A Daughter of the Land

Kate was so delighted she could have shouted. Instead she went

with all speed to the stationery counter and bought an envelope to

fit the contract, which she signed, and writing a hasty note of

thanks she mailed the letter in the store mail box, then began her

mother's purchases. This took so much time that her father came

into the store before she had finished, demanding that she hurry,

so in feverish haste she bought what was wanted and followed to

the buggy. On the road home she began to study her father; she

could see that he was well pleased over something but she had no

idea what could have happened; she had expected anything from

verbal wrath to the buggy whip, so she was surprised, but so happy

over having secured such a good school, at higher wages than Nancy

Ellen's, that she spent most of her time thinking of herself and

planning as to when she would go to Walden, where she would stay,

how she would teach, and Oh, bliss unspeakable, what she would do

with so much money; for two month's pay would more than wipe out

her indebtedness to Agatha, and by getting the very cheapest board

she could endure, after that she would have over three fourths of

her money to spend each month for books and clothes. She was

intently engaged with her side of the closet and her end of the

bureau, when she had her first glimpse of home; even preoccupied

as she was, she saw a difference. Several loose pickets in the

fence had been nailed in place. The lilac beside the door and the

cabbage roses had been trimmed, so that they did not drag over the

walk, while the yard had been gone over with a lawn-mower.

Kate turned to her father. "Well, for land's sake!" she said. "I

wanted a lawn-mower all last summer, and you wouldn't buy it for

me. I wonder why you got it the minute I was gone."

"I got it because Nancy Ellen especially wanted it, and she has

been a mighty good girl all summer," he said.

"If that is the case, then she should be rewarded with the

privilege of running a lawn-mower," said Kate.

Her father looked at her sharply; but her face was so pleasant he

decided she did not intend to be saucy, so he said: "No doubt she

will be willing to let you help her all you want to."

"Not the ghost of a doubt about that," laughed Kate, "and I always

wanted to try running one, too. They look so nice in pictures,

and how one improves a place! I hardly know this is home. Now if

we only had a fresh coat of white paint we could line up with the

neighbours."