THE TINDER-BOX

[Illustration: "You don't need another vine, " I answered mutinously. ]

THE TINDER-BOX

BY

MARIA THOMPSON DAVIESS

Author of

"The Melting of Molly, " "Miss Selina Lue, " "Sue Jane, " Etc. 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN EDWIN JACKSON

NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 

_Published, November, 1913_

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO HANNAH DAVIESS PITTMAN WHO BLAZED MY TRAIL ANDSTILL DOES

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE LOAD 3

II. THE MAIDEN LANCE 26

III. A FLINT-SPARK 48

IV. SWEETER WHEN TAMED? 79

V. DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS OR RIBS 105

VI. MAN AND THE ASAFETIDA SPOON 136

VII. SOME SMOLDERINGS 173

VIII. AN ATTAINED TO-MORROW 211

IX. DYNAMITE 248

X. TOGETHER? 282

ILLUSTRATIONS

"You don't need another vine, " I answered mutinously..... _Frontispiece_

He stood calmly in the midst of Sallie's family and baggage, bothanimate and inanimate 38

"Say, Polk, I let the Pup git hung by her apron to the wheel of yourcar" 98

His gray eyes were positively mysterious with interrupted dreams 182

"We must not allow the men time to get sore over this matter of theLeague" 218

"Is this right?" he asked 244

"She's our Mother, " he said 276

Scrouged so close to his arm that it was difficult for both of them towalk 280

THE TINDER BOX

CHAPTER I

THE LOAD

All love is a gas, and it takes either loneliness, strength ofcharacter, or religion to liquefy it into a condition to be ladled outof us, one to another. There is a certain dangerously volatile state ofit; and occasionally people, especially of opposite sexes, try toadminister it to each other in that form, with asphyxiation resulting toboth hearts. And I'm willing to confess that it is generally a woman'sfault when such an accident occurs. That is, it is a mistake of hernature, not one of intent. But she is learning!

Also when a woman is created, the winds have wooed star-dust, rose-dew, peach-down, and a few flint-shavings into a whirlwind of deviltry, andthe world at large looks on in wonder and sore amazement, as well asbreathless interest. I know, because I am one, and have just been wakedup by the gyrations of the cyclone; and I'm deeply confounded. I don'tlike it, and wish I could have slept longer, but Fate and Jane Mathersdecreed otherwise. At least Jane decreed, and Fate seems so far helplessto controvert the decree. 

I might have known that when this jolly, easy-going old Fate of mine, which I inherited from a lot of indolent, pleasure-loving Harpeth ValleyTennesseans, let me pack up my graduating thesis, my B. S. , and somedelicious frocks, and go off to Paris for a degree from the Beaux Artsin Architecture, we would be caught up with by some kind of Nemesis orother, and put in our place in the biological and ethnological scheme ofexistence. Yes, Fate and I are placed, and Jane did it. 

Also, I am glad, now that I know what is going to happen to me, that Ihad last week on shipboard, with Richard Hall bombarding my cardiacregions with his honest eyes and booming voice discreetly muffled toaccord with the moonlight and the quiet places around the deck. I maynever get that sort of a joy-drink again, but it was so well done thatit will help me to administer the same to others when the awful occasionarrives. 

"A woman is the spark that lights the flame on the altar of the innerman, dear, and you'll have to sparkle when your time comes, " he warnedme, as I hurried what might have been a very tender parting, the lastnight at sea. 

"_Spark_"--she's a conflagration by this new plan of Jane's, but I'mglad he didn't know about it then. He may have to suffer from it yet. Itis best for him to be as happy as he can as long as he can. 

"Evelina, dear, " said Jane, as she and Mary Elizabeth Conners and I satin the suite of apartments in which our proud Alma Mater had lodged usold grads, returned for our second degrees, "your success has beenremarkable, and I am not surprised at all that that positively creativethesis of yours on the Twentieth Century Garden, to which I listenedto-night, procured you an honorable mention in your class at the BeauxArts. The French are a nation that quickly recognizes genius. I am veryhappy to-night. All your honors and achievements make me only the morecertain that I have chosen the right person for the glorious mission Iam about to offer you. "

"Oh, no, Jane!" I exclaimed, from a sort of instinct for trouble tocome. I know that devoted, twenty-second century look in Jane's intense, near-sighted eyes, and I always fend from it. She is a very dear person, and I respectfully adore her. Indeed, I sometimes think she is the realspine in my back that was left out of me, and of its own strength gotdeveloped into another and a finer woman. She became captain of myFreshman soul, at the same time she captured the captaincy of the boatcrew, on which I pulled stroke, and I'm still hitting the water when shegives the word, though it now looks as if we are both adrift on the highand uncharted seas--or sitting on the lid of a tinder-box, jugglinglighted torches. 

"You see, dear, " she went on to say slowly, drawing Mary Elizabeth intothe spell-bound circle of our intensity, as we three sat together withour newly-engraved sheepskins on our knees, "for these two years whileyou have been growing and developing along all your natural lines in acountry which was not your own, in a little pool I should call it, outof even sight and sound of the current of events, we have been here inyour own land engaged in the great work of the organization andreorganization which is molding the destinies of the women of ourtimes, and those that come after us. That is what I want to talk to youabout, and devoutly have I been praying that your heart will bereceptive to the call that has claimed the life of Mary Elizabeth andme. There is a particular work, for which you are fitted as no otherwoman I have ever known is fitted, and I want to lay the case plainlybefore you to-night. Will you give me a hearing?"

And the hearing I gave that beloved and devout woman was the _reveille_that awakened me to this--this whirlwind that seems to be both inside meand outside me, and everywhere else in the whole world. 

It's not woman's suffrage; it has gone way down past the road from votesfor women. I wish I could have stopped in that political field ofendeavor before Jane got to me. She might have left me there doinglittle things like making speeches before the United States Senate andrunning for Governor of Tennessee, after I had, single-handed, remadethe archaic constitution of that proud and bat-blind old State of mybirth; but such ease was not for me. 

Of course for years, as all women have been doing who are sensibleenough to use the brains God gave them and stop depending on theircenturies-seasoned intuitions and fascinations, I have been readingabout this feminist revolution that seems all of a sudden to haverevoluted from nobody knows where, and I have been generally indignantover things whether I understood them or not, and I have felt that I wasbeing oppressed by the opposite sex, even if I could not locate theexact spot of the pain produced. I have always felt that when I got toit I would shake off the shackles of my queer fondness and of mydependence upon my oppressors, and do something revengeful to them. 

When my father died in my Junior year and left me all alone in theworld, the first thing that made me feel life in my veins again was theunholy rage I experienced when I found that he had left me bodaciouslyand otherwise to my fifth cousin, James Hardin. 

Cousin James is a healthy reversion to the primitive type of FatherAbraham, and he has so much aristocratic moss on him that he reminds meof that old gray crag that hangs over Silver Creek out on ProvidenceRoad. Artistically he is perfectly beautiful in an Old-Testamentfashion. He lives in an ancient, rambling house across the road from myhome, and he is making a souvenir collection of derelict women. Everybody that dies in Glendale leaves him a relict, and including hismother, Cousin Martha, he now has either seven or nine female charges, depending on the sex of Sallie Carruthers's twin babies, which I can'texactly remember, but will wager is feminine. 

My being left to him was an insult to me, though of course Father didnot see it that way. He adored the Crag, as everybody else in Glendaledoes, and wouldn't have considered not leaving him precious me. Wantingto ignore Cousin James, because I was bound out to him until mytwenty-fifth year or marriage, which is worse, has kept me from Glendaleall these four years since father died suddenly while I was away atcollege, laid up with the ankle which I broke in the gymnasium. Still, as much as I resent him, I keep the letter the Crag wrote me the nightafter Father died, right where I can put my hand on it if life suddenlypanics me for any reason. It covers all the circumstances I have yetmet. I wonder if I ought to burn it now!

But, to be honest with myself, I will have to confess that theexplosively sentimental scene on the front porch, the night I left forcollege, with Polk Hayes has had something to do with my cowardice inlingering in foreign climes. I feel that it is something I will have togo on with some day, and the devil will have to pick up the chips. Polkis the kind of man that ought to be exterminated by the government insympathy for its women wards, if his clan didn't make such good citizenswhen they do finally marry. He ought at least to be labeled "poison forthe very young. " I was very young out on the porch that night. Still, Idon't resent him like I do the archaic Crag. 

And as Jane talked, my seasoned indignation of four years against mykeeper flared up, and while she paused at intervals for breath I hurledout plans for his demolishment. I wish now I had been moreconservatively quiet, and left myself a loophole, but I didn't. I walkedinto this situation and shut the door behind me. 

"Yes, Evelina, I think you will have to insist forcibly on assumingcharge of your own social and financial affairs in your own home. It maynot be easy, with such a man as you describe, but you will accomplishit. However, many mediocre women have proved their ability to attend totheir own fortunes, and do good business for themselves; but your battleis to be fought on still higher grounds. You are to rise and establishwith your fellow-man a plane of common citizenship. You do it for hissake and your own, and for that of humanity. "

"Suppose, after I get up there on that plateau, I didn't find any man atall, " I ventured faint-heartedly, but with a ripple of my risibles; thelast in life I fear. 

"You must reach down your hands to them and draw them up to you, " sheanswered in a tone of tonic inspiration. "You are to claim the sameright to express your emotions that a man has. You are to offer yourfriendship to both men and women on the same frank terms, with nodegrading hesitancy caused by an embarrassment on account of your sex. It is his due and yours. No form of affection is to be withheld fromhim. It is to be done frankly and impressively, and when the timecomes--" I can hardly write this, but the memory of the wonderful thoughfanatic light in Jane's eyes makes me able to scrawl it--"that you feelthe mating instinct in you move towards any man, I charge you that youare to consider it a sacred obligation to express it with the samehonesty that a man would express the same thing to you, in like case, even if he has shown no sign of that impulse toward you. No contortionsand contemptible indirect method of attack, but a fearless one that isyours by right, and his though he may not acknowledge it. The barbaricand senseless old convention that denies women the right of selection, for which God has given her the superior instinct, is to be broken downby just such women as you. A woman less dowered by beauty and allfeminine charm could not do it just yet, but to you, to whom thecommand of men is a natural gift, is granted the wonderful chance toprove that it can be done, honestly and triumphantly, with no sacrificeof the sacredness of womanhood. "

"Oh, Jane. " I moaned into the arm of the chair on which I had bowed myhead. 

I am moaning; now just as much, down in the bottom of my heart. Whereare all my gentle foremothers that smiled behind their lace fans and hadtheir lily-white hands kissed by cavalier gentlemen in starched ruffles, out under the stars that rise over Old Harpeth, that they don't claim mein a calm and peaceful death? Still, as much as I would like to die, Iam interested in what is going to happen. 

"Yes, Evelina, " she answered in an adamant tone of voice, "and when Ihave the complete record of what, I know, will be your triumphantvindication of the truth that it is possible and advisable for women toassert their divine right to choose a mate for their sacred vocation ofbearing the race, I shall proceed, as I have told you, to choose fiveother suitable young women to follow your example, and furnish them themoney, up to the sum of a hundred thousand dollars, after having beenconvinced by your experience. Be careful to make the most minuterecords, of even the most emotional phases of the question, in this bookfor their guidance. Of course, they will never know the source of thedata, and I will help you elucidate and arrange the book, after it isall accomplished. "

If Jane hadn't had two million dollars all this trouble would not be. 

"I can never do it!" I exclaimed with horror, "And the men will hateit--and me. And if I did do it, I couldn't write it. "

I almost sobbed as a vision flashed before me of thus verballysnap-shotting the scene with dear old Dickie as we stood against therail of the ship and watched the waves fling back silvery radiance atthe full moon, and I also wondered how I was to render in serviceablewritten data his husky:

"A woman is the flame that lights the spark--"

Also, what would that interview with Polk Hayes look like reproducedwith high lights?

"Now, " she answered encouragingly, "don't fear the men, dear. They aresensible and business-like creatures, and they will soon see how much totheir advantage it is to be married to women who have had an equalprivilege with themselves of showing their preferences. Then only canthey be sure that their unions are from real preferences and notcompromises, on the part of their wives, from lack of other choice. Ofcourse, a woman's pride will make her refrain from courtship, as doesher brother man, until she is financially independent, andself-supporting, lest she be put in the position of a mendicant. " Janehas thought the whole thing out from Genesis to Revelation. 

Still, that last clause about the mendicant leaves hope for thebenighted man who still wants the cling of the vine. A true vine wouldnever want--or be able--to hustle enough to flower sordid dollarsinstead of curls and blushes. 

"A woman would have to be--to be a good deal of a woman, not any lessone, to put such a thing across, Jane, " I said, with a preflash of someof the things that might happen in such a cruel crusade of reformationand deprivation of rights. 

"That is the reason I have chosen you to collect the data, Evelina, "answered Jane, with another of those glorious tonic looks, issuing frommy backbone in her back. "The ultimate woman must be superb in body, brain, and heart. You are that now more nearly than any one I have everseen. You are the woman!"

I was silenced with awe. 

"Jane plans to choose five girls who would otherwise have to spend theirlives teaching in crowded cities after leaving college and to start themin any profession they choose, with every chance of happiness, in thesmaller cities of the South and Middle West, " said Mary Elizabethgently, and somehow the tears rose in my eyes, as I thought how the poordear had been teaching in the high school in Chicago the two gloriousyears I had been frolicking abroad. No time, and no men to have goodtimes with. 

