A Daughter of the Land

George Holt looked at his mother in too great disgust to conceal

his feelings.

"ANOTHER gilt-edged scandal gone sky high," he said. Then he

turned to Kate. "One of the women who worked in your mother's

kitchen is visiting here, and she started a great hullabaloo

because you were not at the wedding. You probably haven't got a

leg left to stand on. I suspect the old cats of Walden have

chewed them both off, and all the while you were happy, and doing

the thing any girl would much rather have done. Lord, I hate this

eternal picking! How did you come back, Kate?"

"Dr. Gray brought me."

"I should think it would have made talk, your staying there with

him," commented Mrs. Holt.

"Fortunately, the people of Hartley seem reasonably busy attending

their own affairs," said Kate. "Doctor Gray had been boarding at

the hotel all fall, so he just went on living there until after

the wedding."

George glared at his mother, but she avoided his eyes, and

laughing in a silly, half-confused manner she said: "How much

money did your father give the bride?"

"I can't tell you, in even dollars and cents," said Kate. "Nancy

Ellen didn't say."

Kate saw the movement of George's foot under the table, and knew

that he was trying to make his mother stop asking questions; so

she began talking to him about his work. As soon as the meal was

finished he walked with her to school, visiting until the session

began. He remained three days, and before he left he told Kate he

loved her, and asked her to be his wife. She looked at him in

surprise and said: "Why, I never thought of such a thing! How

long have you been thinking about it?"

"Since the first instant I saw you!" he declared with fervour.

"Hum! Matter of months," said Kate. "Well, when I have had that

much time, I will tell you what I think about it."