step ahead of the
wild, or we ourselves become wild. We have brains, and with our brains
we must do in a scientific way what Nature does with tooth and claw.
In other words, and to be concrete, put these things in the car while
I fold the blanket. We'll gather our miners' lettuce and then we'll go
home and search Daddy's library and see if there is anything bearing in
a higher way on any subject you are taking, so that you can get from it
some new ideas, some different angle, some higher light, something
that will end in speedily prefacing Oka Sayye's perfect with your
pluperfect!"

CHAPTER X. Katy to the Rescue

Linda delivered Donald Whiting at his door with an armload of books
and a bundle of miners' lettuce and then drove to her home in Lilac
Valley--in the eye of the beholder on the floor-level macadam road; in
her own eye she scarcely grazed it. The smooth, easy motion of the car,
the softly purring engine were thrilling. The speed at which she was
going was like having wings on her body. The mental stimulus she had
experienced in concentrating her brain on Donald Whiting's problem had
stimulated her imagination. The radiant color of spring; the chilled,
perfumed, golden air; the sure sense of having found a friend, had
ruffled the plumes of her spirit. On the home road Donald had plainly
indicated that he would enjoy spending the morrow with her, and she had
advised him to take the books she had provided and lock himself in his
room and sweat out some information about Monday's lessons which would
at least arrest his professor's attention, and lead his mind to the
fact that something was beginning to happen. And then she had laughingly
added: "Tomorrow is Katy's turn. I told the old dear I would take her as
soon as I felt the car was safe. Every day she does many things that she
hopes will give me pleasure. This is one thing I can do that I know will
delight her."

"Next Saturday, then?" questioned Donald. And Linda nodded.

"Sure thing. I'll be thinking up some place extra interesting. Come
in the morning if you want, and we'll take a lunch and go for the day.
Which do you like best, mountains or canyons or desert or sea?"

"I like it best wherever what you're interested in takes you," said
Donald simply.

"All right, then," answered Linda, "we'll combine business and
pleasure."

So they parted with another meeting arranged.

When she reached home she found Katy tearfully rejoicing, plainly
r