And there were hundreds like her, I knew, in all the crowded parts ofthe United States. And as I had begun, I thought further. Just because Iwas embarrassed at the idea of proposing to some foolish man, who is ofno importance to me, himself, or the world in general, down in Glendale, where they have all known me all my life, and would expect anything ofme anyway after I have defied tradition and gone to college, fivelovely, lonely girls would have to go without any delightful suitorslike Richard--or Polk Hayes, forever. 

And, still further, I thought of the other girls, coming under theinfluence of those five, who might be encouraged to hold up their headsand look around, and at least help out their Richards in theirmatrimonial quest, and as I sat there with Jane's compelling and MaryElizabeth's hungry eyes on me, I felt that I was being besought by allthe lovers of all the future generations to tear down some sort of awfulbarrier and give them happiness. And it was the thought of the men thatwas most appealing. It takes a woman who really likes them as I do, andhas their good really at heart, to see their side of the question asJane put it, poor dears. Suddenly, I felt that all the happiness of thewhole world was in one big, golden chalice, and that I had to hold itsteadily to give drink to all men and all women--with a vision oflittle unborn kiddies in the future. 

Then, before I could stop myself, I decided--and I hope the dear Lord--Isay it devoutly--indeed I do!--will help that poor man in Glendale if Ipick out the wrong one. I'm going to do it. 

"I accept your appointment and terms, Jane, " I said quietly, as I lookedboth those devout, if fanatic, women in the face. "I pledge myself to goback to Glendale, to live a happy, healthy, normal life, as useful as Ican make it. I had intended to do that anyway, for if I am to evolve thereal American garden. I can't do better than sketch and study those inthe Harpeth Valley, for at least two seasons all around. I shall work atmy profession whole-heartedly, take my allotted place in the community, and refuse to recognize any difference in the obligations andopportunities in my life and that of the men with whom I am thrown, andto help all other women to take such a fearless and honest attitude--ifGlendale blows up in consequence. I will seek and claim marriage inexactly the same fearless way a man does, and when I have found what Iwant I shall expect you to put one hundred thousand dollars, twenty toeach, at the disposal of five other suitable young women, to follow myexample, as noted down in this book--if it has been successful. Shall Igive you some sort of written agreement?"

"Just record the agreement as a note in the book, and I will sign it, "answered Jane, in her crispest and most business-like tone of voice, though I could see she was trembling with excitement, and poor MaryElizabeth was both awe-struck and hopeful. 

I'll invite Mary Elizabeth down to Glendale, as soon as I stake out myown claim, poor dear!

And here I sit alone at midnight, with a huge, steel-bound, lock-and-keyed book that Jane has had made for me, with my name and theinscription, "In case of death, send unopened to Jane Mathers, Boston, Massachusetts, " on the back, committed to a cause as crazy and asserious as anything since the Pilgrimages, or the Quest of the Knightsfor the Grail. It also looks slightly like trying to produce a modernDon Quixote, feminine edition, and my cheeks are flaming so that Iwouldn't look at them for worlds. And to write it all, too! I havealways had my opinion of women who spill their souls out of anink-bottle, but I ought to pardon a nihilist, that in the dead of night, cold with terror, confides some awful appointment he has had made him, to his nearest friend. I am the worst nihilist that ever existed, andthe bomb I am throwing may explode and destroy the human race. But, onthe other hand, the explosion might be of another kind. Suppose thatsuddenly a real woman's entire nature should be revealed to the world, might not the universe be enveloped in a rose glory and a lovesymphony? We'll see!

Also, could the time ever come when a woman wouldn't risk hanging overthe ragged edge of Heaven to hold on to the hand of some man? Never!Then, as that is the case, I see we must all keep the same firm grip onthe creatures we have always had, and haul them over the edge, but wemust not do it any more without letting them know about it--it isn'thonest. Yes, women must solidify their love into such a concrete formthat men can weigh and measure it, and decide for themselves whetherthey want to--to climb to Heaven for it, or remain comfortable oldbachelors. We mustn't any more lead them into marriage blinded by theoverpowering gaseous fragrance called romantic love. 

But, suppose I should lose all love for everybody in this queer questfor enlightenment I have undertaken? Please, God, let a good man be inGlendale, Tennessee, who will understand and protect me--no, that's thewrong prayer! Protect him--no--both of us!

CHAPTER II

THE MAIDEN LANCE

A woman may shut her eyes, and put a man determinedly out of her heart, and in two minutes she will wake up in an agony of fear that he isn'tthere. Now, as I have decided that Glendale is to be the scene of thisbloodless revolution of mine--it would be awful to carry out such anundertaking anywhere but under the protection of ancestral traditions--Ihave operated Richard Hall out of my inmost being with the utmostcruelty, on an average of every two hours, for this week Jane and I havebeen in New York; and I have still got him with me. 

I, at last, became determined, and chose the roof-garden at the Astor totell him good-by, and perform the final operation. First I tried toestablish a plane of common citizenship with him, by telling him howmuch his two years' friendship across the waters had meant to me, whilewe studied the same profession under the same masters, drew at the samedrawing-boards and watched dear old Paris flame into her jewelednight-fire from Montmarte, together. I was frankly affectionate, and itmade him suspicious of me. 

Then I tried to tell him just a little, only a hint, of my new attitudetowards his sex, and before he had had time even to grasp the idea heexploded. 

"Don't talk to me as if you were an alienist trying to examine anabstruse case, Evelina, " he growled, with extreme temper. "Go on downand rusticate with your relatives for the summer, and fly the bats inyour belfry at the old moss-backs, while I am getting this Cincinnatiand Gulf Stations commission under way. Then, when I can, I will comefor you. Let's don't discuss the matter, and it's time I took you backto your hotel. "

Not a very encouraging tilt for my maiden lance. 

I've had a thought. If I should turn and woo Dickie, like he does me, Isuppose we would be going-so fast in opposite directions that we wouldbe in danger of passing each other without recognizing signals. I wonderif that might get to be the case of humanity at large if women doundertake the tactics I am to experiment with, and a dearth of any kindof loving and claiming at all be the result. I will elucidate that ideaand shoot it into Jane. But I have no hope; she'll have the answerticketed away in the right pigeon-hole, statistics and all, ready tofire back at me. 

I have a feeling that Jane won't expect such a diary as this locked cellof a book is becoming, but I can select what looks like data for theyoung from these soul squirmings, and only let her have those for TheFive. I don't know which are which now, and I'll have to put down thewhole drama. 

And my home-coming last night was a drama that had in it so much comedy, dashed with tragedy, that I'm a little breathless over it yet. Jane, andmy mind is breathing unevenly still. 

Considering the situation, and my intentions, I was a bit frightened asthe huge engine rattled and roared its way along the steel rails thatwere leading me back, down into the Harpeth Valley. But, when we crossedthe Kentucky line, I forgot the horrors of my mission, and I thrilledgloriously at getting hack to my hills. Old Harpeth had just come intosight, as we rounded into the valley and Providence Knob rested backagainst it, in a pink glow that I knew came from the honeysuckle inbloom all over it like a mantle. I traveled fast into the twilight, andI saw all the stars smile out over the ridge, in answer to the hearthstars in the valley, before I got across Silver Creek. I hadn't let anyone know that I was coming, so I couldn't expect any one to meet me atthe station at Glendale. There was nobody there I belonged to--just anempty house. I suppose a man coming home like that would have whistledand held up his head, but I couldn't. I'm a woman. 

Suddenly, that long glowworm of a train stopped just long enough atGlendale to eject me and my five trunks, with such hurried emphasis thatI felt I was being planted in the valley forever, and I would have toroot myself here or die. I still feel that way. 

And as I stood just where my feet were planted, in the dust of the road, instead of on the little ten-foot platform, that didn't quite reach tomy sleeper steps, I felt as small as I really am in comparison to theuniverse. I looked after the train and groveled. 

Then, just as I was about to start running down the track, away fromnowhere and to nowhere, I was brought to my senses by a loud boohoo, andthen a snubby choke, which seemed to come out of my bag andsteamer-blanket that stood in a pile before me. 

"Train's gone, train's gone and left us! I knew it would, when Salliestopped to put the starch on her face all over again. And Cousin James, he's as slow as molasses, and I couldn't dress two twins in not time tobutton one baby. Oh, damn, oh, damn!" And the sobs rose to a perfectstorm of a wail. 

Just at that moment, down the short platform an electric light, that wasso feeble that it seemed to show a pine-knot influence in its heredity, was turned on by the station-agent, who was so slow that I perceived theinfluence of a descent from old Mr. Territt, who drove the stage thatcame down from the city before the war, and my fellow-sufferer stoodrevealed. 

She was a slim, red-haired bunch of galatea, stylish of cut as toupturned nose and straight little skirt but wholly and defiantly unshodsave for a dusty white rag around one pink toe. A cunning little strawbonnet, with an ecru lace jabot dangled in her hand, and her big browneyes reminded me of Jane's at her most inquisitive moments. 

"If you was on a train, what did you git offen it _here_ for?" shedemanded of me, with both scorn and curiosity in her positive youngvoice. 

"I don't know why, " I answered weakly, not at all in the tone of ayoung-gallant-home-from-the-war mood I had intended to assume towardsthe first inhabitant of my native town to whom I addressed a remark. 

"We was all a-goin' down to Hillsboro, to visit Aunt Bettie Pollard fora whole week, to Cousin Tom's wedding, but my family is too slow fornothing but a funeral. And Cousin James, he's worse. He corned for usten minutes behind the town clock, and Mammy Dilsie had phthisic, so Ihad to fix the two twins, and we're done left. I wisht I didn't have nofamily!" And with her bare feet the young rebel raised a cloud of dustthat rose and settled on my skirt. 

"There they come now, " she continued, with the pained contempt stillrising in her voice. 

And around the corner of the station hurried the family party, with allthe haste they would have been expected to use if they had not, just twominutes earlier, beheld their train go relentlessly on down the valleyto Hillsboro and the wedding celebration. I hadn't placed the kiddie, but I might have known, from her own description of her family, to whomshe belonged. 

First came Sallie Carruthers, sailing along in the serene way that Iremembered to have always thought like a swan in no hurry, and in herhands was a wet box from which rose sterns protruded. 

Next in the procession came Aunt Dilsie, huge and black and wheezing, fanning herself with a genteel turkey-tail fan, and carrying a largecovered basket. 

But the tail-piece of the procession paralyzed all the home-comingemotions that I had expected to be feeling, save that of pure hilarity. James Hardin was carrying two bubbly, squirmy, tousle-headed babies, onone arm, and a huge suitcase in the other hand, and his gray felt hatset on the back of his shock of black hair at an angle of deepdesperation, though patience shone from every line of his strong, gauntbody, and I could see in the half light that there were no lines ofirritation about his mouth, which Richard had said looked to him likethat of the prophet Hosea, when I had shown him the picture that Fatherhad had snapped of himself and the Crag, with their great string ofquail, on one of their hunting-trips, just before Father died. 

"Eve!" he exclaimed, when he suddenly caught sight of me, standing inthe middle of the dusty road, with my impedimenta around me, and as hespoke he dropped both babies on the platform in a bunch, and the smalltrunk on the other side. Then he just stood and looked, and I had tostraighten the roar that was arising in me at the sight of him into aconventional smile of greeting, suitable to bestow on an enemy. 

But before the smile was well launched, Sallie bustled in and got thefull effect of it. 

"Why, Evelina Shelby, you darling thing, when did you come?" she fairlybubbled, as she clasped me in the most hospitable of arms, and bestoweda slightly powdery kiss on both my cheeks. I weakly and femininelyenjoyed the hug, not that a man might not have--Sallie is a dear, and Ialways did like her gush, shamefacedly. 

"She got often that train that left us, and she ain't got a bit ofsense, or she wouldn't, " answered the Blue Bunch for me, in amatter-of-fact tone of voice. 

"What for did you all unpack outen the surrey, if you sawed the train goby?" she further demanded, with accusing practicality. "Don't you knowwhen youse left?"

"Oh, Henrietta, " exclaimed Sallie, looking at the young-philosopher withterrified helplessness. "Please don't mind her, Evelina. I don'tunderstand her being my child, and nobody does, unless it was Henry'sgrandmother on his mother's side. You had heard of my loss?"

If I hadn't heard of the death of Henry Carruthers, Sallie's elaborateblack draperies, relieved by the filmy exquisiteness of white creperuches at the neck and wrists, would have proclaimed the fact. 

Suddenly, something made me look at Cousin James, as he stood calmly inthe midst of Sallie's family and baggage, both animate and inanimate, and the laugh that had threatened for minutes fairly flared out into hisplacid, young prophet face. 

"Oh, I am so sorry, Sallie, and so glad to see all of you that I'mlaughing at the same time, " I exclaimed to save myself from theawfulness of greeting a young widow's announcement of her sorrow in suchan unfeeling manner. To cover my embarrassment and still furtherstruggles with the laugh that never seemed to be able to have itselfout, I bent and hugged up one of the toddlers, who were balancingagainst the Crag's legs, with truly feminine fervor. 

"I'm glad to see you, Evelina, " said Cousin James gently, and I couldsee that the billows of my mirth had got entirely past him. 

