lse to throw herself
headlong upon Aunt Eunice, crying wildly:

"Oh, it's all true! But he loved me, my father loved me, bad as I am!
And for his sake I wish--I wish I could be good. So folks, his folks,
or--or anybody could stand it to live with me! But I can't. I've tried.
I've tried ever so hard, yet the goodness gets down below and the
badness stays on top, and then things go--smash!"

Aunt Eunice waited a moment, then replaced Katharine in her chair,
thinking what a child she still seemed, despite her fourteen years and
her city training. Also, recalling with a thrill of pride that she
herself, at fourteen years, had been the head of her own father's
widowed home and a woman, by contrast. "Though I was reared in Marsden,"
she complacently reflected, as she said:

"I should be glad to hear whatever you choose to tell me, my dear, of
your life. Especially, what caused the final break between you and Mrs.
Maitland."

"Why, it wasn't badness at all, that time! It was meant in kindness.
Some other girls and I had fixed up a sort of house-picnic for
washer-woman Biddy's children, who were all down with the measles, and
just to amuse them I took stepmother's boys, the four young
Snowballs--haven't they the absurdest name?--along; and she--she didn't
like it. She said things. That I'd wilfully exposed them to danger,
though I ought to be as careful of them as if they were my real
brothers. And there I was trying to be, only she didn't understand.
Then, another day, not long before, I coaxed some big boys who have a
naphtha-launch to give the 'Balls a sail on it down the bay. The thing
happened to explode, and, though nobody was hurt, she went on just
terrible because I'd taken the children without asking her. How could I
ask her when she was off shopping, or somewhere, just at the very moment
the idea popped into my head? And nothing befell the little fellows
except getting their clothes wet, and they always needed washing,
anyway. The nice part of it was that they were scared into behaving
themselves as they should for a whole week afterward, and she might have
been pleased. But it was always like that. I'd have perfectly lovely
plans for making everybody happy, all around, and they'd all end just
the other way. So here I am. Mrs. John has cast me off; do you accept
me?"

"First, let me ask if you were accustomed to speak of your father's wife
in that manner?"

The girl was surprised by the other's tone, yet promp