“She wants to go to school, eh? Well, better late than never,” he added, with a smile.
“Tell him I want to work and earn money,” said Nistina.
When Neeta interpreted this, the teacher exclaimed: “Well, well! This is most astonishing! Why, I thought she hated the white man’s ways!”
“I think she want to marry white man,” remarked Neeta.
Mr. Morten looked at her coldly. “I hope not. You’re a mighty smart girl, Neeta, but I don’t like the way you carry on.”
Neeta smiled broadly, quite unabashed. “I’m all settled down now—no more skylarking round. I’m keeping house.”
“Well, see that you keep settled. I don’t understand this change in Nistina, but you tell her I’ll put her in charge of Mrs. Morten, and we’ll do the best we can for her. But tell her to send all these white men away; tell her not to listen to them.”
To Nistina Neeta said, “He says he will let you help his squaw, and she will teach you how to read and write.”
Nistina’s heart failed her when she heard this, for she had seen Mrs. Morten many times, and had heard many disturbing stories of her harshness. She was a tall, broad-shouldered woman, with keen gray eyes and a loud voice.