I was glad he had escaped, and I found myself able to look withcomposure at his queer, long-tailed gray coat, which made me know thatlittle old Mr. Pinkus, who had been Father's orderly all through thewar, was still alive and tailoring in his tiny shop down by thepost-office, though now that Father is dead he probably only does it forCousin James. The two of them had been his only customers for years. Andas I looked, I saw that the locks that curled in an ante-bellum fashionaround the Crag's ears, were slightly sprinkled with gray, andremembered how he had loved and stood by Father, even in the manner ofwearing Pinkus clothes; my heart grew very large all of a sudden, and Iheld out my hand to him. 

[Illustration: He stood calmly in the midst of Sallie's family andbaggage, both animate and inanimate. ]

"I'm glad to be at home, " I said, gazing straight into his eyes, with alook of affection that you would have been proud of, Jane, --usingunconsciously, until after I had done it, the warmth I had triedunsuccessfully on Richard Hall at the Astor, not forty-eight hoursago, but two thousand miles away. And it got a response that puzzles meto think of yet. It was just a look, but there was a thought of Fatherin it, also a suggestion of the glance he bestowed on Sallie's twins. Iremembered that the Crag seldom speaks, and that's what makes you spendyour time breathlessly listening to him. 

"Well, come on, everybody, let's go home and undress, and forget aboutthe wedding, " came in Henrietta's positive and executive tones. "Let'sgo and take the strange lady with us. We can have company if we can't beit. She can sleep other side of me, next the wall. "

I have never met anybody else at all like Henrietta Carruthers, and Inever shall unless Jane Mathers marries and--I sincerely hope that someday she and Jane will meet. 

And the next ten minutes was one of the most strenuous periods of time Iever put in, in all my life. I longed, really longed, to go home withSallie and Henrietta, and sleep next the wall at Widegables with therest of the Crag's collection. But I knew Glendale well enough to seeplainly that if I thus once give myself up to the conventions that bySaturday night they would have me nicely settled with his relicts, or inmy home with probably two elderly widows and a maiden cousin or so tolook after me. And then, by the end of the next week, they would havethe most suitable person in town fairly hunted by both spoken and mentalinfluence, to the moonlight end of my front porch, with matrimonialintentions in his pocket. I knew I had to take a positive stand, andtake it immediately. I must be masculinely firm. No feminine wiles wouldserve in such a crisis as this. 

So, I let Cousin James pack me into his low, prehistoric old surrey, inthe front seat, at his side, while Sallie took Aunt Dilsie and one twinwith her on the back seat. Henrietta scrouged down at my feet, and Ifearingly, but accommodatingly, accepted the other twin. It was aperfect kitten of a baby, and purred itself to sleep against my shoulderas soon as anchored. 

The half-mile from the station, along the dusty, quiet village streets, was accomplished in about the time it would take a modern vehicle totraverse Manhattan lengthwise, and at last we stopped at the gate ofWidegables. The rambling, winged, wide-gabled, tall-columned old pile oftime-grayed brick and stone, sat back in the moonlight, in its tangle ofa garden, under its tall roof maples, with a dignity that went straightto my heart. There is nothing better in France or England, and I feelsure that there are not two hundred houses in America as good. I'llpaint it, just like I saw it to-night, for next Spring's Salon. A brightlight shone from the windows of the dining-room in the left wing, wherethe collection of clinging vines were taking supper, unconscious of thereturn of the left-behinds that threatened. 

And as I glanced at my own tall-pillared, dark old house, that standsjust opposite Widegables, and is of the same period and style, I knewthat if I did not escape into its emptiness before I got into CousinMartha's comfortable arms, surrounded by the rest of the Crag's family, I would never have the courage to enter into the estate of freedom I hadplanned. 

"Sallie, " I said firmly, as I handed the limp Kitten down to AuntDilsie, as Henrietta took the other one--"Puppy" I suppose I will haveto call the young animal, --from her mother and started on up the walk inthe lead of the return expedition, "I am going over to stay in my ownhome to-night. I know it seems strange, but--I _must_. Please don'tworry about me. "

"Why, dear, you can't stay by yourself, with no man on the place, "exclaimed Sallie, in a tone of absolute panic. "I'll go tell CousinMartha you are here, while Cousin James unpacks your satchel andthings. " And she hurried in her descent from the ark, and also hurriedin her quest for the reinforcement of Cousin Martha's authority. 

"I'm going to escape before any of them come back, " I said determinedlyto the Crag, who stood there still, just looking at me. "I'm not up toarguing the question to-night, for the trip has been a long one, andthis is the first time I have been home since--Just let me have to-nightto myself, please. " I found myself pleading to him, as he held up hisarms to lift me clear of the wheels. 

His eyes were hurt and suffering for a second, then a strange light ofcomprehension came from them into mine, like a benediction, as he gentlyset me on my feet. 

"Must you, Eve?"

"Yes, " I answered, with a gulp that went all the way down to myfeminine toes, as I glanced across the road at the grim, dark old pilethat towered against the starlit sky. "I want to stay in my own houseto-night--and--and I'm not afraid. "

"You won't need to be frightened. I understand, I think--and here's yourkey, I always carry it in my pocket. Your Father's candle is on themantel. You shall have to-night to yourself. Good-night, and bless yourhome-coming, dear!"

"Good-night, " I answered as I turned away from his kind eyes quickly, tokeep from clinging-to him with might and main, and crossed the road tomy own gate. With my head up, and trying for the whistle, at least in myheart, I went quickly along the front walk with its rows of blushpeonies, nodding along either edge. The two old purple lilacs beside thefront steps have grown so large they seemed to be barring my way into myhome with longing, sweet embraces, and a fragrant little climbingrose, that has rioted across the front door, ever since I couldremember, bent down and left a kiss on my cheeks. 

The warm, mellow old moon flooded a glow in front of me, through the bigfront door, as I opened it, and then hastened to pour into the widewindows as I threw back the shutters. 

Logs lay ready for lighting in the wide fireplace at the end of the longroom, and Father's tobacco jar gleamed a reflected moonlight from itspewter sides from the tall mantel-shelf. The old hooks melted into thedusk of their cases along the wall, and the portrait of GrandfatherShelby lost its fierce gaze and became benign from its place between thewindows. 

I was being welcomed to the home of my fathers, with a soft dusk thatwas as still and sweet as the grave. Sweet for those that want it; but Ididn't. Suddenly, I thrilled as alive as any terror-stricken woman thatever found herself alone anywhere on any other edge of the world, andthen as suddenly found myself in a complete condition of frightprostration, crouched on my own threshold. I was frightened at the dark, and could not even cry. Then almost immediately, while I crouchedquivering in every nerve I seemed to hear a man's voice saycomfortingly:

"You don't need to be frightened. "

Courageously I lifted my eyes and looked down between the old lilacbushes, and saw just what I expected I would, a tall, gray figure, pacing slowly up and down the road. Then it was that fear came into me, stiffened my muscles and strengthened my soul--fear of myself and my ownconclusions about destiny and all things pertaining thereto. 

I never want to go through such another hour as I spent putting thingsin order in Father's room, which opens off the living-room, so I couldgo to bed by candle-light in the bed in which he and I were both born. I wanted to sleep there, and didn't even open any other part of thegrim old house. 

And when I put out the candle and lay in the high, old four-post bed, Iagain felt as small as I really am, and I was in danger of a badcollapse from self-depreciation when my humor came to the rescue. Imight just as well have gone on and slept between Henrietta and thewall, as was becoming my feminine situation, for here my determinationto assert my masculine privileges was keeping a real man doing sentryduty up and down a moonlight road all night--and I wanted it. 

"After this, James Hardin, you can consider yourself safe from any of myattentions or intentions, " I laughed to myself, as I turned my face intothe pillow, that was faintly scented from the lavender in which Motherhad always kept her linen. "I've been in Glendale two hours, and one manis on the home base with his fingers crossed. James, you are free! Oh, Jane!"

CHAPTER III

A FLINT SPARK

The greatest upheavals of nature are those that arrive suddenly, withoutnotifying the world days beforehand of their intentions of splitting thecrust of the Universe wide open. One is coming to Glendale by degrees, but the town hasn't found out about it yet. I'm the only one who seesit, and I'm afraid to tell. 

When Old Harpeth, who has been looking down on a nice, peaceful, manordained, built, and protected world, woke Glendale up the morning aftermy arrival and found me defiantly alone in the home of my fathers--alsoof each of my foremothers, by the courtesy of dower--he muttered anddrew a veil of mist across his face. Slight showers ensued, but he hadto come out in less than an hour from pure curiosity. I found the oldgarden heavenly in its riot of neglected buds, shoots, and blooms, wetand welcoming with the soft odors of Heaven itself. 

It was well I was out early to enjoy it, for that was to be the day ofmy temptation and sore trial. I am glad I have recorded it all, for Imight have forgotten some day how wonderfully my very pliant, feminineattitude rubbed in my masculine intentions as to my life on the blindside of all the forces brought to bear on me to put me back into mypredestined place in the scheme of the existence. 

"Your Cousin James's home is the place for you, Evelina, and until heexplained to me how you felt last night I was deeply hurt that youhadn't come straight, with Sallie, to me and to him, " said CousinMartha, in as severe a voice as was possible for such a placidindividual to produce. Cousin Martha is completely lovely, and theMossback gets his beauty from her. She is also such a perfect dear thather influence is something terrific, even if negatively expressed. 

"I have come to help you get your things together, so you can move overbefore dinner, " she continued with gentle force. "Now, what shall we putin the portmanteau first? I see you have unpacked very little, and I amglad that it confirms me in my feeling that your coming over here forthe night was just a dutiful sentiment for your lost loved ones, and notany unmaidenly sense of independence in the matter of choice where it isbest for you to live. Of course, such a question as that must be left toyour guardian, and of course James will put you under my care. "

"I--I really thought that perhaps Cousin James did not have room for me, Cousin Martha, " I answered meekly. "How many families has he with himnow?" I asked with a still further meekness that was the depths ofwiliness. 

"There are three of us widows, whom he sustains and comforts for theloss of our husbands, and also the three Norton girls, cousins on hisfather's side of the house, you remember. It is impossible for them tolook after their plantation since their father's death robbed them of aprotector, at least, even though he had been paralyzed since Gettysburg. James is a most wonderful man, my dear--a most wonderful man. Though ashe is my son I ought to think it in silence. "

"Indeed he is, " I answered from the heart. "But--but wouldn't it be alittle crowded for him to have another--another vine--that is, exactlywhat would he do with me? I know Widegables is wide, but that is ahouseful, isn't it?"

"Well, all of us did feel that it made the house uncomfortably full whenSallie came with the three children, but you know Henry Carruthers leftJames his executor and guardian of the children, and Sallie of coursecouldn't live alone, so Mrs. Hargrove and I moved into the south roomtogether, and gave Sallie and the children my room. It is a large room, and it would be such a comfort to Sallie to have you stay with her andhelp her at night with the children. She doesn't really feel able to getup with them at all. Then Dilsie could sleep in the cabin, as she oughtto on account of the jimsonweed in her phthisic pipe. It would be such abeautiful influence in your lonely life, Evelina, to have the childrento care for. "

I wondered if Cousin Martha had ever heard that galatea bunch indulge insuch heartfelt oaths as had followed that train down the track lastnight!

"It would be lovely, " I answered--and the reply was not all insincerity, as I thought of the darkness of that long night, and the Bunch's offerof a place at her sturdy little back "next the wall. "

"But I will be so busy with my own work, Cousin Martha, that I am afraidI couldn't do justice to the situation and repay the children and Salliefor crowding them. "

"Why, you couldn't crowd us, Evelina, honey, " came in Sallie's richvoice, as she sailed into the room, trailing the Pup and the Kit at herskirts and flying lavender ribbons at loose ends. "We've come to helpyou move over right away. "

"Well, not while I have a voice in the affairs of my own husband'sniece! How are you, Evelina, and are you crazy, Sallie Carruthers?" camein a deep raven croak of a voice that sounded as if it had harked partlyfrom the tomb, as Aunt Augusta Shelby stood in the doorway, with reproofon her lips and sternness on her brow. "Peter and I will have Evelinamove down immediately with us. James Hardin has as much in the way of afamily as he can very well stand up under now. "

And as she spoke, Aunt Augusta glared at Sallie with such ferocity thateven Sallie's sunshiny presence was slightly dimmed. 

"Are you ready, Evelina? Peter will send the surrey for your baggage, "she continued, and for a moment I quailed, for Aunt Augusta'sdetermination of mind is always formidable, but I summoned my woman'swit and man's courage, and answered quickly before she fairly snatchedme from under my own roof-tree. 

"That would be lovely, Aunt Augusta, and how are you?" I answered andasked in the same breath, as I drew near enough to her to receive abusiness-like peck on my cheek. "I expect to have you and Uncle Peter tolook after me a lot, but somehow I feel that Father would haveliked--liked for me to live here and keep my home--his home--open. Someway will arrange itself. I haven't talked with Cousin James yet, " Ifelt white feathers sprouting all over me, as I thus invoked themasculine dominance I had come to lay. 

