A Daughter of the Land

"Robert, this is Kate," she said. "Would you have any deeply

rooted objections to marrying me at six o'clock this evening?"

"Well, I should say not!" boomed Robert's voice, the "not" coming

so forcibly Kate dodged.

"Have you got the information necessary for a license?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"Then bring one, and your minister, and come at six," she said.

"And Oh, yes, Robert, will it be all right with you if I stay here

and keep house for Adam until he and Milly can be married and move

in? Then I'll come to your house just as it is. I don't mind

coming to Nancy Ellen's home, as I would another woman's."

"Surely!" he cried. "Any arrangement you make will satisfy me."

"All right, I'll expect you with the document and the minister at

six, then," said Kate, and hung up the receiver.

Then she took it down again and calling Milly, asked her to bring

her best white dress, and come up right away, and help her get

ready to entertain a few people that evening. Then she called her

sister Hannah, and asked her if she thought that in the event she,

Kate, wished that evening at six o'clock to marry a very fine man,

and had no preparations whatever made, her family would help her

out to the extent of providing the supper. She wanted all of

them, and all the children, but the arrangement had come up

suddenly, and she could not possibly prepare a supper herself, for

such a big family, in the length of time she had. Hannah said she

was perfectly sure everyone of them would drop everything, and be

tickled to pieces to bring the supper, and to come, and they would

have a grand time. What did Kate want? Oh, she wanted bread, and

chicken for meat, maybe some potato chips, and Angel's Food cake,

and a big freezer or two of Agatha's best ice cream, and she

thought possibly more butter, and coffee, than she had on hand.

She had plenty of sugar, and cream, and pickles and jelly. She

would have the tables all set as she did for Christmas. Then Kate

rang for Adam and put a broom in his hand as he entered the back

door. She met Milly with a pail of hot water and cloths to wash

the glass. She went to her room and got out her best afternoon

dress of dull blue with gold lace and a pink velvet rose. She

shook it out and studied it. She had worn it twice on the trip

North. None of them save Adam ever had seen it. She put it on,

and looked at it critically. Then she called Milly and they

changed the neck and sleeves a little, took a yard of width from

the skirt, and behold! it became a "creation," in the very height

of style. Then Kate opened her trunk, and got out the petticoat,

hose, and low shoes to match it, and laid them on her bed.