A Daughter of the Land

to. Kate was trying to keep her head level, and be natural. John Jardine wanted to think of everything, and succeeded fairly well. It seemed to Kate that he could invent more ways to spend

en John came to bid me good-nig

nd I'm sure I made a fairly ac

think?" aske

missed Susette, and you'd h

d lost herself in New York. I'm not at all sure that

untry school-teacher here, who wants to take her place, and it will be the very thing

ow does she come to be

lp support; so she figured that the only way she could come here to try to prepare herself for a better school was to work for her room and board. She serves the table two hours, three times a day, and studie

d John Jardine. "I'll engag

e had been nothing for her to smile about. Jennie was delighted, and began her new undertaking earnestly, with sincere desire to please. Kate helped her all she could, while Mrs. Jardine developed a fund of patience commensurate with the need of it

tay, he said that was all right; he had only had one vacation in his life; it was time he was having another. When she marvelled at this he said: "Now, look here, Mother, let's

I want you to have a long vacation, and learn al

g people. I've tried books two or three times, and I've given them up; I can't do it.

ything on earth about a

never try it again, that's settled. Much as I want to marry Miss Bates, she'll have to take me or leave me as I am. I can't make myself over for her or for you. I would if I could, but

ou know it. I am so anxious that I can scarcely wait; but you must wait. You must give her time and go slo

sh things so that there'

far better let her go her own way and only a

same as with any business deal. See what you want, overcome anything in your way, and get it. I'd go crazy hanging around like that. You've alwa

you! I realize now that I've talked volumes to Kate about you. I've told her everything f

many terms I'd

told her th

e seem to think ab

was nothing to say. It was a bare-handed fight with the wolf

tand this," he said. "Are you sure that

ach day, now be off to your courting, but if y

ticular thing-you

d, her li

l there is of me goes into thi

his dark hair and eyes and big, well-rounded frame; looked at him with the eyes of love, then as he left her to seek the gi

ves, preparing for one of their delightful morning drives, sh

dine, "and I shall give you a 'rea

shocked," w

flatter myself that I am so accustomed to you

king on, not acquainted with any of the parties, merely seeing things as they happe

erfully go on oath and testify that you are being courted more openly, more vigorously, and as tenderly as I ever have seen woman courted in all my life. I al

h our drive. From the same standpoint: would you say from your observation and exper

e mother of the man in the case would be so delighted if you should love and marry her son

tly sure, having had no experience whate

ss streams and hills. They stopped where they pleased, gathering flowers and ea

to-night," said Kate, "I'd move that we drive on

adian anemones in her belt, a little stream at her feet, July drowsy fullness al

to hear him so

d up at hi

to see and hear

his face. Finally he said: "I can't say t

ay tell us interesting things about the war. Where were you when it was the proper

out the improved coupling pin in the C.

ear, my dear

lling plainly and simply all that had occurred. She even wrote "John Jardine's mother is of the opinion that he is courting me. I am so lacking in experience

t George Holt from your boarding place was here the other day hunting you. He seemed determined to know where you were and when you would be back, and asked for your address. I didn't think you had any time for him and I couldn't endure him or his foolish talk about a new medical theory; so I said you'd no time for writing and were going about so much I had no idea

he "she didn't give a flip about being overly nice," which was the exact truth. That required subtleties beyond Kate's depth, for she was at times alarmingly casual. So she held her letter and thought about John Jardine. As she thought, she decided that she did not know whether she was in love with him or not; she thought she was. She liked being with him, she liked all he did for her, she would miss him if he went away, she would be proud to be his wife, but she did wish that he were interested in land, instead of inventions and stocks and bonds. Stocks and bonds were almost as evanescent as rainbows

f you could have anything you

acres of la

as approaching them. "What do you think of that, Mother? A girl who

ter?" asked

u say anything ab

anything about it now, for myself; but I can see why i

ess who started on land, and most of them were migh

r hand toward

htly. "I'm not in the mood to talk bushels, seed, and fertilization just now; but I understand them, they are in my blood. I think possibly the reason I want t

, why didn't you work to get it

e the omega of my father

world; a GIRL of none whatever. He has the biggest family of any one we know. From birth each girl is worked like a man, or a slave, from four in the morning until nine at night. Each boy is worked exactly the same way; the difference lies in the fact that the girls get plain food and plainer clothes out of it; the boys each get two hundred ac

hat I haven't had my share in. I have plowed, hoed, seeded, driven reapers and bound wheat, pitched hay and hauled manure,

of that?" he muttered, lo

turn all we earn into land for the boys, is another matter. I rebelled last summer, borrowed the money and went to Normal and taught last winter. I'm going to teach again this winter; but last summer and this are the first of my life that I haven

it isn't polite to ask questions,"

Kate. "Ask fifty!

s are there i

and fifty for the home place. Sixteen hundred and fifty is what Father pays tax on, besides the numerous m

red by what they had to offer. But if two hundred acres of land were her desire, there was a possibility tha

an acre. I never even have thought of it, but there is no reason why I, or any member of my family shouldn't have all the land

feels that she would like that amount for herself, after having helped earn all those farms for her brothers. If it's land she wants, I hope she s

m a Prodigal Daughter. When I would leave home in spite of him for the gay and riotous life of a school-marm, he ordered me to take all my possessions with me, which I did in one small telescope. I was not to enter his house again while he lived. I was glad to go, he was glad to have me, while I don't think either of us

here and had such a good time, it would be the thing I'd like best to take you home wi

would be nice for her to go from here with us; and then you can take her home when

perfect summer," said Kate. "I can't see an

that settled,"