"You'll have to settle that matter with your Uncle Peter, then, for, following his dictates of which I did not approve, I have done our dutyby the orphan. Now, Evelina, let me say in my own person, that Ithoroughly approve of your doing just as you plan. " And as she utteredthis heresy, she looked so straight and militant and altogethercommanding, that both Cousin Martha and Sallie quailed. I felt elated, as if my soul were about to get sight of a kindred personality. Orrather a soul-relative of yours, Jane. 

"Oh, she would be so lonely, Mrs. Shelby, and she--" Sallie wasventuring to say with trepidation, when Aunt Augusta cut her shortwithout ceremony. 

"Lonely, nonsense! Such a busy woman as I now feel sure Evelina is goingto be, will not have time to be lonely. I wish I could stay and talkwith you further about your plans, but I must hurry back and straightenout Peter's mind on that question of the town water-supply that is tocome up in the meeting of the City Council to-day. He let it bepresented all wrong last time, and they got things so muddled that itwas voted on incorrectly. I will have to write it out for him so he canexplain it to them. I will need you in many ways to help me help Peterbe Mayor of Glendale, Evelina. I am wearied after ten years of thestrain of his office. I shall call on you for assistance often in themost important matters, " with which promise, that sounded like a threat, she proceeded to march down the front path, almost stepping onHenrietta, who was coming up the same path, with almost the sameemphasis. There was some sort of an explosion, and I hope the kind ofwords I heard hurled after the train were not used. 

"That old black crow is a-going to git in trouble with me some day, Marfy, " Henrietta remarked, as she settled herself on the arm of CousinMartha's chair, after bestowing a smudgy kiss on the little white curlthat wrapped around one of the dear old lady's pink little ears. I hadfelt that way about Cousin Martha myself at the Bunch's age, and weexchanged a sympathetic smile on the subject. 

"Well, what _are_ you going to do, Evelina?" asked Sallie, and sheturned such a young, helpless, wondering face up to me from the centerof her cluster of babies, that my heart almost failed me at the idea ofpouring what seemed to me at that moment the poison of modernity intothe calm waters of her and Cousin Martha's primitive placidity. 

"You'll have to live some place where there is a man, " she continued, with worried conviction. 

My time had come, and the fight was on. Oh, Jane!

"I don't believe I really feel that way about it, " I began in thegentlest of manners, and slowly, so as to feel my way. "You see, Salliedear, and dearest Cousin Martha, I have had to be out in the world somuch--alone, that I am--used to it. I--I haven't had a man's protectionfor so long that I don't need it, as I would if I were like you twoblessed sheltered women. "

"I know it has been hard, dear, " said Cousin Martha gently looking hersympathy at my lorn state, over her glasses. 

"I don't see how you have stood it at all, " said Sallie, about todissolve in tears. "The love and protection and sympathy of a man arethe only things in life worth anything to a woman. Since my loss I don'tknow what I would have done without Cousin James. You must come into hiskind care, Evelina. "

"I must learn to endure loneliness, " I answered sadly, about to begin togulp from force of example, and the pressure of long hereditaryinfluence. 

I'm glad that I did not dissolve, however, before what followedhappened, for in the twinkling of two bare feet I was smothered in theembrace of Henrietta, who in her rush brought either the Pup or the Kit, I can't tell which yet, along to help her enfold me. 

"I'll come stay with you forever, and we don't need no men! Don'tlike 'em no-how!" she was exclaiming down my back, when a drawl from thedoorway made us all turn in that direction. 

"Why, Henrietta, my own, can it be you who utter such cruel sentimentsin my absence?" and Polk Hayes lounged into the room, with the samedaring listlessness that he had used in trying to hold me in his armsout on the porch the night I had said good-by to him and Glendale, fouryears ago. 

Henrietta's chubby little body gave a wriggle of delight, and muchsentiment beamed in her rugged, small face, as she answered him withenthusiasm, though not stopping to couch her reply in exactlycomplimentary terms. 

"You don't count, Pokie, " she exclaimed, as she made a good-natured faceat him. 

"That's what Evelina said four years ago--and she has proved it, " heanswered her, looking at me just exactly as if he had never left offdoing it since that last dance. 

"How lovely to find you in the same exuberant spirits in which I leftyou, Polk, dear, " I exclaimed, as I got up to go and shake hands withhim, as he had sunk into the most comfortable chair in the room, withouttroubling to bestow that attention upon me. 

Some men's hearts beat with such a strong rhythm that every feminineheart which comes within hearing distance immediately catches step, andgoes to waltzing. It has been four years since mine swung aroundagainst his, at that dance, but I'm glad Cousin Martha was there, andinterrupted, us enough to make me drag my eyes from his, as he looked upand I looked down. 

"Please help us to persuade Evelina to come and live with James and me, Polk, dear, " she said, glancing at him with the deepest confidence andaffection in her eyes. There is no age-limit to Polk's victims, andCousin Martha had always adored him. 

"All women do, Evelina, why not you--live with James?" he asked, and Ithought I detected a mocking flicker in his big, hazel, dangerous eyes. 

"If I ever need protection it will be James--and Cousin Martha I willrun to for it--but I never will, " I answered him, very simply, with nota trace of the defiance I was fairly flinging at him in either my voiceor manner. 

Paris and London and New York are nice safe places to live in, incomparison with Glendale, Tennessee, in some respects. I wonder why Ihadn't been more scared than I was last night, as the train whirled medown into proximity to Polk Hayes. But then I had had four years offorgetting him stored up as a bulwark. 

"But what _are_ you going to do, Evelina?" Sallie again began toquestion, with positive alarm in her voice, and I saw that it was timefor me to produce some sort of a protector then and there--orcapitulate. 

And I record the fact that I wanted to go home with Sallie and CousinMartha and the babies and--and live under the roof of the Mossbackforever. All that citizenship-feeling I had got poured into me from Janeand had tried on Dickie, good old Dickie, had spilled out of me at thefirst encounter with Polk. 

There is a great big hunt going on in this world, and women are the onesonly a short lap ahead. Can we turn and make good the fight--or won'twe be torn to death? It has come to this it seems: women must either beweak, and cling so close to man that she can't be struck, keep entirelyout of the range of his fists and arms, --or develop biceps equal to his. Jane ought to have had me in training longer, for I'm discovering thatI'm weak--of biceps. 

"Are you coming--are you coming to live with us, Evelina? Are youcoming? Answer!" questioned the small Henrietta, as she stoodcommandingly in front of me. 

"Please, Evelina, " came in a coax from Sallie, while the Kit crawledover and caught at my skirt as Cousin Martha raised her eyes to mine, with a gentle echo of the combined wooings. 

Then suddenly into Polk's eyes flamed still another demand, thatsomething told me I would have to answer later. I had capitulated andclosed this book forever when the deliverance came. 

Jasper, a little older, but as black and pompous as ever, stood in thedoorway, and a portly figure, with yellow, shining face, on the stepbehind him. 

"Why, Uncle Jasper, how did you know I was here?" I exclaimed, as Ifairly ran to hold out my hand to him. 

"Mas' James sont me word last night, and I woulder been here bydaybreak, Missie, 'cept I had to hunt dis yere suitable woman to bringalong with me. Make your 'beesence to Miss Evelina, Lucy Petunia, " hecommanded. 

"You needn't to bother to show her anything, child, " he continuedcalmly, "I'll learn her all she needs to know to suit us. Then, if in aweek she have shown suitable ability to please us both, my word is outto marry her next Sunday night. Ain't that the understanding, Tuny?" hethis time demanded. 

"Yes, sir, " answered the Petunia with radiant but modest hope shiningfrom her comely yellow face. 

"I've kept everything ready for you child, since Old Mas' died, and Iain't never stayed offen the place a week at a time--I was just visitingout Petunia's way when I heard you'd come, and gittin' a wife to tend tous and back to you quick was the only thing that concerned me. Now, wecan all settle down comf'table, while I has Tuny knock up some dinner, acompany one I hopes, if Miss Martha and the rest will stay with us. "Jasper's manner is an exact copy of my Father's courtly grace, done insepia, and my eyes misted for a second, as I reciprocated hisinvitation, taking acceptance for granted. 

"Of course they will stay, Uncle Jasper. "

"Well, " remarked Sallie with a gasp, "you've gone to housekeeping in twominutes, Evelina. "

"Jasper has always been a very forceful personality, " said CousinMartha. "He managed everything for your Father at the last, Evelina, and I don't know how the whole town would have been easy about theColonel unless they had trusted Jasper. "

"I like the terms on which he takes unto himself a wife, " drawled Polk, as he lighted a cigarette without looking at me. "Good for Jasper!"

"However, it does take a 'forceful personality' to capture a 'suitablewoman' in that manner, " I answered with just as much unconcern, and thenwe both roared, while even Sallie in all her anxiety joined in. 

The commanding, black old man, and the happy-faced, plump, little yellowwoman, had saved one situation--and forced another, perhaps?

Jasper's home-coming dinner party was a large and successful one. Two ofthe dear little old Horton lady-cousins got so impatient at CousinMartha's not bringing me back to Widegables that they came teeteringover to see about it, heavily accompanied by Mrs. Hargrove, whose sonhad been Cousin James's best friend at the University of Virginia, anddied and left her to him since I had been at college. The ponderosity ofher mind was only equaled by that of her body. I must say Petunia made ahit with the dear old soul, by the seasoning of her chicken gravy. 

Sallie wanted to send the children home, but Jasper wouldn't let her, and altogether we had eleven at the table. 

Polk maneuvered for a seat at the head of my festive board, with a sparkof the devil in his eyes, but Jasper's sense of the proprieties did notfail me, and he seated Cousin Martha in Father's chair, with greatceremony. 

And as I looked down the long table, bright with all the old silverJasper had had time to polish, gay with roses from my garden, that hehad coaxed Henrietta into gathering for him, which nodded back andforth with the bubbling babies, suddenly my heart filled to the verybrim with love of it all--and for mine own people. 

But, just as suddenly, a vision came into my mind of the long tableacross the road at Widegables, with the Mossback seated at one end withonly two or three of his charges stretched along the empty sides to keephim company. 

I wanted him to be here with us! I wanted him badly, and I went to gethim. I excused myself suddenly, telling them all just why. I didn't lookat Polk, but Cousin Martha's face was lovely, as she told me to runquickly. 

I found him on the front porch, smoking his pipe alone, while the twolittle relics, whom he had had left to dine with him, were taking theirtwo respective naps. Our dinner was late on account of the initiation ofPetunia, and he had finished before we began. 

"I stole most of your family to-day, " I plunged headlong into myerrand, "but I want you, too, most of all. "

"You've got me, even if you do prefer to keep me across the road fromyou, " he answered, with the most solemn expression on his face, but witha crinkle of a smile in the corners of his deep eyes. 

I can't remember when I didn't look with eagerness for that crinkle inhis eyes, even when I was a child and he what I at that time considereda most glorious grownup individual, though he must have been the mosthelpless hobbledehoy that ever existed. 

"You don't need another vine, " I answered mutinously. 

"You know I want you, but Jasper's is the privilege of looking afteryou, " he answered calmly. "I want you to be happy, Evelina, " and I knewas I raised my eyes to his that I could consider myself settled in myown home. 

"Well, then, come and have dinner number two with me, " I answered witha laugh that covered a little happy sigh that rose from my heart at thelook in the kind eyes bent on mine. 

I felt, Jane, you would have approved of that look! It was so human tohuman. 

He came over with me, and that was one jolly party in the olddining-room. They all stayed until almost sunset, and almost everybodyin town dropped in during the afternoon to welcome me home, and ask mewhere I was going to live. Jasper and Petunia hovering in thebackground, the tea-tray out on the porch set with the silver and damaskall of them knew of old, and the appearance of having been installedwith the full approval of Cousin Martha and James and the rest of thefamily, stopped the questions on their lips, and they spent theafternoon much enlivened but slightly puzzled. 

Time doesn't do much to people in a place like the Harpeth Valley, thatis out of the stream of modern progress; and most of my friends seem tohave just been sitting still, rocking their lives along in the greatestease and comfort. 

Still, Mamie Hall has three more kiddies, which, added to the four shehad when I left, makes a slightly high, if charming, set of stair-steps. Mamie also looks decidedly worn, though pathetically sweet. Ned was withher, and as fresh as any one of the buds. Maternity often wilts women, but paternity is apt to make men bloom with the importance of it. Nedshowed off the bunch as if he had produced them all, while Mamie onlysmiled like an angel in the background. 

A slight bit of temper rose in a flush to my cheeks, as I watchedCaroline Lellyett sit on the steps and feed cake to one twin and twostair-steps with as much hunger in her eyes for them as there was intheirs for the cake. Lee Greenfield is the responsible party in thiscase, and she has been loving him hopelessly for fifteen years. Lots ofother folks wanted to marry her, but Lee has pinned her in the psychicspot and is watching her flutter. 

Polk departed in the trail of Nell Kirkland's fluffy muslin skirts, smoldering dangerously, I felt. Nell has grown up into a most lovelyindividual, and I felt uneasy about her under Folk's ministrations. Hereyes follow him rather persistently. On the whole, I am glad Janecommitted me to this woman's cause. I'll have to begin to exercise thebiceps of Nell's heart--as soon as I get some strength into my own. 

And after they had all gone, I sat for an hour out on the front steps ofmy big, empty old house, and enjoyed my own loneliness, if it could becalled enjoying. I could hear the Petunia's happy giggle, answeringJasper's guttural pleasantries, out on the cabin porch behind the row oflilac bushes. I do hope that Petunia gets much and the right sort ofcourting during this week that Jasper has allowed her!

