A Daughter of the Land

"I wore that hat," said Kate, "as an ascension stalk wears its

crown of white lilies, as a bobolink wears its snowy courting

crest, as a bride wears her veil; but please take this from me to-

night, lest I sleep in it!"

That night Mrs. Jardine felt tired enough to propose resting in

her room, with Jennie Weeks where she could be called; so for the

first time Kate left her, and, donning her best white dress and

the hat, attended a concert. At its close she walked back to the

hotel with some of the other teachers stopping there, talked a few

minutes in the hall, went to the office desk for mail, and slowly

ascended the stairs, thinking intently. What she thought was:

"If I am not mistaken, my hat did a small bit of execution to-

night." She stepped to her room to lock the door and stopped a

few minutes to arrange the clothing she had discarded when she

dressed hurriedly before going to the concert, then, the letters

in her hand, she opened Mrs. Jardine's door.

A few minutes before, there had been a tap on that same door.

"Come in," said Mrs. Jardine, expecting Kate or Jennie Weeks. She

slowly lifted her eyes and faced a tall, slender man standing

there.

"John Jardine, what in the world are you doing here?" she demanded

after the manner of mothers, "and what in this world has happened

to you?"

"Does it show on me like that?" he stammered.

"Was your train in a wreck? Are you in trouble?" she asked.

"Something shows plainly enough, but I don't understand what it

is."

"Are you all right, Mother?" He advanced a step, looking intently

at her.

"Of course I'm all right! You can see that for yourself. The

question is, what's the matter with you?"

"If you will have it, there is something the matter. Since I saw

you last I have seen a woman I want to marry, that's all; unless I

add that I want her so badly that I haven't much sense left. Now

you have it!"

"No, I don't have it, and I won't have it! What designing

creature has been trying to intrigue you now?" she demanded.

"Not any one. She didn't see me, even. I saw her. I've been

following her for nearly two hours instead of coming straight to

you, as I always have. So you see where I am. I expect you won't

forgive me, but since I'm here, you must know that I could only

come on the evening train."

He crossed the room, knelt beside the chair, and took it and its

contents in his arms.

"Are you going to scold me?" he asked.

"I am," she said. "I am going to take you out and push you into

the deepest part of the lake. I'm so disappointed. Why, John,

for the first time in my life I've selected a girl for you, the

very most suitable girl I ever saw, and I hoped and hoped for

three days that when you came you'd like her. Of course I wasn't

so rash as to say a word to her! But I've thought myself into a

state where I'm going to be sick with disappointment."