f course she mustn't," said Dwight sharply, "and if _I_ was her
mother--"

"Oh stop that!" said Ina, sotto voce, at the church steps.

To every one with whom they spoke in the aisle after church, Ina
announced their news: Had they heard? Lulu married Dwight's brother
Ninian in the city yesterday. Oh, sudden, yes! And ro_man_tic ... spoken
with that upward inflection to which Ina was a prey.

V

AUGUST

Mrs. Bett had been having a "tantrim," brought on by nothing definable.
Abruptly as she and Ina were getting supper, Mrs. Bett had fallen
silent, had in fact refused to reply when addressed. When all was ready
and Dwight was entering, hair wetly brushed, she had withdrawn from the
room and closed her bedroom door until it echoed.

"She's got one again," said Ina, grieving; "Dwight, you go."

He went, showing no sign of annoyance, and stood outside his
mother-in-law's door and knocked.

No answer.

"Mother, come and have some supper."

No answer.

"Looks to me like your muffins was just about the best ever."

No answer.

"Come on--I had something funny to tell you and Ina."

He retreated, knowing nothing of the admirable control exercised by this
woman for her own passionate satisfaction in sliding him away
unsatisfied. He showed nothing but anxious concern, touched with regret,
at his failure. Ina, too, returned from that door discomfited. Dwight
made a gallant effort to retrieve the fallen fortunes of their evening
meal, and turned upon Di, who had just entered, and with exceeding
facetiousness inquired how Bobby was.

Di looked hunted. She could never tell whether her parents were going to
tease her about Bobby, or rebuke her for being seen with him. It
depended on mood, and this mood Di had not the experience to gauge. She
now groped for some neutral fact, and mentioned that he was going to
take her and Jenny for ice cream that night.

Ina's irritation found just expression in office of motherhood.

"I won't have you downtown in the evening," she said.

"But you let me go last night."

"All the better reason why you should not go to-night."

"I tell you," cried Dwight. "Why not all walk down? Why not all have ice
cream...." He was all gentleness and propitiation, the reconciling
element in his home.

"Me too?" Monona's ardent hope, her terrible fear were in her eyebrows,
her parted lips.

"You too, certainly." Dwight could not do enough for every one.

Monona clapped her hands. "G