With the last rays of the sun, I had found time to read a long, dearletter from Richard Hall, and though I had transferred it from my pocketto my desk, while I dressed for the afternoon, its crackle was still inmy mind. I wondered what it all meant, this dissatisfied longing thathuman beings send out across time and distance, one to and for another. 

If a woman's heart were really like a great big golden chalice, full tothe brim with the kind of love she is taught God wants her to have in itfor all mankind, both men and women, why shouldn't she offer drafts ofit to every one who is thirsty, brothers as well as sisters? I wonderhow that would solve Jane's problem of emotional equality! I do loveDicky--and--and I do love Polk--with an inclination to dodge. Now, ifthere were enough of the right sort of love in me, I ought to be able toget them to see it, and drink it for their comforting, and have notrouble at all with them about their wanting to seize the cup, drainall the love there is in it, shut it away from the rest of theworld--and then neglect it. 

Yes, why can't I love Polk as I love you, Jane, and have him enjoy it?Yes, why?

I think if I had Dicky off to myself for a long time, and very gentlyled him up to the question of loving him hard in this new way, he mightbe induced to sip out of the cup just to see if he liked it--and itmight be just what he craved, for the time being; but I doubt it. Hewould storm and bluster at the idea. 

Of course the Crag would let a woman love him in any old kind of new orexperimental way she wanted to, if it made her happy. He would take hercup of tenderness and drink it as if it were sacramental wine, on hisknees. But he doesn't count. He has to be man to so many people thatthere is danger of his becoming a kind of superman. Think of the oldMossback being a progressive thing like that! I laughed out loud at theidea--but the echo was dismal. 

I wonder if Sallie will marry him. 

And as I sat and thought and puzzled, the moonlight got richer and moreglowing, and it wooed open the throats of the thousand littlehoneysuckle blossoms, clinging to the vine on the trellis, until theypoured out a perfect symphony of perfume to mingle in a hallelujah fromthe lilacs and roses that ascended to the very stars themselves. 

I had dropped my head on my arms, and let my eyes go roaming out to thedim hills that banked against the radiant sky, when somebody seatedhimself beside me, and a whiff of tobacco blew across my face, sweetwith having joined in the honeysuckle chorus. Nobody said a word for along time, and then I looked up and laughed into the deep, gray eyeslooking tenderly down into mine. With a thrill I realized that therewas one man in the world I could offer the chalice to and _trust_ him todrink--moderately. 

"Jamie, " I said in a voice as young as it used to be when I trailed athis heels, "thank you for letting me be contrary and independent andpuzzling. I have been busy adventuring with life, in queer places andwith people not like--like us. Now I want a little of real living and tothink--and feel. May I?"

"You may, dear, " the Crag answered in a big comfortable voice, that wasa benediction in itself. "I understood last night when you told me thatyou wanted to come home alone. I can trust Jasper with you, and I amgoing to sleep down at the lodge room, right across the road here, so Ican hear you if you even think out loud. No one shall worry you about itany more. Now will you promise to be happy?"

I could not answer him, I was so full of a deepness of peace. I justlaid my cheek against the sleeve of his queer old gray coat, to showhim what I could not say. 

He let me do it, and went on smoking without noticing me. 

Then, after a little while, he began to tell me all about Father and hisdeath, that had come so suddenly while he seemed as well as ever, andhow he had worried about my probably not wanting to be left to him, andthat he wanted me to feel independent, but to please let him do all thatI would to help me, and not to feel that I was alone with nobody to loveme. That he was always there, and would be forever and ever. 

And he did stay so late that Jasper had to send him home!

There is such a thing as a man's being a father and mother and grownsister and brother and a college-chum and a preacher of the Gospel and afamily physician to a woman--with no possibility of being her husbandeither. She wouldn't so drag such a man from his high estate as to thinkof such a worldly relation in connection with him. 

I have certainly collected some phenomena in the reaction of a woman'sheart this day. Did you choose me wisely for these experiments, Jane?

It takes a woman of nerve to go to housekeeping in a tinder-box, whenshe isn't sure she even knows what flint is when she sees it, and mightstrike out a spark without intending it at all. 

CHAPTER IV

SWEETER WHEN TAMED?

I wonder if men ever melt suddenly into little boys, and try to squirmand run back to hide their heads in their mothers' skirts. It is an opensecret that starchy, modern women often long to wilt back into droopymusk roses, that climb over gates and things, but they don't let eachother. When I feel myself getting soluble, I write it out to Jane and Iget a bracing cold wave of a letter in reply. The one this morning wason the subject of love, or, at least, that is what Jane would have saidit was on. She wrote:

Yes, it is gratifying to know that Mary Elizabeth is so happily engagedto the young teacher who has been in her work with her. She writes thatshe was encouraged by our resolution, at last to be her best self whilein his presence as she had not had the courage to do last year. You see, Evelina? And also, you are right in your conclusion that there is notenough abstract love in this world of brotherhood and sisterhood; thatthe doctrine of divine love calls us to give more and more of it. Wecannot give too much! But also, considerations for the advancement ofthe world call for experiments by the more illumined women along moredefinite and concrete lines. How old is this Mr. Hayes, on whom you havechosen to note the reactions of sisterly affection? Are you sure that heis not a fit subject for your consideration in the matter of a choicefor a mate?

Remember to be as frank in your expressions of regard for him as he isin his of regard for you. That is the crux of the whole matter. Befrank, be courageous! Let a man look freely into your heart, and thusencouraged he will open his to you. Then you will both have anopportunity to judge each other with reference to a life-long union. Itis the only way; and remember what rests on you in this matter. Thedestinies of many women are involved. 

 * * * * *

I don't say this in a spirit of levity, but I do wish Polk Hayes andJane Mathers were out on the front steps in the moonlight, after a goodsupper that has made him comfortable, Jane to be attired in somethingsoft that would float against his arm, whether she wanted it to or not!I believe it would be good for Jane, and make things easier for me. Befrank with Polk as to how much he asphyxiates me? I know better than toblow out the gas like that! No, Jane!

But what is a woman going to do when she is young and hearty and husky, with the blood running through her veins at a two-forty rate, when herorchard is in bloom, the mocking-birds are singing the night through, and she is not really in love with anybody? The loneliness does fillher heart full of the solution of love, and she has got to pour off someof it into somebody's life. There is plenty of me to be both abstractand concrete, at the same time, and I thought of Uncle Peter. 

Uncle Peter Is the most explosive and crusty person that ever happenedin Glendale, and it takes all of Aunt Augusta's energy, common-sense andforce of character to keep him and the two chips he carries on hisshoulders, as a defiance to the world in general, from being in aconstant state of combustion. He has been ostensibly the Mayor ofGlendale for twenty-five years, and Aunt Augusta has done the work ofthe office very well indeed, while he has blown up things in generalwith great energy. He couldn't draw a long breath without her, but ofcourse he doesn't realize it. He thinks he is in a constant feud withher and her sex. His ideas on the woman question are so terrific that Ihave always run from them, but I concluded that it would be a goodthing for me to liquefy some of my vague humanitarianism, and help AuntAugusta with him, while she wrestles with the City Council on the waterquestion. Anyway, I have always had a guarded fondness for the old chap. 

I chose a time when I knew Aunt Augusta had to be busy with his reportof the disastrous concrete paving trade the whole town had been sold outon, and I lay in wait to capture him and the chips. This morning Iwaited behind the old purple lilac at the gate, which immediately gotinto the game by sweeping its purple-plumed arms all around me, so thatnot a tag of my dimity alarmed him as he came slowly down the street. 

"Uncle Peter, " I said, as I stepped out in front of him suddenly, "please, Uncle Peter, won't you come in and talk to me?"

"Hey? Evelina?"

"Yes, Uncle Peter, it's Evelina, " and I hesitated with terror at thesnap in his dear old eyes, back under their white brows. Then I let myeyes uncover my heart full of the elixir I had prepared for him, andoffered him as much as he could drink. 

"I'm lonely, " I said, with a little catch in my voice. 

"Lonely--hey?" he grumbled, but his feet hesitated opposite my gate. 

In about two and a half minutes I had him seated in a cushioned rockeron the south side of the porch. Jasper had given us both a mint julep, and Uncle Peter was much Jess thirsty than he had been for a long time. Aunt Augusta is as temperate in all things as a steel ramrod. 

"You see, Uncle Peter, I needed you so that I just had to kidnap you, " Isaid to him, as he wiped his lips with a pocket-handkerchief, as stifflystarched as was his wife herself. 

"Why didn't you go over and live in James's hennery--live with James--hey?"he snapped, with the precision of a pistol cap. 

To be just, I suppose Aunt Augusta's adamant disposition accounts, tosome extent, for Uncle Peter's explosive way of thinking and speaking. Ahusband would have to knock Aunt Augusta's nature down to make anyimpression whatever on it. Uncle Peter always has the air of firing anidea and then ducking his head to avoid the return shot. 

"His house is so full, and I need a lot of space to carry on my work, " Ianswered him, with the words I have used so often in the last two weeksthat they start to come when the Petunia asks me if I want waffles orbatter-cakes for supper. 

"Well, Sallie Carruthers will get him, and then there'll be a dozen moreto run the measure over--children--hey? All girls! A woman like Salliewould not be content with producing less than a dozen of herkind--hey?"

His chuckle was so contagious that I couldn't help but join him, thoughI didn't like it so very much. But why shouldn't I? Sallie is such agorgeous woman that a dozen of her in the next generation will be ofvalue to the State. Still, I didn't like it. I didn't enjoy thinking ofCousin James as so serving his country. 

"Carruthers left her to James--he'll have to take care of her. Henryturned toes in good time. Piled rotten old business and big family on toJames's shoulders, and then died--good time--hey? Get a woman on yourhands, only thing to do is to marry or kill her. Poor James--hey?" Hepeered at me with a twinkle in his eyes that demanded assent from me. 

"Why, Uncle Peter, I don't know that Sallie has any such idea. Shegrieves dreadfully over Mr. Carruthers, and I don't believe she wouldthink of marrying again, " I answered, trying to put enough warmth in mydefense to convince myself. 

"Most women are nothing but gourd-vines, grow all over a corn-stalk, kill it, produce gourds until it frosts, and begin all over again in thenext generation. James has to do the hoeing around Sallie's roots, andfeed her. Might as well marry her--hey?"

"Does--does Cousin James have to support Sallie and the children, UnclePeter?" I asked, coming with reluctance down to the rock-bed of thediscussion. 

"Thinks he does, and it serves him right--serves him right for startingout to run a widow-ranch in the first place; it's like making acollection of old shoes. He let Henry Carruthers persuade him tomortgage everything and buy land on the river for the car-shops of thenew railroad, which just fooled the town out of a hundred thousanddollars, and is going by on the other side of the river with the shopsup at Bolivar. If James didn't get all the lawing in Alton County theywould all starve to death--which would be hard on the constitution ofold lady Hargrove, and her two hundred-weight. "

"Oh, has Cousin James really lost all of his fortune?" I asked, and Iwas surprised at the amount of sympathetic dismay that rose in me at theinformation. 

"Everything but what he carries around under that old gray hat ofhis--not so bad a fortune, at that!--hey?"

I feel I am going to love Uncle Peter for the way he disdainfullyadmires Cousin James. 

"And--and all of his--his guests are really dependent on him?" I askedagain, as the stupendous fact filtered into my mind. 

"All the flock, all the flock, " answered Uncle Peter, with what seemed, under the circumstances, a heartless chuckle. "They each one have littledabs of property, about as big as a handful of chicken feed, and as theyhave each one given it all to James to manage, they expect an income inreturn--and get it--all they ask for. A lot of useless old livestock--all but Sallie, and she's worse--worse, hey?"

I agreed with his question--but I didn't say so. 

"Glad your money is safe in Public Town Bonds and City Securities, Evelina. If James could, he might lose it, and you'd have to move over. It would then be nip and tuck between you and Sallie which gotJames--nip and tuck--hey?"

"Oh, Uncle Peter!" I exclaimed with positive horror that was flavoredwith a large dash of indignation. 

"Well, yes, a race between a widow and a girl for a man is about likeone between a young duck and a spring chicken, across a mill-pond--girland chicken lose--hey? But let Sallie have him, since you don't needhim. I've got to go home and listen to Augusta talk about my business, that she knows nothing in the world about, or I won't be ready for townmeeting this afternoon. Women are all fools, --hey?"

"Will you come again, Uncle Peter?" I asked eagerly. I had set out tooffer Uncle Peter a cup of niecely affection, and I had got a good, stiff bracer to arouse me in return. 

"I will, whenever I can escape Augusta, " he answered, and there was sucha kindly crackle in his voice that I felt that he had wanted and neededwhat I had offered him. "I'll drop in often and analyze the annals ofthe town with you. Glad to have you home, child, good young blood tostir me up--hey?"

And as I sat and watched the Mayor go saunteringly down the street, withhis crustiness carried like a child on his shoulder, which it delightedhim to have knocked off, so that he could philosophize in the restoringof it to its position, suddenly a realization of the relation ofGlendale to the world in general was forced upon me--and I quailed. 

