The sharp eyes of Mrs. Holt detected the smile. She probably
would have noticed it, if Kate had merely thought of smiling.
"Why do you smile, my dear?" she asked in melting tone.
"Oh, I was feeling so at home," answered Kate, suavely. "Father
and the boys hold exactly those opinions and practise them in
precisely the same way; only if I were to think about it at all, I
should think that a man within a year of finishing a medical
course would begin exercising politeness with every woman he
meets. I believe a doctor depends on women to be most of his
patients, and women don't like a rude doctor."
"Rot!" said George Holt.
"Miss Bates is exactly right," said his mother. "Ain't I been
tellin' you the whole endurin' time that you'd never get a call
unless you practised manners as well as medicine? Ain't I, now?"
"Yes, you have," he said, angrily. "But if you think all of a
sudden that manners are so essential, why didn't you hammer some
into me when you had the whip hand and could do what you pleased?
You didn't find any fault with my manners, then."
"How of all the world was I to know that you'd grow up and go in
for doctorin'? I s'pos'd then you'd take the farm an' run it like
your pa did, stead of forcin' me to sell it off by inches to live,
an' then you wastin' half the money."
"Go it, Mother," said George Holt, rudely. "Tell all you know,
and then piece out with anything you can think of that you don't."
Mrs. Holt's face flushed crimson. She looked at Kate and said
vindictively: "If you want any comfort in life, never marry and
bring a son inter the world. You kin humour him, and cook for
him, an work your hands to the bone fur him, and sell your land,
and spend all you can raise educatin' him for half a dozen things,
an' him never stickin to none or payin' back a cent, but sass
in your old age -- "
"Go it, Mother, you're doing fine!" said George. "If you keep on
Miss Bates will want to change her boarding place before morning."
"It will not be wholly your mother's fault, if I do," said Kate.
"I would suggest that if we can't speak civilly, we eat our supper
in silence. This is very good food; I could enjoy it, if I had a
chance."
She helped herself to another soda biscuit and a second piece of
fried chicken and calmly began eating them.
"That's a good idy!" said Mrs. Holt.
"Then why don't you practice it?" said her son.
Thereupon began a childish battle for the last word. Kate calmly
arose, picked up her plate, walked from the room, down the hall,
and entering her own room, closed the door quietly.