atuated
with my husband; and I can think of two children fathered by George
Holt, who might possibly, just possibly, have enough of his blood in
their veins to be like him, given opportunity. Alone for a week, there
is barely a FAINT possibility that YOU might be needed. Alone for the
same week, there is the faintest possibility that ROBERT is in a
situation where I could help him."

Kate drew a deep breath.

"Isn't life the most amusing thing?" she asked. "I had almost
forgotten my wings. I guess we'd better take them, and fly straight
home."

She arose and called the office to learn about trains, and then began
packing her trunk. As she folded her dresses and stuffed them in
rather carelessly she said: "I don't know why I got it into my head
that I could go away and have a few days of a good time without
something happening at home."

"But you are not sure anything has happened at home. This call may be
for me," said Nancy Ellen.

"It MAY, but this is July," said Kate. "I've been thinking hard and
fast. It's probable I can put my finger on the spot."

Nancy Ellen paused and standing erect she looked questioningly at Kate.

"The weak link in my chain at the present minute is Polly," said Kate.
"I didn't pay much attention at the time, because there wasn't enough
of it really to attract attention; but since I think, I can recall
signs of growing discontent in Polly, lately. She fussed about the
work, and resented being left in the house while I went to the fields,
and she had begun looking up the road to Peters' so much that her head
was slightly turned toward the north most of the time. With me away--"

"What do you think?" demanded Nancy Ellen.

"Think very likely she has decided that she'll sacrifice her chance for
more schooling and to teach, for the sake of marrying a big, green
country boy named Hank Peters," said Kate.

"Thereby keeping in her own class," suggested Nancy Ellen.

Kate laughed shortly. "Exactly!" she said. "I didn't aspire to
anything different for her from what she has had; but I wanted her to
have more education, and wait until she was older. Marriage is too
hard work for a girl to begin at less than eighteen. If it is Polly,
and she has gone away with Hank Peters, they've no place to go but his
home; and if ever she thought I worked her too hard, she'll find out
she has played most of her life, when she begins taking orders from
Mrs. Amanda Peters. You know her! She