Early in the morning Kate set her young nephew on the gate-post to
watch for his cousin, and he was to have a penny for calling at
his approach. When his lusty shout came, Kate said good-bye to
her sister-in-law, paid the penny, kissed the baby, and was
standing in the road when Adam stopped. He looked at her
inquiringly.
"Well, it happened," she said. "He turned me out instanter, with
no remarks about when I might return, if ever, while Mother
cordially seconded the motion. It's a good thing, Adam, that you
offered to take care of me, because I see clearly that you are
going to have it to do."
"Of course I will," said Adam promptly. "And of course I can. Do
you want to go to Hartley for anything? Because if you don't, we
can cut across from the next road and get to Walden in about
fifteen miles, while it's seventeen by Hartley; but if you want to
go we can, for I needn't hurry. I've got a box of lunch and a
feed for my horse in the back of the buggy. Mother said I was to
stay with you until I saw you settled in your room, if you had to
go; and if you do, she is angry with Grandpa, and she is going to
give him a portion of her mentality the very first time she comes
in contact with him. She said so."
"Yes, I can almost hear her," said Kate, struggling to choke down
a rising laugh. "She will never know how I appreciate what she has
done for me, but I think talking to Father will not do any good.
Home hasn't been so overly pleasant. It's been a small, dark,
cramped house, dingy and hot, when it might have been big, airy,
and comfortable, well furnished and pretty as Father's means would
allow, and as all the neighbours always criticize him for not
having it; it's meant hard work and plenty of it ever since I was
set to scouring the tinware with rushes at the mature age of four,
but it's been home, all the home I have had, and it hurts more
than I can tell you to be ordered out of it as I was, but if I do
well and make a big success, maybe he will let me come back for
Christmas, or next summer's vacation."
"If he won't, Ma said you could come to our house," said Adam.
"That's kind of her, but I couldn't do it," said Kate.
"She SAID you could," persisted the boy.
"But if I did it, and Father got as mad as he was last night and
tore up your father's deed, then where would I be?" asked Kate.
"You'd be a sixteenth of two hundred acres better off than you are
now," said Adam.