the rest of them into
reason, if you stand back of me, and let them see I'm acting for you."

"You go ahead," said Mrs. Bates. "I'll back whatever you say. But keep
them off of me! Keep them off of me!"

After Kate had bathed her mother, helped her into fresh clothes, and
brushed her hair, she coaxed her to lie down, and by diplomatic talk
and stroking her head, finally soothed her to sleep. Then she went
down and announced the fact, asked them all to be quiet, and began
making her way from group to group in an effort to restore mental
balance and sanity. After Kate had invited all of them to go home and
stay until time for the funeral Sunday morning, and all of them had
emphatically declined, and eagerly had gone on straining the situation
to the breaking point, Kate gave up and began setting the table. When
any of them tried to talk or argue with her she said conclusively: "I
shall not say one word about this until Monday. Then we will talk
things over, and find where we stand, and what Mother wants. This
would be much easier for all of us, if you'd all go home and calm down,
and plan out what you think would be the fair and just thing to do."

Before evening Kate was back exactly where she left off, for when Mrs.
Bates came downstairs, her nerves quieted by her long sleep, she asked
Kate what would be best about each question that arose, while Kate
answered as nearly for all of them as her judgment and common sense
dictated; but she gave the answer in her own way, and she paved the way
by making a short, sharp speech when the first person said in her
hearing that "Mother never should have given him the deeds." Not one
of them said that again, while at Kate's suggestion, mentally and on
scraps of paper, every single one of them figured that one third of
sixteen hundred and fifty was five hundred and fifty; subtracted from
sixteen hundred and fifty this left one thousand one hundred, which,
divided by sixteen, gave sixty-eight and three fourths. This result
gave Josie the hysterics, strong and capable though she was; made Hiram
violently ill, so that he resorted to garden palings for a support;
while Agatha used her influence suddenly, and took Adam, Jr., home.

As she came to Kate to say that they were going, Agatha was white as
possible, her thin lips compressed, a red spot burning on either cheek.

"Adam and I shall take our departure now, Katherine," she said,
standing very stiffly, her head held hig