tep, a short, sharp breath, and wheeling, Kate stood
facing her mother. She had come from the potato patch back of the
orchard, carrying a pail of potatoes in each hand. Her face was
haggard, her eyes bloodshot, her hair falling in dark tags, her cheeks
red with exertion. They stood facing each other. At the first glimpse
Kate cried, "Oh, Mother," and sprang toward her. Then she stopped,
while her heart again failed her, for from the astonishment on her
mother's face, Kate saw instantly that she was surprised, and had
neither sent for nor expected her. She was nauseatingly disappointed.
Adam had said she was wanted, had been sent for. Kate's face was
twitching, her lips quivering, but she did not hesitate more than an
instant.

"I see you were not expecting me," she said. "I'm sorry. Adam came
after me. I wouldn't have come if he hadn't said you sent for me."

Kate paused a minute hopefully. Her mother looked at her steadily.

"I'm sorry," Kate repeated. "I don't know why he said that."

By that time the pain in her heart was so fierce she caught her breath
sharply, and pressed her hand hard against her side. Her mother
stooped, set down the buckets, and taking off her sunbonnet, wiped the
sweat from her lined face with the curtain.

"Well, I do," she said tersely.

"Why?" demanded Kate.

"To see if he could use you to serve his own interests, of course,"
answered her mother. "He lied good and hard when he said I sent for
you; I didn't. I probably wouldn't a-had the sense to do it. But
since you are here, I don't mind telling you that I never was so glad
to see any one in all my born days."

Mrs. Bates drew herself full height, set her lips, stiffened her jaw,
and again used the bonnet skirt on her face and neck. Kate picked up
the potatoes, to hide the big tears that gushed from her eyes, and
leading the way toward the house she said: "Come over here in the
shade. Why should you be out digging potatoes?"

"Oh, they's enough here, and willing enough," said Mrs. Bates. "Slipped
off to get away from them. It was the quietest and the peacefullest
out there, Kate. I'd most liked to stay all day, but it's getting on
to dinner time, and I'm short of potatoes."

"Never mind the potatoes," said Kate. "Let the folks serve themselves
if they are hungry."

She went to the side of the smoke house, picked up a bench turned up
there, and carrying it to the shady side of a widely spreading privet
bus