On a rainy day, Meg and Will play checkers. He plans to ask the doctor to come, but not right until school starts. Will realizes that Meg wants to learn how to read, and he tells her that he will teach her how to.

Will and Uncle Jed go to Mr. Riley’s store, and Will is glad that the men do not criticize Uncle Jed for taking in James temporarily. There is a letter for the family from James. Hank taunts Will, and Will trips on his own accord. When Mr. Riley asks Will if Hank pushed him, he does not deny it, which causes Mr. Riley to whip Hank severely. On the way home, Uncle Jed explains to Will that even though he did not overtly lie, he was still dishonest. Will hates the thought of disappointing his uncle.

The family learns that a school will open in the fall. Meg is upset that she will be with much younger kids when school starts because she cannot read, but Will tells her that he will get her up to level by the time school starts. The family reads the letter from James, and he has sent them a lot of money to cover damages the Union inflicted on Virginia.