A Daughter of the Land

Kate walked back to the highway, but instead of going on she

turned toward home. When she reached the gate she saw Nancy

Ellen, dressed her prettiest, sitting beneath a cherry tree

reading a book, in very plain view from the road. As Kate came up

the path: "Hello!" said Nancy Ellen. "Wasn't Adam at home?"

"I don't know," answered Kate. "I was not there."

"You weren't? Why, where were you?" asked Nancy Ellen.

"Oh, I just took a walk!" answered Kate.

"Right at dinner time on Sunday? Well, I'll be switched!" cried

Nancy Ellen.

"Pity you weren't oftener, when you most needed it," said Kate,

passing up the walk and entering the door. Her mother asked the

same questions so Kate answered them.

"Well, I am glad you came home," said Mrs. Bates. "There was no

use tagging to Adam with a sorry story, when your father said

flatly that you couldn't go."

"But I must go!" urged Kate. "I have as good a right to my chance

as the others. If you put your foot down and say so, Mother,

Father will let me go. Why shouldn't I have the same chance as

Nancy Ellen? Please Mother, let me go!"

"You stay right where you are. There is an awful summer's work

before us," said Mrs. Bates.

"There always is," answered Kate. "But now is just my chance

while you have Nancy Ellen here to help you."

"She has some special studying to do, and you very well know that

she has to attend the County Institute, and take the summer course

of training for teachers."

"So do I," said Kate, stubbornly. "You really will not help me,

Mother?"

"I've said my say! Your place is here! Here you stay!" answered

her mother.

"All right," said Kate, "I'll cross you off the docket of my

hopes, and try Father."

"Well, I warn you, you had better not! He has been nagged until

his patience is lost," said Mrs. Bates.

Kate closed her lips and started in search of her father. She

found him leaning on the pig pen watching pigs grow into money,

one of his most favoured occupations. He scowled at her, drawing

his huge frame to full height.

"I don't want to hear a word you have to say," he said. "You are

the youngest, and your place is in the kitchen helping your

mother. We have got the last installment to pay on Hiram's land

this summer. March back to the house and busy yourself with

something useful!"

Kate looked at him, from his big-boned, weather-beaten face, to

his heavy shoes, then turned without a word and went back toward

the house. She went around it to the cherry tree and with no

preliminaries said to her sister: "Nancy Ellen, I want you to

lend me enough money to fix my clothes a little and pay my way to

Normal this summer. I can pay it all back this winter. I'll pay

every cent with interest, before I spend any on anything else."