be impolite," said Aunt Amelia, after a suitable pause in
which Marcia felt disapprobation in the air. "It would be best for us to
send it. David's health might suffer if he was not suitably nourished."

Marcia's cheeks grew redder. Bread had been one of her stepmother's strong
points, well infused into her young pupil. Madam Schuyler had never been
able to say enough to sufficiently express her scorn of people who made
salt-rising bread.

"My stepmother made beautiful bread," she said quite childishly; "she did
not think salt-rising was so healthy as that made from hop yeast. She
disliked the odor in the house from salt-rising bread."

Now indeed the aunts exchanged glances of "On to the combat." Four red
spots flamed giddily out in their four sallow cheeks, and eight shining
knitting needles suddenly became idle. The moment was too momentous to
work. It was as they feared, even the worst. For, be it known, salt-rising
bread was one of their most tender points, and for it they would fight to
the bitter end. They looked at her with four cold, forbidding, steely,
spectacled eyes, and Marcia felt that their looks said volumes: "And she
so young too! To be so out of the way!" was what they might have expressed
to one another. Marcia felt she had been unwise in uttering her honest,
indignant sentiments concerning salt-rising bread.

The pause was long and impressive, and the bride felt like a naughty
little four-year-old.

At last Aunt Hortense took up her knitting again with the air that all was
over and an unrevokable verdict was passed upon the culprit.

"People have never seemed to stay away from our house on that account,"
she said dryly. "I'm sure I hope it will not be so disagreeable that it
will affect your coming to see us sometimes with David."

There was an iciness in her manner that seemed to suggest a long line of
offended family portraits of ancestors frowning down upon her.

Marcia's cheeks flamed crimson and her heart fairly stopped beating.

"I beg your pardon," she said quickly, "I did not mean to say anything
disagreeable. I am sure I shall be glad to come as often as you will let
me." As she said it Marcia wondered if that were quite true. Would she
ever be glad to go to the home of those two severe-looking aunts? There
were three of them. Perhaps the other one would be even more withered and
severe than these two. A slight shudder passed over Marcia, and a sudden
realization of a side of married