As it was said, I could do no less than refer to the card. Whether I held the card upside down or what I did, I do not know, but my secret was out and nothing could hide it any longer.
There I stood, to all appearances a man, intelligent and able-bodied, and not able to cipher or decipher even my own name.
I felt all go away from me. My fairy palace of bliss crumbled to pieces. What else could I do but slink away, to hide myself, my ignorance, my shame forever?
Why prolong the agony of this torturing moment?
I turned quickly without a word, intending to return to the dark "whence" from which I had come.
But before I had taken a step a little hand grasped my arm, and then and there took up its faithful guidance of me, and every fibre of my big, ungainly frame thrilled at this waking of the better life.
The memory of the following months—yes, years—but for the tingeing sadness would be a bit of most laughable humor.
The work of my little schoolma'am became doubled. Besides her class at school she saddled herself with this unwieldy, husky kindergarten of one. I know many youngsters—God bless them!—who like their school and studies, but they were not in it with me in the drilling of my A, B, C's. Never was the alphabet more quickly mastered. In a surprisingly short time "c-a-t, cat," and "r-a-t, rat," were spelled by me with the facility of a primary scholar.
Who would not have learned quickly with such a teacher?
My good old Bill did not fail to note this educational process and was sorely puzzled at it.