said. "If Jim had
answered my question fairly, as he had a right to, instead of beatin'
around the bush, I might 've let him off. But when I wanted to know
what kept him he simply parried me, makin' a fool of me and rubbin'
it in with that infernal smile of his."

"So that's what started it!" exclaimed Beulah. "Well, I'll tell you
what kept him, if he wouldn't. The cattle got into the oats through a
break in the fence, and I couldn't get them out, and the dog went
ki-yi-ing over the prairie after a rabbit, and just as I was
beginning to--to--condense over it Jim came up and saved the
situation. What if he did keep your old engine waiting? There are
more important things than ploughing."

"Aha!" said Harris, knowingly. "Well, I guess it's just as well it
happened as it did. Jim was gettin' altogether too good at runnin' at
your heels."

"That's all the thanks he gets for working late and early, like no
other hired man in the district. All right. You and Allan can milk
the cows to-night, for I won't--see?"

Harris was accustomed to his daughter's frankness, and as a rule paid
little regard to it. He was willing enough to be flayed, in
moderation, by her keen tongue; in fact, he look a secret delight in
her unrestrained sallies, but that was different from defiance. He
could, and did, submit to any amount of cutting repartee, and felt a
sort of pride in her vigour and recklessness, but he had no notion of
countenancing open mutiny, even from Beulah.

"We'll talk about that some other time, too," he said. "And you'll
milk the cows tonight as usual."

Beulah opened her lips as though to answer, but closed them again,
arose, and walked out of the kitchen. For her the controversy was
over; the die was cast. Her nature admitted of any amount of
disputation up to a certain point, but when the irresistible force
crashed into the immovable object she wasted no wind on words. With
her war was war.

Harris finished his meal with little relish. His daughter was very,
very much to him, and an open rupture with her was among the last
things to be imagined...Still, she must learn that the liberty of
speech he allowed her did not imply equal liberty of action...His
wife, too, had behaved most incredibly. After all, perhaps he had
been hasty with Jim. No doubt he would meet the boy in Plainville or
somewhere in the district before long, and he would then have a frank
little talk with him. And he would say nothing more of the inc