"Can you read it clearly, without your glasses?" she asked
politely. "I wouldn't for the world have you make a mistake as to
whom my letter is addressed. It goes to my brother Hiram Bates,
youngest son of Adam Bates, Bates Corners, Hartley, Indiana."
"I was going to give it to my son, so that he could take it to the
office," said Mrs. Holt.
"And I am going to take it myself, as I know your son is down town
and I want it to go over on the evening hack, so it will be sure
to go out early in the morning."
Surprise overcame Mrs. Holt's discomfiture.
"Land sakes!" she cried. "Bates is such a common name it didn't
mean a thing to me. Be you a daughter of Adam Bates, the Land
King, of Bates Corners?"
"I be," said Kate tersely.
"Well, I never! All them hundreds of acres of land an' money in
the bank an' mortgages on half his neighbours. Whut the nation!
An' no more of better clo's an' you got! An' teachin' school! I
never heard of the like in all my days!"
"If you have Bates history down so fine, you should know that
every girl of the entire Bates family has taught from the time she
finished school until she married. Also we never buy more
clothing than we need, or of the kind not suitable for our work.
This may explain why we own some land and have a few cents in the
Bank. My letter, please."
Kate turned and went down the street, a dull red tingeing her
face. "I could hate that woman cordially without half trying,"
she said.
The house was filled with the odour of cooking food when she
returned and soon she was called to supper. As she went to the
chair indicated for her, a step was heard in the hall. Kate
remained standing and when a young man entered the room Mrs. Holt
at once introduced her son, George. He did not take the trouble
to step around the table and shake hands, but muttered a gruff
"howdy do?" and seating himself, at once picked up the nearest
dish and began filling his plate.
His mother would have had matters otherwise. "Why, George," she
chided. "What's your hurry? Why don't you brush up and wait on
Miss Bates first?"
"Oh, if she is going to be one of the family," he said, "she will
have to learn to get on without much polly-foxing. Grub is to
eat. We can all reach at a table of this size."
Kate looked at George Holt with a searching glance. Surely he was
almost thirty, of average height, appeared strong, and as if he
might have a forceful brain; but he was loosely jointed and there
was a trace of domineering selfishness on his face that was
repulsive to her. "I could hate that MAN cordially, without half
trying," she thought to herself, smiling faintly at the thought.