A Daughter of the Land

"Polly, you KNOW the Peters family wouldn't let me have it," said

Kate.

"If it's a boy, they wouldn't WANT it," said Polly. "Neither

would you, for that matter. If it's a girl, they'll fight for it;

but it won't do them any good. All I want to know is, WILL YOU

TAKE IT?"

"Of course I would, Polly," said Kate.

"Since I have your word, I'll feel better," said Polly. "And

Mother, you needn't be AFRAID of it. It will be all right. I

have thought about it so much I have it all figured out. It's

going to be a girl, and it's going to be exactly like you, and its

name is going to be Katherine Eleanor. I have thought about you

every hour I was awake since I have been gone; so the baby will

have to be exactly like you. There won't be the taint of

Grandmother in it that there is in me. You needn't be afraid. I

quit sneaking forever when Adam told me what I had done to you. I

have gone straight as a dart, Mother, every single minute since,

Mother; truly I have!"

Kate sat down suddenly, an awful sickness in her heart.

"Why, you poor child you!" she said.

"Oh, I've been all right," said Polly. "I've been almost petted

and loved to death; but Mother, there never should be the amount

of work attached to living that there is in that house. It's

never ending, it's intolerable. Mrs. Peters just goes until she

drops, and then instead of sleeping, she lies awake planning some

hard, foolish, unnecessary thing to do next. Maybe she can stand

it herself, but I'm tired out. I'm going to sit down, and not

budge to do another stroke until after the baby comes, and then I

am going to coax Henry to rent a piece of land, and move to

ourselves."

Kate took heart. "That will be fine!" she cried. "That will be

the very thing. I'll ask the boys to keep their eyes open for any

chance for you."

"You needn't take any bother about it," said Polly, "because that

isn't what is going to happen. All I want to be sure of now is

that you and Adam will take my baby. I'll see to the rest."

"How will you see to it, Polly?" asked Kate, gently.

"Well, it's already seen to, for matter of that," said Polly

conclusively. "I've known for quite a while that I was sick; but

I couldn't make them do anything but kiss me, and laugh at me,

until I am so ill that I know better how I feel than anybody else.

I got tired being laughed at, and put off about everything, so one

day in Hartley, while Mother Peters was shopping, I just went in

to the lawyer Grandmother always went to, and told him all about

what I wanted. He has the papers made out all right and proper;

so when I send for Uncle Robert, I am going to send for him, too,

and soon as the baby comes I'll put in its name and sign it, and

make Henry, and then if I have to go, you won't have a bit of

trouble."