"Yes, that is her son," said Kate. "That is exactly the way a man
enters a house that belongs to him."
"That isn't the way I am going to enter my house," said Adam.
"Now what shall we do?"
"Rest half an hour while they talk it over, and then get ready to
go very deliberately. If she doesn't come across, literally and
figuratively, we hunt another boarding place."
"I half believe she will come," said Adam. "She is watching us; I
can see her pull back the blind of her room to peep."
"Keep looking ahead. Don't let her think you see her. Let's go
up the creek and investigate this ravine. Isn't it a lovely
place?"
"Yes. I'm glad you got it," said Adam, "that is, if she come
across. I will think of you as having it to look at in summer;
and this winter -- my, what rabbit hunting there will be, and how
pretty it will look!"
So they went wandering up the ravine, sometimes on one bank,
sometimes crossing stepping-stones or logs to the other, looking,
talking, until a full hour had passed when they returned to the
buggy. Adam began changing the halter for the bridle while Kate
shook out the lap robe.
"Nickel, please," whispered Kate.
Adam glanced across the street to see Mrs. Holt coming. She
approached them and with no preliminaries said: "I have been
telling my son about you an' he hates so bad to go away and leave
me alone for the winter, that he says to take you at the same as
the last teacher, even if I do lose money on it."
"Oh, you wouldn't do that, Mrs. Holt," said Kate, carelessly. "Of
course it is for you to decide. I like the room, and if the board
was right for the other teacher it will be for me. If you want me
to stay, I'll bring my things over and take the room at once. If
not, I'll look farther."
"Come right over," said Mrs. Holt, cordially. "I am anxious to
git on the job of mothering such a sweet young lady. What will
you have for your supper?"
"Whatever you are having," said Kate. "I am not accustomed to
ordering my meals. Adam, come and help me unpack."
In half an hour Kate had her dresses on the hooks, her
underclothing on the shelves, her books on the table, her pencils
and pen in the robin cup, and was saying goodbye to Adam, and
telling him what to tell his father, mother, and Nancy Ellen -- if
he could get a stolen interview with her on the way home. He also
promised to write Kate what happened about the home school and
everything in which she would be interested. Then she went back
to her room, sat in the comfortable rocking chair, and with
nothing in the world she was obliged to do immediately, she stared
at the opposite wall and day by day reviewed the summer. She sat
so long and stared at the wall so intently that gradually it
dissolved and shaped into the deep green ravine across the way,
which sank into soothing darkness and the slowly lightened until a
peep of gold came over the tree tops; and then, a red sun crept up
having a big wonderful widespread wing on each side of it. Kate's
head fell with a jerk which awakened her, so she arose, removed
her dress, washed and brushed her hair, put on a fresh dress and
taking a book, she crossed the street and sat on the bank of the
stream again, which she watched instead of reading, as she had
intended.