made her family connections by no means the less impressive and to be
envied. The Isobels supply their part of the curriculum of grammar
school.

Emily Louise went home anxious. "Have I a family?" she inquired.

"It's hard to say, since you abandoned it," said Uncle Charlie.

Emily Louise blushed; she did not feel just happy in her mind yet about
those dolls buried in a mausoleum-like trunk in the attic.

She explained: the kind of family that has a tree? Did she belong to a
family? Had she a tree?

"The only copper beech in town," said Uncle Charlie.

But Aunt Cordelia's vulnerable spot was touched; she grew quite heated.
Emily Louise learned that she was a Pringle and a Pope.

"And a MacLauren?" queried Emily Louise.

But Aunt Cordelia's enthusiasm had cooled.

There came a time when Emily Louise divined why. All at once talk began
at school, about a thing looming ahead, called an Election. It seemed a
disturbing thing, keeping Uncle Charlie at the office all hours. And
when in time it actually arrived, Emily Louise could not go to school
that day because the way would take her past the Polls, yet ordinarily
this was only the grocery; but so dreadful a place is it when it becomes
a poll, that Aunt Cordelia could not go to it for her marketing.

Hitherto, except when Miss Amanda wanted to be funny, Emily Louise had
felt her to be inoffensive; but as election became the absorbing topic
of Grammar School, a dreadful thing came to light--Miss Amanda was a
Republican.

Hattie told Emily Louise; her voice was low and full of horror. For
Hattie reflected the spirit of her State and age; the State was in the
South, the year was preceding the '80's.

Emily Louise lowered her voice, too; it was to ask just what is a
Republican. She was conscious of a vagueness.

Hattie looked at her, amazed. "A Republican--why--people who are not
Democrats--of course."

"How does one know which one is?" asked Emily Louise, feeling that it
would be disconcerting, considering public opinion, to find herself a
Republican.

Hattie looked tried. "You're what your father is, naturally. I should
think you'd know that, Emily Louise."

On the way from school William joined Emily Louise.

"What's a Republican, William?" she asked.

His countenance changed. "It's--well--it's the sort you don't want to
have anything to do with," said William, darkly.

Emily Louise, knowing how William regarded her conscientiousness, was
uneasy bec