Doc was at his examination table making up pills when he heard a familiar jingle of spurs and Festus opened the door. "Doc, I sure am sorry to be botherin' you..."

"Then don't," snapped the old man. "Go away and don't forget to close the door behind you."

Festus came in and closed the door, then pulled off his hat and turned it nervously in his hands. "Fact is, Letty made me promise I'd come'n see you."

Doc turned around. "She did?" Festus nodded and the old man asked gruffly, "Well, what is it?"

The deputy sat by the door and pulled a piece of paper out of his vest pocket. "Doc, Letty got it in her head that she wanted to learn me to read writin'..."

The old man regarded his friend with astonishment. "Do you mean to tell me that after all these years you're finally going to learn how to read? What brought that on?"

Festus snorted. "It warn't my idea. Letty wants to work at the schoolhouse and she said if'n I learnt to read writin' it would show what a good teacher she wuz."

Doc's eyes twinkled at the young woman's innocent subterfuge. "Well, I must say that makes a lot of sense." Festus nodded glumly and his friend asked, "Why did she send you to me?"

"Well, the first thing she done wuz to write out the letters for me to copy." Festus held out the paper. "I done it for her and she tuck one look and said I wuz to come to you and have you check my eyes."

Doc took the paper, frowning as he looked it over. "Festus, how long did it take you to do this?"

"Oh, just a few minutes." The deputy looked puzzled. "Is there somethin' wrong with my eyes, Doc? Letty said it wuz all wrong but I wrote it out for her just the way she done it."

"The letters are mixed up," said the old man half to himself. He ran his hand over his face. "Come out on the landing where the light's better."

They went outside and Doc looked carefully at Festus' eyes, then shook his head. "They look all right. Come back inside." He cleared the medicines off the examination table. "Have a seat." He held up a finger. "Now keep your head still and just follow my finger with your eyes."

For almost an hour Doc did every test he could think of on the deputy's eyes. Finally he sat at his desk and wrote something, then handed it to Festus. "Here, copy that for me."

"Oh, Doc, I don't want to do no more writin' today. My head is startin' to hurt."

Doc scowled. "Do you want me to go to Letty and tell her you wouldn't co-operate with me when I tried to examine you?"

"I been coppertatin'!" The deputy glared, then took the pencil and paper and sat at the desk. "All right, you ornery old scutter, I'll do this last bit but then I'm goin' over to the Longbranch and get me a drink. A man cain't be run ragged like this all day..." He scrawled slowly on the paper while Doc watched intently. "There, are you happy?" Festus thrust the paper at Doc. The old man looked at the writing, then sat down by the door. He suddenly looked very tired and the deputy asked anxiously, "Doc, what is it? Am I goin' blind or somethin'?"

Doc shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with your eyes, Festus."

Festus was relieved. "Then I can tell Letty I saw you and I'm all right."

"I didn't say that." The deputy looked alarmed but he remained silent while the old man arranged his thoughts. "Festus, as far as I can tell your eyesight is just fine, but for some reason you're not seeing the letters clearly."

"What do you mean, Doc?"

The old man's voice was tight with frustration. "I wrote out your name for you and you copied half of it backwards...you didn't even get the second G in Haggen."

Festus hung his head. "I done the best I could. I ain't never had no schoolin', you know."

"Oh, for Heaven's sakes." Doc leaned forward and said gently, "I'm not saying it's your fault, Festus. I don't know why you're not seeing the letters the way they're written. It's as if you see them all scrambled or something."

The deputy looked up. "Doc, you mean I cain't learn to read even if'n I wanted to?"

Doc shook his head sadly. "I just don't see how you can if you can't see the letters properly."

"Reckon you can tell Letty, Doc?" Festus' voice was very low. "She's gonna be awful dis'pointed...she sure did have her heart set on learnin' me and I wuz really fixin' to go to work and do the best I could for her."

Doc looked into his friend's gentle hazel eyes-eyes that had always perceived so much and now saw so little-and his own eyes filled with tears. "I'll tell her, old boy."