daughter, Sally. Give you the least blood-claim on a
man's money, and you'll push it as far as you can. But offer to pay you
for doing the work God meant you to do and you're cut to the soul.
Well--"

He was still holding forth eloquently on the subject of children and
nations when Martie came back, and Sally, with a scarlet face, was
evidently lost in thoughts of her own.

As the girls walked home, Sally did not repeat to Martie her
conversation with the old doctor, nor for many weeks afterward. But
Martie did not notice her sister's indignant silence, for they met
Rodney Parker coming out of the Bank, and he walked with them to the
bridge, and asked Martie to go with him to see the Poulson Star Stock
Company in a Return Engagement Extraordinary on the following night.

Martie was conscious of passing a milestone in her emotional life on
the evening of this day, when she said to herself that she loved Rodney
Parker. She admitted it with a sort of splendid shame, as she went
about her usual household occupations, passing from the hot
pleasantness of the kitchen to the cool, stale odours of the dining
room; running upstairs to light the bathroom-and hall-gas for her
father and brother, and sometimes stepping for a moment into the
darkness of the yard to be alone with her enchanted thoughts.

All the young Monroes regarded their father's temperamental
shortcomings with stoicism, so that it was in no sense resentfully that
she faced the inevitable preliminaries that night.

"Pa," said she cheerfully over the dessert, "you don't mind if I go to
the show with Rodney to-morrow, do you?"

"This is the first I've heard of any show," Malcolm said stiffly,
glancing at his wife. Mrs. Monroe patiently told him what she knew of
it. "Why, no, I suppose there is no reason you shouldn't go," he
presently said discontentedly.

"Oh, thank you, Pa!" Martie said, with a soaring heart. He looked at
her dispassionately.

"Your sisters and your brother are going, I suppose?" Malcolm asked,
glancing about the circle. Martie told herself she might have known he
was not done with the subject so easily.

"I'm not--because I haven't the price!" grinned Leonard. His mother and
Lydia laughed.

"I don't suppose Martie proposes going alone with young Parker?"
Malcolm asked in well-assumed amazement.

"Why, Pa--I don't see why NOT" Mrs. Monroe protested weakly.

Her husband was magnificent in his surprise. He looked about in a sort
of