want you to put yourself in a position to get hurt."
38
