up their minds, they never change. With Nancy
Ellen and Father both down on me, I'm a prodigal for sure."

"What?" he cried, loudly. "What? Is your father in this, too? Did he
send you word you couldn't come home, either? This is a hell of a
mess! Speak up!"

Kate closed her lips, looked at him with deep scorn, and walked around
the corner of the house. For a second he looked after her
threateningly, then he sprang to his feet, and ran to her, catching her
in his arms.

"Forgive me, dearest," he cried. "That took the wind out of my sails
until I was a brute. You'd no business to SAY a thing like that. Of
course we can't have the old Land King down on us. We've got to have
our share of that land and money to buy us a fine home in Hartley, and
fix me up the kind of an office I should have. We'll borrow a rig and
drive over to-morrow and fix things solid with the old folks. You bet
I'm a star-spangled old persuader, look what I did with you--"

"You stop!" cried Kate, breaking from his hold. "You will drive me
crazy! You're talking as if you married me expecting land and money
from it. I haven't been home in a year, and my father would
deliberately kill me if I went within his reach."

"Well, score one for little old scratchin', pickin', Mammy!" he cried.
"She SAID you had a secret!"

Kate stood very still, looking at him so intently that a sense of shame
must have stirred in his breast.

"Look here, Kate," he said, roughly. "Mother did say you had a secret,
and she hinted at Christmas that the reason you didn't go home was
because your folks were at outs with you, and you can ask her if I
didn't tell her to shut up and leave you alone, that I was in love with
you, and I'd marry you and we'd get along all right, even if you were
barred from home, and didn't get a penny. I just dare you to ask her."

"It's no matter," said Kate, wearily. "I'd rather take your word."

"All right, you take it, for that's the truth," he said. "But what was
the rumpus? How did you come to have a racket with your old man?"

"Over my wanting to teach," said Kate. Then she explained in detail.

"Pother! Don't you fret about that!" said George. "I'm taking care of
you now, and I'll see that you soon get home and to Grays', too; that's
all buncombe. As for your share of your father's estate, you watch me
get it! You are his child, and there is law!"

"There's law that allows him to deed his land to his sons befor