Oh, Aunt Ollie! Would you?" she cried.
"Would you? That would be a mercy to me; it would give George every
chance to go straight, if there is a straight impulse in him."

"Yes, I will," said Aunt Ollie, "and you needn't feel that I am getting
the little end of the bargain, either. The only unpleasant thing about
it will be my sister, and I'll undertake to manage her. I read a lot,
an' I can always come to see you when mortal sperrits will bear her no
more. She'll be no such trial to me, as she is to you."

"You're an angel," said Kate. "You've given me hope where I had not a
glimmer. If I have George out there alone, away from his mother, I can
bring out all the good there is in him, and we can get some results out
of life, or I can assure myself that it is impossible, so that I can
quit with a clear conscience. I do thank you."

"All right, then, I'll go out and begin packing my things, and see
about moving this afternoon. I'll leave my stoves, and beds, and
tables, and chairs for you; you can use your wedding things, and be
downright comfortable. I'll like living in town a spell real well."

So once more Kate saw hope a beckoning star in the distance, and
ruffled the wings of the spirit preparatory to another flight: only a
short, humble flight this time, close earth; but still as full of
promise as life seemed to hold in any direction for her. She greeted
George casually, and as if nothing had happened, when she was ready to
see him.

"You're at the place where words are not of the slightest use to me,"
she said. "I'm giving you one, and a final chance to ACT. This seems
all that is open to us. Go to work like a man, and we will see what we
can make of our last chance."

Kate was so glad when she sat in the carriage that was to take her from
the house and the woman she abominated that she could scarcely behave
properly. She clasped Adam tightly in her arms, and felt truly his
mother. She reached over and tucked the blanket closer over Polly, but
she did not carry her, because she resembled her grandmother, while
Adam was a Bates.

George drove carefully. He was on behaviour too good to last, but
fortunately both women with him knew him well enough not to expect that
it would. When they came in sight of the house, Kate could see that
the grass beside the road had been cut, the trees trimmed, and Oh, joy,
the house freshly painted a soft, creamy white she liked, with a green
roof. Aunt Ollie ex