ce post close by cried, "Spring o' ye-ar!" at them, over and over,
but they never paid the least attention.

"You see," said Mr. Pryor, "I've been thinking things over deeply,
deeply! ever since talking with your mother. I've cut myself off from
going back to England, by sacrificing much of my property in hasty
departure, if by any possibility I should ever want to return, and
there is none, not the slightest! There's no danger of any one
crossing the sea, and penetrating to this particular spot so far
inland; we won't be molested! And lately--lately, despite the rawness,
and the newness, there is something about the land that takes hold,
after all. I should dislike leaving now! I found in watching some
roots your mother gave me, that I wanted them to grow, that I very much
hoped they would develop, and beautify our place with flowers, as yours
is. I find myself watching them, watching them daily, and oftener, and
there seems to be a sort of home feeling creeping around my heart. I
wish Pamela would listen to reason! I wish she would marry you soon!
I wish there would be little children. Nothing else on earth would
come so close to comforting my wife, and me also. Nothing! Go ahead,
lad, plow away! I'll put your special pleading up to the girl."

He clasped Laddie's hand, mounted and rode back to the gate he had
entered when he came. Laddie sat on the rail, so I climbed down beside
him. He put his arm around me.

"Do I feel any better?" he asked dubiously.

"Of course you do!" I said stoutly. "You feel whole heaps, and stacks,
and piles better. You haven't got him to fight any more, or Mrs.
Pryor. It's now only to convince the Princess about how it's all right
to plow."

"Small matter, that!" said Laddie. "And easy! Just as simple and
easy!"

"Have you asked the Fairies to help you?"

"Aye, aye, sir," said Laddie. "Also the winds, the flowers, the birds
and the bees! I have asked everything on earth to help me except you,
Little Sister. I wonder if I have been making a mistake there?"

"Are you mad at me, Laddie?"

"'Cause for why?"

"About the old crest thing!"

"Forget it!" laughed Laddie. "I have. And anyway, in the long run, I
must be honest enough to admit that it may have helped. It seems to
have had its influence with Mr. Pryor, no doubt it worked the same on
Mrs. Pryor, and it may be that it was because she had so much more to
bank on than she ever expected, that the Prince