ts to have her own way more
than she has had it. She said a lot of things to me, things that she
hasn't said before. It seems that when she first came home she was
inclined to think I had exaggerated when I wrote her about the lovely
people here in Scarford, and the Chapter, and the brilliant women in it.
Now, she sees I was right. She has helped me a good deal already with my
Chapter work, and she means to do more. She is going to join the Chapter
herself. She--why, what's the matter?"

Daniel had made a choking noise in his throat; he appeared to be
strangling.

"Noth--nothin'," he gasped. "Nothin' much. I'm all right. But--but you
said--why, how can Gertie join the Chapter? She ain't goin' to stay
here. She's goin' back to college soon as her vacation's over."

Serena shook her head. There was just a shade of doubt, almost of
trouble, in her voice as she answered.

"No-o," she said, "no, Daniel, she isn't. She isn't going back any more.
She thinks it isn't necessary."

"Not necessary! Why, how you talk, Serena! Not necessary to finish out
her last term! What do you mean? One of the things that troubled me
most, back there in Trumet before we was rich, was that I might not
afford for her to finish out at that college, and now, when I can, she
ain't goin'. I say she is. I say she's got to."

"I don't believe that will make any difference, Daniel. She seems
to have made up her mind. I'm kind of sorry, I must say, but she is
obstinate. She says it is so much more interesting here that she is
going to stay. You can talk to her, if you want to, but I don't think it
will do any good."

Serena was right; although Captain Dan did talk to his daughter his
arguments and persuasions were quite useless.

"No, Daddy," said Gertrude, "I am going to stay right here. I told you
that if I were needed I should come home. I have come home and I am
needed. I shall not go back. It is only the last half term, anyway."

"Yes, but then's when the girls have all their best times, all the
dances and--and entertainments and society times. You said so. Do you
want to miss all those?"

Gertrude smiled. "Oh," she observed, "I expect to have a great many
'society times,' as you call them, right here in Scarford. There seems
to be no lack of them, and Mother is decidedly in the swim. It's no use,
Daddy; my mind is made up. Don't you worry, it is all right."

"Well--well, I--I must say--See here, are you really going to join that
Chapte