to the
asylum. Consequently he was disposed to dismiss the whole matter from
his mind. Not so the crazy neighbors, for they continued to post the
contested place with notices, and Nannie became habituated to plucking
several of these legal _billets-doux_ from the trees every morning
before breakfast.

All this was great sport for Nannie, but the trouble soon took a more
serious turn. The outcome of this latter was an anonymous notification
to Steve that if he failed to take down an obstruction which he had
put across one of the roads on his place to prevent its being used as
a public thoroughfare, he would be mobbed by a crowd of men and boys.

"This is a most extraordinary condition of affairs," said Steve one
day in talking the matter over with Randolph Chance, "to be racing
around with dogs and cutlasses when you're supposed to be cooling your
brow under your vine and fig-tree."

As if to add insult to injury, the Andersons, mother and son, made a
passageway of the place they claimed (in the name of their daughter
and sister) and persisted in using this, in spite of remonstrance and
even warning.

Now, for some time past Nannie had, by means best known to women, been
contriving to fire Steve's usually placid temper, and the morning
after her visit to Constance's an opportunity presented itself for the
fanning of the flames she had kindled. On opening her door just after
breakfast she saw mother Anderson and her son William land at the
little private pier Steve had built, and then walk with a bold and
rugged step up toward the house _en route_ to the station, some half
mile to the rear.

Now was Nannie's chance!

Such fun to see Steve fight!

"Steve!" she screamed, running into the house, "here are those
dreadful people again! They frighten me to death! I shall never dare
to stay here alone if you don't make an end of their coming!"
Frightened! Ah, Nannie! with that bright color and those dancing eyes!

Steve ran out, his mind aflame at last as he thought of poor little
Nannie's terrors and the offensive note he had received.

"See here, Anderson," he began, "you have been asked to keep away from
this place. It has----"

But just here William, who had no regard for social amenities, cut his
remarks short by a resounding slap in the face.

Steve had never fought in his life. He was rather ashamed of this (had
never confessed it), and the time seemed ripe now to break his peace
record. Drawing back, to gi