, Mother; and it
was going to be lonesome, so all of us went on there, and she came up
here and we sat on the porch, and then I took her home and that left
Henry and Polly together. The next night Henry took us to town for a
treat, and we were all together, and the next night Milly asked us all
there, and so it went. It was all as open and innocent as it could be;
only Henry and Polly were in awful earnest and she was bound she
wouldn't be sent to town to school--"

"Why didn't she tell me so? She never objected a word, to me," said
Kate.

"Well, Mother, you are so big, and Polly was so little, and she was
used to minding--"

"Yes, this looks like it," said Kate. "Well, go on!"

"That's all," said Adam. "It was only that instead of staying at home
and attending to our own affairs we were somewhere every night, or
Milly and Henry were here. That is where I was to blame. I'm afraid
you'll never forgive me, Mother; but I didn't take good care of Sister.
I left her to Henry Peters, while I tried to see how nice I could be to
Milly. I didn't know what Polly and Henry were planning; honest, I
didn't, Mother. I would have told Uncle Robert and sent for you if I
had. I thought when I went there it was to be our little crowd like it
was at York's. I was furious when I found they were married. I told
Mr. and Mrs. Peters what they were, right before the company, and then
I came straight home and all the family, and York's, and most of the
others, came straight away. Only a few stayed to the supper. I was so
angry with Polly I just pushed her away, and didn't even say good-night
to her. The little silly fool! Mother, if she had told you, you would
have let her stay at home this winter and got her clothing, and let her
be married here, when she was old enough, wouldn't you?"

"Certainly!" said Kate. "All the world knows that. Bates all marry;
and they all marry young. Don't blame yourself, Adam. If Polly had it
in her system to do this, and she did, or she wouldn't have done it,
the thing would have happened when I was here, and right under my nose.
It was a scheme all planned and ready before I left. I know that now.
Let it go! There's nothing we can do, until things begin to go WRONG,
as they always do in this kind of wedding; then we shall get our call.
In the meantime, you mustn't push your sister away. She may need you
sooner than you'd think; and will you just please have enough
confidence in my com