Glendale is like a dozen other small towns in the Harpeth Valley; theyare all drowsy princesses who have just waked up enough to be wonderingwhat did it. The tentative kiss has not yet disclosed the presence ofthe Prince of Revolution, and they are likely to doze for anothercentury or two. I think I had better go back into the wide world and letthem sleep on. One live member is likely to irritate the repose of thewhole body. 

Their faint stirrings of progress are pathetic. 

They have an electric plant, but, as I have noted before, the lightstherefrom show a strong trace of their pine-knot heredity, and go out onall important occasions, whether of festivity or tragedy. Kerosene lampshave to be kept filled and cleaned if a baby or a revival or a lawnfestival is expected. 

They have a lovely, wide concrete pavement in front of six of the storesaround the public square, but no two stretches of the improvement joineach other, and it makes a shopping progression around the town somewhatdangerous, on account of the sudden change of grade of the sidewalk, about every sixty feet. Aunt Augusta wanted Uncle Peter to introduce abill in the City Council forcing all of the property owners on theSquare to put down the pavement in front of their houses, at smallpayments per annum, the town assuming the contract at six per cent. Uncle Peter refused, because he said that he felt a smooth walk aroundthe Square would call out what he called "a dimity parade" everyafternoon. 

They have a water system that is supplied by so much mud from the riverthat it often happens that the town has to go unwashed for a week, whilethe pipes are cleaned out. There is a wonderful spring that could beused, with a pump to supply the town, Aunt Augusta says. 

The City Council tied up the town for a hundred thousand dollars'subscription to the new railroad, and failed to tie the shops down inthe contract. They are to be built in Bolivar. A great many of the richmen have lost a lot of money thereby, Cousin James the most of all, andeverybody is sitting up in bed blinking. 

There are still worse things happening in the emotional realm ofGlendale. 

Lee Greenfield has been in the state of going to ask Caroline Lellyettto marry him for fifteen years, and has never done it. Caroline has beenbeautiful all her life, but she is getting so thin and faded at thirtythat she is a tragedy. Lee goes to see her twice a week, and on Sundayafternoon takes her out in his new and rakish runabout, that is asmodern as his behavior is obsolete. Caroline knows no better, and standsit with sublime patience and lack of character. That is a situation Iwon't be able to keep my hands off of much longer. 

Ned Hall's wife has seven children with the oldest one not twelve, andshe looks fifty. Ned goes to all the dances at the Glendale Hoteldining-room and looks thirty. He dresses beautifully and Nell and allthe girls like to dance with him. Just ordinary torture wouldn't do forhim. 

Polk Hayes wouldn't be allowed to run loose in London society. 

Sallie Carruthers is a great big husky woman, with three children thatshe is responsible for having had. She and her family must consume tonsof green groceries every month and a perfectly innocent man pays forthem. 

Mrs. Dodd, the carpenter-and-contractor's wife is a Boston woman whocame down here--Before I could write all about that Boston girl so thatJane could understand perfectly the situation Polk came around from theside street and seated himself on the railing of the porch so near thearm of my chair that I couldn't rock without inconveniencing him. 

I am glad he found me in the mood I was in and I am glad to record thestrong-minded--it came near being the strong-armed--contest in which weindulged. 

"Me for a woman that has a lot of spirit--she is so much sweeter whentamed, Evelina, " was one of the gentle remarks with which heprecipitated the riot. "I think it has been spunkily fascinating of youto come and live by yourself in this old barn. It keeps me awake nightsjust to think of you over here--alone. How long is the torture to goon?"

Jane, I tried, but if I had frankly and courageously shown Polk Hayeswhat was in my heart for him at that moment, I couldn't have answeredfor the results. 

From the time I was eighteen until I was twenty the same sort of assaultand battery had been handed out to me from him. He had beaten me withhis love. He didn't want me--he doesn't want any woman except so long ashe is uncertain that he can get her. Just because I had been firm withhim when even a child and denied him, he has been merciless. And nowthat I am a woman and armed for the combat, it will be to the death. 

Shall I double and take refuge in a labyrinth of subterfuge or turn andfight? So I temporized to-day. 

"It is lonely--but not quite 'torture' to me, with the family so close, across the street, " I answered him, and I went on whipping the lace on apiece of fluff I am making, to discipline myself because I loathe aneedle so. "Please don't you worry over me, dear. " I raised my eyes tohis and I tried the common citizenship look. It must have carried alittle way for he flushed, the first time I ever saw him do it, and hishand with the cigarette in it shook. 

"Evelina, are you real or a--farce?" he asked, after a few minutes ofpeace. 

"I'm trying to be real, Polk, " I answered, and this time I raised myeyes with perfect frankness. "If you could define a real woman, Polk, in what terms would you express her?" I asked him straight out from theshoulder. 

"Hell fire and a hallelujah chorus, if she's beautiful, " he answered mepromptly. 

I laughed. I thought it was best under the circumstances. 

"I'll tell you, Evelina, " he continued, stealthily. "A man just can'tgeneralize the creatures. Apparently they are craving nothing so much asemotional excitement and when you offer it to them they want to go tohousekeeping with it. Love is a business with them and not an art. "

"Would you like to try a genuine friendship with one. Polk?" I asked, and again struck from the shoulder--with my eyes. 

"Help! Not if you mean yourself, beautiful, " he answered promptly andwith fervor. "I wouldn't trust myself with you one minute off-guard likethat. "

"You could safely. "

"But I won't!"

"Will you try?"

"No!"

"Will you go over and sit in that chair while I tell you somethingcalmly, quietly, and seriously? It'll give you a new sensation and maybeit will be good for you. " I looked him straight in the face and thebattle of our eyes was something terrific. I had made up my mind to haveit out with him then and there. There was nothing else to do. I would befrank and courageous and true to my vow--and accept the consequences. 

He slid along the railing of the porch and down into the chair in almosta daze of bewilderment. 

"Polk, " I began, concealing a gulp of terror, "I love you more than Ican possibly--"

[Illustration: "Say, Polk, I let the Pup git hung by her apron to thewheel of your car. "]

"Say, Polk, I let the Pup git hung by her apron to the wheel of your carout in the road and her head is dangersome kinder upside down. Itmight run away. Can you come and git her loose for me?"

Henrietta's calmness under dire circumstances was a lesson to both Polkand me, for with two gasps that sounded as one we both raced across theporch, down the path and out to the road where Folk's Hupp runaboutstood by the worn old stone post that had tethered the horses of thewooers of many generations of the maids of my house. 

But, prompt as our response to Henrietta's demand for rescue had been, Cousin James was there before us. He stood in the middle of the dustyroad with the tousled mite in his arms, soothing her frightened sobsagainst his cheek with the dearest tenderness and patting Sallie on theback with the same comforting. 

"Oh, Henrietta, how could you nearly kill your little sister like this?"Sallie sobbed. "Please say something positive to her, James!"

"Henrietta, " began Cousin James with a suspicion of embarrassment atPolk's and my presence at the domestic scene. Polk choked a chuckle andI could have murdered him. 

"Wait a minute, " said Henrietta, in her most commanding voice. "Sallie, didn't you ask me to take that Pup from Aunt Dilsie, 'cause of thephthisic, and keep her quiet while the Kit got a nap, and didn't I askyou if it would be all right if I got her back whole and clean?"

"Yes, Henrietta, but you--"

"Ain't she whole all over and clean?"

"Yes, but--"

"Couldn't nobody do any better than that with one of them twins. I won'ttry. If I have to 'muse her it has to be in my own way. " And with herhead in the air the Bunch marched up the walk to the house. 

At this Polk shouted and the rest of us laughed. 

"Polk, please don't encourage Henrietta in the way she treats me and herlittle sisters, " Sallie begged between her laughs and her half-swallowedsobs. "I need my friends' help with my children, not to have them makeit hard for me. Henrietta is devoted to you and you could influence herso for the best. Please try to help me make a real woman out of her andnot some sort of a terrible--terrible suffragette. "

Sallie is the most perfectly lovely woman I almost ever saw. She hasgreat violet eyes with black lashes that beg you for a piece of yourheart, and her mouth is as sweet as a blush rose with cheeks that almostmatch it in rosiness. She and the babies always remind me of a clusterrose and roses, flower and buds, and I don't see why every man that seesher is not mad about her. They all used to be before she married, and Isuppose they will be again as soon as the crepe gets entirely worn offher clothes. As she stood with the bubbly baby in her arms and lookedup at Polk I couldn't see how he could take it calmly. 

"Sallie, " he answered seriously, with a glint in his eyes over at me, "if you'll give me a few days longer, I will then have found out byexperience what a real woman is and I'll begin on Henrietta for youaccordingly. "

"Don't be too hard on the kiddie, " Cousin James answered him with thecrinkle in the corner of his eyes that might have been called shrewd ineyes less beautifully calm. "Let's trust a lot to Henrietta's powers ofobservation of her mother and--her neighbors. " He smiled suddenly, withhis whole face, over both Sallie and me, and went on down the street ina way that made me sure he was forgetting all about all of us before hereached the corner of the street. 

"Isn't that old mossback a treat for the sight of gods and men?" askedPolk with a laugh as we all stood watching the old gray coat-tailsflapping in the warm breeze that was rollicking across the valley. 

"I don't know what I would do without him, " said Sadie softly, withtears suddenly misting the violets in her eyes as she turned away fromus with the baby in her arms and went slowly up the front walk ofWidegables. 

"Please come stay with me a little while, Evelina, " she pleaded backover her shoulder. "I feel faint. "

I hesitated, for, as we were on my side of the Road, Polk was still myguest. 

"Go on with Sallie, sweetie, " he answered my hesitating. "I don't wantthe snapped-off fraction of a declaration like you were about to offerme. I can bide my time--and get my own. " With which he turned and gotinto his car as I went across the street. 

Jane, I feel encouraged. I have done well to-day to get half way throughmy declaration of independence--though he doesn't think that is what itis going to be--to Polk. If I can just tell him how much I love him, before he makes love to me we can get on such a sensible footing witheach other. I'll command the situation then. 

But suppose I do get Polk calmed down to a nice friendship after oldPlato's recipe, what if I want to marry him?

Do I want to marry a friend?

Yes, I do!

No--no!

CHAPTER V

DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS

There are many fundamental differences between men and women whichstrike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the rightside. 

Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on thesame things in the dark. It is then a question of the individual as tothe complications that result. One thing can be always counted on. Awoman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out thethreads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too. 

Glendale affairs interest me more every day. 

This has been a remarkable afternoon and I wish Jane had been inGlendale to witness it. 

"Say, Evelina, all the folks over at our house have gone crazy, and Iwish you would come over and help Cousin James with 'em, " Henriettademanded, as I sat on my side porch, calmly hemming a ruffle on a dressfor the Kitten. Everybody sews for the twins and, as much as I hate it, I can't help doing it. 

"Why, Henrietta, what is the matter?" I demanded, as I hurried down thefront walk and across the road at her bare little heels. By the time Igot to the front gate I could hear sounds of lamentation. 

"A railroad train wants to run right through the middle of all theirdead people and Sallie started the crying. Dead's dead, and if CousinJames wants 'em run over. I wants 'em run over too. " She answered overher shoulder as we hurried through the wide front hall. 

And a scene that beggars description met my eyes, as I stood in theliving-room door. I hope this account I am going to try and write willget petrified by some kind of new element they will suddenly discoversome day and the manuscript be dug up from the ruins of Glendale tointerest the natives of the Argon age about 2800 A. D. 

Sallie sat in the large armchair in the middle of the room weeping inthe slow, regular way a woman has of starting out with tears, when shemeans to let them flow for hours, maybe days, and there were just fiveechoes to her grief, all done in different keys and characters. 

Cousin Martha knelt beside the chair and held Sallie's head on her amplebosom, but I must say that the expression on her face was one ofbewilderment, as well as of grief. 

The three little Horton cousins sat close together in the middle of theold hair-cloth sofa by the window and were weeping as modestly andhelplessly as they did everything else in life, while Mrs. Hargrove, inher chair under her son's portrait, was just plainly out and outhowling. 

And on the hearth-rug, before the tiny fire of oak chips that the oldladies liked to keep burning all summer, stood the master of the houseand, for once in my life, I have seen the personification of masculinehelplessness. He was a tragedy and I flew straight to him with arms wideopen, which clasped both his shoulders as I gave him a good shake toarouse him from his paralyzation. 

"What's the matter?" I demanded, with the second shake. 

"I'm a brute, Evelina, " he answered, and a sudden discouragement linedevery feature of his beautiful biblical face. I couldn't stand that andI hugged him tight to my breast for an instant and then administeredanother earthquake shake. 

"Tell me exactly what has happened, " I demanded, looking straight intohis tragic eyes and letting my hands slip from his shoulders down hisarms until they held both of his hands tight and warm in mine. 

Jane, I was glad that I had offered the cup of my eyes to him full ofthis curious inter-sex elixir of life that you have induced me to seekso blindly, for he responded to the dose immediately and the color cameback into his face as he answered me just as sensibly as he wouldanother man. 

"The men who are surveying the new railroad from Cincinnati to the Gulfhave laid their experimental lines across the corner of GreenwoodCemetery and they say it will have to run that way or go across theriver and parallel the lines of the other road. If they come on thisside of the river they will force the other road to come across, too, and in that case we will get the shops. It just happens that such a linewill make necessary the removal of--of poor Henry's remains to anotherlot. Sallie's is the only lot in the cemetery that is that high on thebluff. Henry didn't like the situation when he bought it himself, and Ithought that, as there is another lot right next to her mother's forsale, she would not--but, of course, I was brutal to mention it to her. I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me, Sallie. " And as hespoke he extracted himself from me and walked over and laid his hand onSallie's head. 

