Meantime Dick Lee's part in the matter had been taken for granted all around. An hour later, however, Mrs. Kinzer's first reply to her son, after a calculation on his part which made it almost seem as if Dick would make money by going to Grantley, was: "What if Mrs. Lee says she can't spare him?"
Dab's countenance fell. He knew Mrs. Lee, but he had not thought so far as that.
"Well, Dabney, if we can make the other arrangements, I'll see her about it."
Ham Morris had been exchanging remarkable winks with Miranda and Samantha, and now gravely suggested: "May be the academy authorities will refuse to take him."
"They had a blacker boy than he is there last year, Ford says."
"Now, Dab," exclaimed Ham.
"Well, I know he's pretty black, but it don't come off."
"Mother," said Samantha, "Mrs. Foster and Annie are coming through the gate."
Dab just waited long enough, after that, to learn the news concerning the "Richard Lee Education Fund," and Mr. Foster's offer, and then he was off toward the shore. He knew very well in which direction to go, for, half-way to the landing, he met Dick coming up the road with a basket of eels on his arm.
"Dick, I'm going to boarding-school, at an academy."