w his wife sighed for
a daughter!--a daughter that would stay at home and share her labors, and
talk to her, and read to her on stormy Sundays, and see that her collar
was on straight, and that her caps were made nice. Some mothers had
daughters, but she had never had much pleasure in her life!

"Like to come over to your grandfather's, eh?" remarked Captain Rheid,
looking around at the broad-brimmed hat among the full bags.

"Yes, sir," said Marjorie, denting one of the full bags with her
forefinger and wondering what he would do to her if she should make a
hole in the bag, and let the contents out.

She rarely got beyond monosyllables with Hollis' father.

"Your uncle James isn't going to stay much longer, he tells me,"

"No, sir," said Marjorie, obediently.

"Wife and children going back to Boston, too?"

"Yes, sir."

Her forefinger was still making dents.

"Just come to board awhile, I suppose?"

"I thought they _visited_" said Marjorie.

"Visited? Humph! _Visit_ his poor old father with a wife and five
children!"

Marjorie wanted to say that her grandfather wasn't poor.

"Your grandfather's place don't bring in much, I reckon."

"I don't know," Marjorie answered.

"How many acres? Not more'n fifty, and some of that _made_ land. I
remember when some of your grandfather's land was water! I don't see what
your uncle James had to settle down to business in Boston for--_that's_
what comes of marrying a city girl! Why didn't he stay home and take care
of his old father?"

Marjorie had nothing to say. Hollis flushed uncomfortably.

"And your mother had to get married, too. I'm glad I haven't a daughter
to run away and get married?"

"She didn't run away," Marjorie found voice to answer indignantly.

"O, no, the Connecticut schoolmaster had to come and make a home for
her."

Marjorie wondered what right he had to be so disagreeable to her, and why
should he find fault with her mother and her uncle, and what right had he
to say that her grandfather was poor and that some of his land had once
been water?

"Hollis shan't grow up and marry a city girl if I can help it," he
growled, half good-naturedly.

Hollis laughed; he thought he was already grown up, and he did admire
"city girls" with their pretty finished manners and little ready
speeches.

Marjorie wished Hollis would begin to talk about something pleasant;
there were two miles further to ride, and would Captain Rheid talk all
the way?