ity was
unknown among them. Family ties were formed and they were binding They
loved their children and reared them carefully. They were hardy and
healthful. Until the introduction of whiskey and what we are pleased to
term civilized methods of living, very few of them died save from war
or old age. They were free; they were happy. The moping, lazy, diseased
creature that you find sleeping in the sun around the reservations is a
product of our civilization. Nice commentary on civilization, isn't it?"

"For heaven's sake, Linda," said Donald, "don't start any big
brainstorming trains of thought today! Grant me repose. I have
overworked my brain for a few months past until I know only one thing
for certain."

"All right then, me lad, this is the time for the big secret," said
Linda. "I just happened to be in the assembly room on some business
of my own last Thursday afternoon when my sessions were over, and I
overheard your professor in trigonometry tell a marl I did not know, who
seemed to be a friend visiting him, that the son of Judge Whiting was
doing the finest work that ever had been done in any of the Los Angeles
high schools, and that undoubtedly you were going to graduate with
higher honors than any other boy ever had from that school."

Donald sat thinking this over. He absently lifted an elbow and wiped the
tiny scales from his face with his shirt sleeve.

"Young woman," he said solemnly, "them things what you're saying, are
they 'cross your heart, honest to goodness, so help you,' truth, or are
they the fruit of a perfervid imagination?"

Linda shook her head vigorously.

"De but', kid," she said, "de gospel but'. You have the Jap going
properly. He can't stop you now. You have fought your good fight, and
you have practically won it. All you have to do is to carry on till the
middle of June, and you're It."

"I wish Dad knew," said Donald in a low voice.

"The Judge does know," said Linda heartily. "It wasn't fifteen minutes
after I heard that till I had him on the telephone repeating it as
fast as I could repeat. Come to think of it, haven't you noticed a
particularly cocky set of his head and the corksome lightness about his
heels during the past few days?"

"By Jove, he has been happy about something!" said Donald. "And I
noticed that Louise and the Mater were sort of cheery and making a
specialty of the only son and brother."

"Sure, brother, sure," said Linda. "Hurry up and scrape those fish a