A Daughter of the Land

The pace was going more swiftly each round, it was punctuated at

that instant by a heavy meat platter aimed at Kate's head. She

saw it picked up and swayed so it missed.

"I guess that is answer enough for me," she panted, racing on. "A

lovely father you are -- no wonder your daughters are dishonest

through fear of you -- no wonder your wife has no mind of her own

-- no wonder your sons hate you and wish you would die -- so they

could have their deeds and be like men -- instead of 'spanked

school-boys' as they feel now -- no wonder the whole posse of us

hate you."

Directly opposite the door Kate caught the table and drew it with

her to bar the opening. As it crashed against the casing half the

dishes flew to the floor in a heap. When Adam Bates pulled it

from his path he stepped in a dish of fried potatoes and fell

heavily. Kate reached the road, climbed in the buggy, and said

the Nancy Ellen: "You'd better hide! Cut a bundle of stuff and

send it to me by Adam and I'll sew my fingers to the bone for you

every night. Now drive like sin, Adam!"

As Adam Bates came lurching down the walk in fury the buggy dashed

past and Kate had not even time to turn her head to see what

happened.

"Take the first turn," she said to Adam. "I've done an awful

thing."

"What did you do?" cried the boy.

"Asked him as nicely as I could; but he threw a chair at me.

Something funny happened to me, and I wasn't afraid of him at all.

I dodged it, and finished what I was saying, and another chair

came, so the two Bates went at it."

"Oh, Kate, what did you do?" cried Adam.

"Went inside and ran around the dining table while I told him what

all his sons and daughters think of him. 'Spanked school-boys' and

all --"

"Did you tell him my father said that?" he demanded.

"No. I had more sense left than that," said Kate. "I only said

all his boys FELT like that. Then I pulled the table after me to

block the door, and smashed half the dishes and he slipped in the

fried potatoes and went down with a crash --"

"Bloody Murder!" cried young Adam, aghast.

"Me, too!" said Kate. "I'll never step in that house again while

he lives. I've spilled the beans, now."

"That you have," said Adam, slacking his horse to glance back.

"He is standing in the middle of the road shaking his fist after

you."

"Can you see Nancy Ellen?" asked Kate.

"No. She must have climbed the garden fence and hidden behind the

privet bush."