A Daughter of the Land

When Adam entered the house his mother was very busy. She was

mixing more biscuit dough, she was laughing like a girl of

sixteen, she snatched out one of their finest tablecloths, and put

on many extra dishes for supper, while Uncle Robert, looking like

a different man, was helping her. He was actually stirring the

gravy, and getting the water, and setting up chairs. And he was

under high tension, too. He was saying things of no moment, as if

they were profound wisdom, and laughing hilariously at things that

were scarcely worth a smile. Adam looked on, and marvelled and

all the while his irritation grew. At last he saw a glance of

understanding pass between them. He could endure it no longer.

"Oh, you might as well SAY what you think," he burst forth. "You

forgot to pull down the blinds."

Both the brazen creatures laughed as if that were a fine joke.

They immediately threw off all reserve. By the time the meal was

finished, Adam was struggling to keep from saying the meanest

things he could think of. Also, he had to go to Milly, with

nothing very definite to tell. But when he came back, his mother

was waiting for him. She said at once: "Adam, I'm very sorry the

blind was up to-night. I wanted to talk to you, and tell you

myself, that the first real love for a man that I have ever known,

is in my heart to-night."

"Why, Mother!" said Adam.

"It's true," said Kate, quietly. "You see Adam, the first time I

ever saw Robert Gray, I knew, and he knew, that he had made a

mistake in engaging himself to Nancy Ellen; but the thing was

done, she was happy, we simply realized that we would have done

better together, and let it go at that. But all these years I

have known that I could have made him a wife who would have come

closer to his ideals than my sister, and SHE should have had the

man who wanted to marry me. They would have had a wonderful time

together."

"And where did my father come in?" asked Adam, quietly.

"He took advantage of my blackest hour," said Kate. "I married

him when I positively didn't care what happened to me. The man I

could have LOVED was married to my sister, the man I could have

married and lived with in comfort to both of us was out of the

question; it was in the Bates blood to marry about the time I did;

I had seen only the very best of your father, and he was an

attractive lover, not bad looking, not embarrassed with one single

scruple -- it's the way of the world. I took it. I paid for it.

Only God knows how dearly I paid; but Adam, if you love me, stand

by me now. Let me have this eleventh hour happiness, with no

alloy. Anything I feel for your Uncle Robert has nothing in the

world to do with my being your mother; with you being my son.

Kiss me, and tell me you're glad, Adam."