g of the winter, without even giving her the chance to
say whether she'd go with you or not. Has she ever made you feel that
anything you offered her or wanted to do for her was not good enough?"

"Never!" exclaimed Laddie fervently.

"Until she does, then, do you think it would be quite manly and
honourable to make decisions for her? You say you never thought of
anything except a pleasant time with her; possibly she feels the same.
Unless she changes, I would scarcely let a boy's foolish tongue disturb
her pleasure. Moreover, as to the matter of wealth, your father may be
as rich as hers; but they have one, we have many. If what we spend on
all our brood could be confined to one child, we could easily duplicate
all her luxuries, and I think she has the good sense to realize the
fact as quickly as any one. I've no doubt she would gladly exchange
half she has for the companionship of a sister or a brother in her
lonely life."

Laddie turned to father, and father's smile was happy again. Mother
was little but she was mighty. With only a few words she had made Leon
feel how unkind and foolish he had been, quieted Laddie's alarm, and
soothed the hurt father's pride had felt in that he had not been able
to furnish her with so fine a turnout as Pryors had.

Next morning when the excitement of gifts and greetings was over, and
Laddie's morning work was all finished, he took a beautiful volume of
poems and his popcorn ball and started across the fields due west; all
of us knew that he was going to call on and offer them to the Princess,
and ask to take her to the spelling bee. I suppose Laddie thought he
was taking that trip alone, but really he was surrounded. I watched
him from the window, and my heart went with him. Presently father went
and sat beside mother's chair, and stroking her hand, whispered softly:
"Please don't worry, little mother. It will be all right. Your boy
will come home happy."

"I hope so," she answered, "but I can't help feeling dreadfully
nervous. If things go wrong with Laddie, it will spoil the day."

"I have much faith in the Princess' good common sense," replied father,
"and considering what it means to Laddie, it would hurt me sore to lose
it."

Mother sat still, but her lips moved so that I knew she was making soft
little whispered prayers for her best loved son. But Laddie, plowing
through the drift, never dreamed that all of us were with him. He was
always better looking t