"It was such a shock to her--poor Henry, " sobbed little Cousin Jasmine, and the other two little sisters sniffed in chorus. 

"To have railroad trains running by Greenwood at all will be disturbingto the peace of the dead, " snorted Mrs. Hargrove. "We need no railroadin Glendale. We have never had one, and that is my last word--no!"

"Four miles to the railroad station across the river is just a pleasantdrive in good weather, " said Cousin Martha, plaintively, as she cuddledSallie's sobs more comfortably down on her shoulder. 

"I feel that Henry would doubt my faithfulness to his memory, if Iconsented to such a desecration, " came in smothered tones from thepillowing shoulder. 

And not one of all those six women had stopped to think for one minutethat the minor fact of the disturbing of the ashes of Henry Carrutherswould be followed by the major one of the restoration of the widow'sfortune and the lifting of a huge financial burden off the strongshoulders they were all separately and collectively leaning upon. 

I exploded, but I am glad I drew the Crag out on the porch and did it tohim alone. 

"Evelina, you are refreshing if strenuous, " he laughed, after I hadspent five minutes in stating my opinions of women in general and a fewin particular. "But I ought not to have hurt Sallie by telling herabout the lines until they are a certainty. It is so far only apossibility. They may go across the river anyway. "

"And as for seeing Sallie swaddled in your consideration, and fedyourself as a sacrifice from a spoon, I am tired of it, " I flamed upagain. "It's not good for her. Feed and clothe her and her progeny, --menin general have brought just such burdens as that upon you in particularby their attitude towards us, --but do let her begin to exert just asmall area of her brain on the subject of the survival of the fit tolive. You don't swaddle or feed me!"

"Eve, " he said, softly under his breath as his wonderful gentle eyessank down way below the indignation and explosiveness to the quiet poolthat lies at the very bottom of my heart. 

Nobody ever found it before and I didn't know it was there myself, but Ifelt as if it were being drained up into Heaven. 

"Eve!" He said again, and it is a wonder that I didn't answer:

"Adam!"

I don't know just what would have happened if Uncle Peter hadn't brokenin on the interview with his crustiest chips on both shoulders and somuch excitement bottled up that he had to let it fly like a doublereporter. 

"Dodson is down at the Hotel looking for you, James, " he began as hehurried up the steps. "Big scheme this--got him in a corner if the C. &G. Comes along this side of Old Harpeth--make him squeal--hey?"

"Who's Dodson?" I asked with the greatest excitement. I was for thefirst time getting a whiff of the schemes of the masculine mighty, but Iwas squelched promptly by Uncle Peter. 

"We've no time for questions, Evelina, now--go back to yourtatting--hey?" He answered me as he began to buttonhole the Crag andlead him down the steps. 

"Dodson is the man who is laying down and contracting for the lineacross the river, Evelina, " answered Cousin James without taking anynotice whatever of Uncle Peter's squelching of me. "If this other linecan just be secured he will have to come to our terms--and the situationwill be saved. " As he spoke he took my hand in his and led me at hisside, down the front walk to the gate, talking as he went, for UnclePeter was chuckling on ahead like a steam tug in a hurry. 

"And the shades of Henry will again assume the maintenance of hisfamily, " I hazarded with lack of respect of the dead, impudence toCousin James about his own affairs, and unkindness by implication toSallie, who loves me better than almost anybody in the world does. And Igot my just punishment by seeing a lovely look of tender concern rise inCousin James's eyes as he stopped short in the middle of the walk. 

"I want to go back a minute to speak to Sallie before I go on downtown, " he said, quickly, and before Uncle Peter's remonstrances hadexploded, he had taken the steps two at a bound and disappeared in thefront door. 

"Sooner he marries that lazy lollypop the better, " fumed Uncle Peter, ashe waited at the gate. "The way for a man to quench his thirst forwoman-sweets is to marry a pot of honey like that, and then come righton back to the bread and butter game. Here's a letter Jasper gave me tobring along for you from town. Go on and read it and do not disturb theworkings of my brain while I wait for James--workings of a greatbrain--hey?"

I took the letter and hurried across the street because I wanted anywayto get to some place by myself and think. There was no earthly reasonfor it but I felt like an animal that has been hurt and wants to go offand lick its wounds. A womanly woman that lives a lovely appealing liferight in a man's own home has a perfect right to gain his love, especially if she is beautifully unconscious of her appeal. Besides, whyshould a man want to take an independent, explosive, impudent firebrandwith all sorts of dreadful plots in her mind to his heart? He wouldn'tand doesn't!

There is no better sedative for a woman's disturbed and wounded emotionsthan a little stiff brain work. Richard's letter braced my viny droopingof mind at once and from thinking into the Crag's affairs of sentiment, I turned with masculine vigor to begin to mix into his affairs offinance. However, I wish that the first big business letter I ever gotin my life hadn't had to have a strain of love interest running throughit! Still Dickie is a trump card in the man pack. 

It seems that as his father is one of the most influential directorsand largest stockholders in this new branch of the Cincinnati and Gulfrailroad he has got the commission for making the plans for all thestations along the road, and he wants to give me the commission fordrawing all the gardens for all the station-yards. It will be tremendousfor both of us so young in life, and I never dared hope for such athing. I had only hoped to get a few private gardens of some of myfriends to laze and pose over, but this is startling. My mind isbeginning to work on in terms of hedges and fountains already and Dickiemay be coming South any minute. 

And besides the hedges and gravel paths I have a feeling that Dickie'sfather and the Crag and Sallie's girl-babies are fomenting around in mymind getting ready to pop the cork of an idea soon. The combinationfeels like some kind of a hunch--I sat still for a long time and let itseethe, while I took stock of the situation. 

There is a strange, mysterious kind of peace that begins to creep acrossthe Harpeth Valley, just as soon as the sun sinks low enough to throwthe red glow over the head of Old Harpeth. I suppose it happens in otherhill-rimmed valleys in other parts of the Universe, but it does seem asif God himself is looking down to brood over us, and that the valley isthe hollow of His hand into which he is gathering us to rest in thedarkness of His night. I felt buffeted and in need of Him as I sank downunder the rose-vine over the porch and looked out across my garden tothe blue and rose hills beyond. 

I have been in Glendale a whole month now, and I can't see that myinfluence has revolutionized the town as yet. I don't seem to be of halfthe importance that I thought I was going to be. I have tried, and Ihave offered that bucket of love that I thought up to everybody, butwhether they have drunk of it to profit I am sure I can't say. In fact, my loneliness has liquefied my gaseous affection into what almost lookslike officiousness. 

Still, I know Uncle Peter is happier than he ever was before, because hehas got me to come to as a refuge from Aunt Augusta, a confidante forhis views of life that he is not allowed to express at home, and alsothe certainty of one of Jasper's juleps. 

Sallie has grown so dependent on me that my shoulders are assuming amasculine squareness to support her weight. I am understudying CousinJames to such an extent over at Widegables that I feel like the heir tohis house. Cousin Martha sends for me when the chimney smokes and thecows get sick. I have twice changed five dollars for little CousinJasmine, and sternly told the man from out on their farm on ProvidenceRoad that he must not root up the lavender bushes to plant turnip-greensin their places. I afterwards rented the patch from him to grow thelavender because he said he couldn't lose the price that the greenswould bring him "for crotchets. "

Mrs. Hargrove has given me her will to keep for her, and the sealedinstructions for her burial. I hope when the time comes the two behestswill strike a balance, but I doubt it. 

Her ideas of a proper funeral seem to coincide with those of QueenVictoria, whom she has admired through life and mourns sincerely. 

Henrietta has not been heard to indulge in profane language since I hada long talk with her last week out in the garden, that ended in stubbytears and the gift of a very lovely locket which I impressed upon herwas as chaste in design as I wished her speech to become. 

The twins have been provided with several very lovely pieces of wearingapparel from my rapidly skill-acquiring needle. That's on the creditside of my balance. But that is _all_--and it doesn't soundrevolutionary, does it, Jane?

Petunia married Jasper according to his word of promise, and I havetaught her to cook about five French dishes that he couldn't concoct tosave his life, and which help her to keep him in his place. Hispomposity grows daily but he eyes me with suspicion when he sees me insecret conclave with Petunia. 

"We needs a man around this place, " I heard him mutter the other day asI left the kitchen. 

I wonder!

The garden has been weeded, replanted, trained, clipped and garnished, and my arms are as husky and strong as a boy's and my nose badlysunburned from my strenuosity with hoe and trimming scissors. 

All of which I have done and done well. But when I think of all thosefive girls that are waiting for me to solve the emotional formula bywhich they can work out and establish the fact that man equals woman, Iget weak in the knees. 

Jane's letters are just prods. 

 * * * * *

Your highly cultivated artistic nature ought to be a very beautifulrevelation to the spiritual character of the young Methodist divine youwrote me of in your last letter. Encourage him in every way withaffectionate interest in his work, especially in the Epworth League onhis country circuit. I am enclosing fifty dollars' subscription to thework and I hope you will give as much You have not mentioned Mr. Hayesfor several letters. I fear you are prejudiced against him. Seek to knowand weigh his character before you judge him as unfit for your love. 

 * * * * *

The highly spiritual Mr. Haley glared at Polk for an hour out here on myporch, when he interrupted us in one of our Epworth League talks, insuch an unspiritual manner that Polk said he felt as if he had beenintroduced to the Apostle Paul while he was still Saul of Tarsus. I hadto pet the Dominie decorously for a week before he regained his benignmanner. Of course, however, it was trying to even a highly spiritualnature like his to have Polk insist on pinning a rose in my hair rightbefore his eyes. 

About Polk I feel that I am in the midst of one of those great calm, oily stretches of ocean that a ship is rocked gently in for a few hoursbefore the storm tosses it first to Heaven and then to hell. He is sopsychic, and in a way attuned to me, that he partly understands mypurpose in declaring my love for him to put him at a disadvantage in hislove-making to me, and he hasn't let me do it yet, while his tacit suitgoes on. It is a drawn battle between us and is going to be fought tothe death. In the meantime Nell--

And while I was on the porch sitting with Richard Hall's letter in myhand, still unread, Nell herself came down the front walk and sat downbeside me. 

"Why, I thought you had gone fishing with Polk, " I said as I cuddled herup to me a second. She laid her head on my shoulder and heaved such asigh that it shook us both. 

"I didn't quite like to go with him alone and Henrietta wouldn't gobecause a bee had stung the red-headed twin, and she wanted to stay toscold Sallie, " she answered with both hesitation and depression in hervoice. 

"Polk is--is strenuous for a whole day's companionship, " I answered, experimentally, for I saw the time had come to exercise some of thebiceps in Nell's femininity in preparation for just what I knew she wasto get from Polk. My heart ached for what I knew she was suffering. Ihad had exactly those growing pains for months following that experiencewith him on the front porch after the dance four years ago. And I hadhad change of scene and occupation to help. 

"I don't understand him at all, " faltered Nell, and she raised her eyesas she bared her wound to me. 

"Nell, " I said with trepidation, as I began on this my first disciple, "you aren't a bit ashamed or embarrassed or humiliated in showing methat you love me, are you?"

"You know I've adored you ever since I could toddle at your heels, Evelina, " she answered, and the love-message her great brown eyesflashed into mine was as sweet as anything that ever happened to me. 

"Then, why should you wonder and suffer and restrain and be humiliatedat your love for Polk?" I asked, firing point blank at all of Nell'straditions. "Why not tell him about it and ask him if he loves you?"

The shot landed with such force that Nell gasped, but answered asstraight out from the shoulder as I had aimed. 

"I would rather die than have Polk Hayes know how he--he affects me, "she answered with her head held high. 

"Then, what you feel for him is not worthy love, but something entirelyunworthy, " I answered loftily, with a very poor imitation of Jane'simpressiveness of speech. 

"I know it, " she faltered into my shoulder, "if it were Mr. James HardinI loved, I wouldn't mind anybody's knowing it, but something must bewrong with Polk or me or the way I feel. What is it?"

For a moment I got so stiff all over that Nell raised her head from myshoulder in surprise. Do all women feel about the Crag as I do?

"I don't know, " I answered weakly. 

And I don't know! Oh, Jane, your simple experiment proposition is aboutto become compound quadratics. 

Then I got a still further surprise. 

"I wouldn't in the least mind telling Mr. James how I like him--if youthink it is all right, " Nell mused, looking pensively at the first palestar that was rising over Old Harpeth. "I would enjoy it, because Ihave always adored him, and it would be so interesting to see what he'dsay. "

"Nell, " I said suddenly with determination, "do it! Tell any man youlike how much you like him--and see what happens. "

"I feel as if--as if"--Nell faltered and I don't blame her; I wouldn'thave said as much to her--"I feel that to tell Mr. James I love _him_would ease the pain, the--pain--that I feel about Polk. It would be sointeresting to tell a man a thing like that. "

"Do it!" I gasped, and went foot in the class in romantics. 

If any jungle explorer thinks he has mapped and charted a woman's hearthe had better pack up his instruments of warfare and recorders and comedown to Glendale, Tennessee. 

