e plunged into morose moping; he became sullen and
indifferent about the work, ugly with Kate and the children, until she
was driven almost frantic, and projects nearly as vague as some of
George's began to float through her head.

One Saturday morning Kate had risen early and finished cleaning up her
house, baking, and scrubbing porches. She had taken a bath to freshen
and cool herself and was standing before her dresser, tucking the last
pins in her hair, when she heard a heavy step on the porch and a loud
knock on the screen door. She stood at an angle where she could peep;
she looked as she reached for her dress. What she saw carried her to
the door forgetful of the dress. Adam, Jr., stood there, white and
shaken, steadying himself against the casing.

"Adam!" cried Kate. "Is Mother--?"

He shook his head.

"Father--?" she panted.

He nodded, seeming unable to speak. Kate's eyes darkened and widened.
She gave Adam another glance and opened the door. "Come in," she said.
"When did it happen? How did he get hurt?"

In that moment she recalled that she had left her father in perfect
health, she had been gone more than seven years. In that time he could
not fail to illness; how he had been hurt was her first thought. As
she asked the question, she stepped into her room and snatched up her
second best summer dress, waiting for Adam to speak as she slipped into
it. But speaking seemed to be a very difficult thing for Adam. He was
slow in starting and words dragged and came singly:
"Yesterday--tired--big dinner--awful hot--sunstroke--"

"He's gone?" she cried.

Adam nodded in that queer way again.

"Why did you come? Does Mother want me?" the questions leaped from
Kate's lips; her eyes implored him. Adam was too stricken to heed his
sister's unspoken plea.

"Course," he said. "All there--your place--I want you. Only one in
the family--not stark mad!"

Kate straightened tensely and looked at him again. "All right," she
said. "I can throw a few things in my telescope, write the children a
note to take to their father in the field, and we can stop in Walden
and send Aunt Ollie out to cook for them; I can go as well as not, for
as long as Mother wants me."

"Hurry!" said Adam.

In her room Kate stood still a second, her eyes narrow, her underlip
sucked in, her heart almost stopped. Then she said aloud: "Father's
sons have wished he would die too long for his death to strike even the
most t