Nell and I must have talked further along the same lines, but I don'tremember what we said. I have recorded the high lights on theconversation, but long after I lost her I kept my whirlwind feeling ofamazement. It was like trying to balance calmly on the lid of thetinder-box when you didn't know whether or not you had touched off thefuse. 

Has honeysuckle-garbed Old Harpeth been seeing things like this go onfor centuries and not interrupted? I think I would have been sittingthere questioning him until now, if Lee and Caroline hadn't stopped atthe gate and called to me. 

I think Lee was giving Caroline this stroll home from the post-office inthe twilight as an extra treat in her week's allowance of him, and shewas so soft and glowing and sweet and pale that I wonder the Cherokeeroses on my hedge didn't droop their heads with humility before her. 

"What's a lovely lady doing sitting all by herself in the gloaming?" Leeasked in his rich, warm voice. 

I hate him!

"Come take a walk with us, Evelina, dear, " Caroline begged softly, though I knew what it would mean to her if I should intrude on thisprecious hour with her near-lover. 

Please, God--if I seem to be calling You into a profane situation Ican't help it; I must have help!--show me some way to assist Caroline tomake Lee into a real man and then get him for herself. She must have himand he needs her. And show me a way quick! Amen!

Jane, I hope you will be able to pick the data out of this jumble, but Idoubt it. Anyway I'm grateful for the lock and key on this book. 

As I stood at the gate and watched Lee and Caroline saunter down themoon-flecked street a mocking bird in the tallest of the oak twins thatare my roof shelter called wooingly from one of the top boughs and gothis answer from about the same place on the same limb. 

If a woman starts out to be a trained nurse to an epidemic oflove-making, she is in great danger of doing something foolish her ownself. I am even glad it is prayer-meeting night for Mr. Haley; he issafe in performing his rituals. He might misunderstand this mood. 

I wonder if I ever was really over in sunny France being wooed andhappy!

Of course, I decided the first night I was here that, as circumstancesover which I had no control had decreed that Cousin James should standin the position of enforced protector to me, decent, communisticfemino-masculine honor demands that I refrain from any manoeuvers in hisdirection to attract his thoughts and attention to the feminine me. Ican only meet him on the ordinary grounds of fellowship. And I supposethe glad-to-see him coming up the street was of the neuter gender, butit was very interesting. 

"What did Dodson have to say--is he coming across?" I demanded of himbefore he got quite to my gate. 

"Not if he can help it, " he answered as he came close and leaned againstone of the tall stone posts, so that his grandly shaped head with itsante-bellum squirls of hair was silhouetted against the white-starredwistaria vine in a way that made me frantic for several buckets ofmonochrome water-colors and a couple of brushes as big as those used forwhite-washing. In about ten great splotches I could have done amasterpiece of him that would have drawn artistic fits from the publicof gay Paris. I never see him that I don't long for a box of pastels orget the ghost of the odor of oil-paint in my nose. 

"The whole thing will be settled in a month, " he continued, with a sighthat had a hint of depression in it and an astral shape of Salliemanifested itself hanging on his shoulder. However, I controlled myselfand listened to him. "There is to be a meeting of the directors of bothroads over in Bolivar in a few weeks and they are to come to someunderstanding. The line across the river is unquestionably the cheapestand best grade and there is no chance of getting them to run along ourbluff--unless we can show them some advantage in doing so, and I can'tsee what that will be. "

"What makes it of advantage for a railroad to run through any givenpoint in a rural community like this, Cousin James?" I asked, with aglow of intellect mounting to my head, the like of which I hadn't feltsince I delivered my Junior thesis in Political Economy with Janelooking on, consumed with pride. 

"Towns that have good stock or grain districts around them with goodroads for hauling do what is called 'feeding' a railroad, " he answered. "Bolivar can feed both roads with the whole of the Harpeth Valley onthat side of the river. They'll get the roads, I'm thinking. Poor oldGlendale!"

"Isn't there anything to feed the monsters this side of the river?" Idemanded, indignant at the barrenness of the south side of the valley ofOld Harpeth. 

"Very little unless it's the scenery along the bluff, " he replied, withthe depression sounding still more clearly in his voice and hisshoulders drooped against the unsympathetic old stone post in a way thatsent a pang to my heart. 

"Jamie, is all you've got tied up in the venture?" I asked softly, usingthe name that a very small I had given him in a long ago when the worldwas young and not full of problems. 

"That's not the worst, Evelina, " he answered in a voice that waspositively haggard. "But what belongs to the rest of the family is allin the same leaky craft. Carruthers put Sallie's in himself, but Iinvested the mites belonging to the others. Of course, as far as theold folks are concerned, I can more than take care of them, and ifanything happens there's enough life insurance and to spare for them. Idon't feel exactly responsible for Sallie's situation, but I do feel theresponsibility of their helplessness. Sallie is not fitted to cope withthe world and she ought to be well provided for. I feel that more andmore every day. Her helplessness is very beautiful and tender, but in away tragic, don't you think?"

I wish I had dared tell him for the second time that day what I didthink on the subject but I denied myself such frankness. 

Anyway, men are just stupid, faithful children--some of them faithful, Imean. 

I felt that if I stood there talking with the Crag any longer, I mightgrow pedagogical and teach him a few things so I sent him home acrossthe road. I knew all six women would stay awake until they heard himlock them in, come down to the lodge and lock his own door. 

It is very unworthy of me to enjoy his playing a watch-dog of traditionacross the road to an emancipated woman like myself. The situation bothkeeps me awake and puts me to sleep--and it is sweet, though I don'tknow why. 

God never made anything more wonderful than a good man, --even a stupidone. Lights out!

CHAPTER VI

MAX AND THE ASAFETIDA SPOON

I do wish the great man who is discovering how to put people into somesort of metaphysical pickle that will suspend their animations until hegets ready to wake them up, would hurry up with his investigations, sohe can catch Sallie before she begins to fade or wilt. Sallie, just asshe is, brought to life about five generations from now, would cause asensation. 

Some women are so feminine that they are sticky, unless well spiced withdeviltry. Sallie's loveliness hasn't much seasoning. Still, I do loveher dearly, and I am just as much her slave as are any of the others. Ican't get out of it. 

"Do you suppose we will ever get all of the clothes done for the twins?"Nell sighed gently as we sat on my porch whipping yards of lace uponwhite ruffles and whipping up our own spirits at the same time. Everybody in Glendale sews for Sallie's children and it takes her allher time to think up the clothes. 

"Never, " I answered. 

"She's coming, and I do believe she has got more of this ruffling. I seeit floating down her skirt, " Nell fairly groaned. 

Nell ought to like to sew. She isn't emancipated enough to hate a needleas I do. But the leaven is working and she's rising slowly. It might bewell for some man to work the dough down a little before she runs overthe pan. That's a primitively feminine wish and not at all in accordancewith my own advanced ideas. 

I was becoming slightly snarled with my thread, and I was glad whenSallie and her sweetness seated itself in the best rocker in the softestbreeze, which Nell had vacated for her. 

"Children are the greatest happiness in life and also the greatestresponsibility, girls, " she said, in her lovely rich voice that alwaysmelts me to a solution of sympathy whenever she uses it pensively on me. "Of course, I should be desolate without mine, but what could I do withthem, if I didn't have all of you dear people to help me with them?"

Her wistful dependence had charm. 

I looked at the twin with the yellow fuzz on the top of its head thathas hall-marked it as the Kitten in my mind, seated on Sallie's lap withher head on Sallie's shoulder looking like a baby bud folded against thefull rose, and I couldn't help laughing. Kit had been undressed threetimes after her bath this morning while Cousin Martha, Cousin Jasmineand Mrs. Hargrove argued with each other whether she should or shouldn'thave a scrap of flannel put on over her fat little stomach. Henriettafinally decided the matter by being impudent and sensible to them allabout the temperature. 

"Don't you all 'spose God made the sun some to heat up Kit's stomach?"she demanded scornfully, as she grabbed the little roly-poly bone ofcontention and marched off with her to finish dressing her on the frontporch in the direct rays of her instituted heater. 

The household at large at Widegables can never agree on the clothing ofthe twins and Henrietta often has to finish their toilets thus, byforce. Aunt Dilsie being reduced by her phthisic to a position that isalmost entirely ornamental, Henrietta's strength of character is theonly thing that has made the existence of the twins bearable tothemselves or other people. 

As I have said before, I do wish that some day in the future you willcome under the direct rays of Henrietta's influence, Jane, dear!

"Yes, Sallie, I should call them a responsibility, " I answered her witha laugh, as I reached up my arms for the Kitten. Then, as the littleyellow head snuggled in the hollow that was instituted in the beginningbetween a woman's breast and arm for the purpose of just such nestlings, I whispered as I laid my lips against her little ear, "and a happiness, too, darling. "

And as Sallie rocked and recuperated her breath Nell eyed the ruffleapprehensively. 

"Are you going to let us make another dress for the kiddies, Sallie, dear?" she finally was forced by her uneasiness to ask, though with thedeepest sweetness and consideration in her voice. 

If I am ever a widow with young children I hope they will burn us all upwith the deceased rather than keep me wrapped in a cotton-wool ofsympathy, as all of us do Sallie. 

"It's lovely of you, Nell, to want to do more for the babies after allthe beautiful things you and Evelina have made them, and I may be ableto get another white dress apiece for them after I give Cousin James thebills, that are awful already, but this is some ruffling that I justforced Mamie Hall to let me bring up to you girls to do for her baby. The poor little dear is two months old and Mamie is just beginning onhis little dress for him. He has been wearing the plainest little slips. Mamie says Ned remarked on the fact that the baby was hardly presentablewhen you girls stopped in with him to see it the other day, Nell. Iurged her to get right to work fixing him up. It is wrong for childrennot to be kept as daintily as their father likes to see them. "

How any woman that is as spiritually-minded as I am, and who has so muchlove for the whole world in her heart, and such a deep purpose always tooffer it to her fellowmen according to their need of it, can have thevile temper I possess I cannot see. 

"And the sight that would please me better than anything else I haveeven thought up to want to see, " I found myself saying when I becameconscious--I hope I didn't use any of the oaths of my forefathers whichmust have been tempting my refined foremothers for generations and whichI secretly admire Henrietta for indulging in on occasions of impatiencewith Sallie--"would be Ned Hall left entirely alone with that squirmingbaby, that looks exactly like him, when it is having a terrible spell ofcolic and Ned is in the midst of a sick headache, with all the otherchildren cold, hungry, and cross, the cook gone to a funeral, and thenurse in a grouch because she couldn't go and--and he knowing that Mamiewas attired in a lovely, cool muslin dress, sitting up here on the porchwith us sipping a mint julep and smoking a ten-cent cigar, resting andgetting up an appetite for supper. I want him to have about five yearsof such days and then he would deserve the joys of parenthood that henow does not appreciate. "

"Oh, Mamie wouldn't smoke a cigar!" was the exclamation that showed howmuch Sallie got of the motif of my eruption. 

"Glorious!" exclaimed Nell, with shining eyes. 

I must be careful about Nell, she is going this new gait too fast forone so young. Women must learn to fletcherize freedom if it is not togive them indigestion of purpose. 

"Still Ned provides everything in the world he can think of to helpMamie, " said Caroline, who had come up the walk just in time to fan theflame in me by her sweet wistfulness, with a soft judiciousness in hervoice and eyes. "And Mamie adores the children and him. "

If one man is unattainable to a woman all the other creatures take onthe hue of being valuable from the reflection. Caroline is pathetic!

"It would be robbing a woman of a privilege not to let her trot thecolic out of her own baby, " Sallie got near enough in sight of thediscussion to shout softly from the rear. 

I have often seen Cousin Martha on one side of the fire trotting thePup, and Cousin Jasmine on the other ministrating likewise to the Kit. So Sallie could take a good nap, which she didn't at all need, on thelong sofa in the living-room at Widegables. 

"Ned is a delightful man and, of course, Mamie adores him. " Nell agreedwith an attitude of mind like to the attitude of a body sustained on thetop rail of a shaky fence. 

"He doubtless would be just as delightful to Mamie standing by droppingasafetida into a spoon to administer to the baby, as he is dancing withyou at the Assembly, Nell, " I said, still frothy around the temper. 

"He'll never do it again, " was the prompt result I got from my shot. 

"The trouble with you, Evelina, " said Sallie, with ruminativereflectiveness in her eyes, "is that you have never been married and donot understand how noble a man can be under--"

"Yes, I should say that you had hit Evelina's trouble exactly on thehead, Sallie, " came in Polk's drawl as he came over the rose hedge fromthe side street and seated himself beside Caroline on the steps. 

"Well, if I ever have a husband he'll prove his nobility by beingcompetent to make the correct connection between the asafetida spoon andhis own baby, " was the answer that came with so much force that Icouldn't stop it after I fully realized Folk's presence and sex. 

"Help!" exclaimed Polk, weakly, while Nell blushed into the fold of herruffle, Caroline looked slightly shocked and Sallie wholly scandalizedat my lack of delicacy. 

I felt that the place had been reached, the audience provided, and thetime ripe for the first gun in my general revolution planned forGlendale. I spoke calmly in a perfect panic of fear. 

"I am glad Polk is here to speak for the masculine side of thequestion, " I said, looking all the three astonished women straight inthe face. "Polk, do you or do you not think that a man with a wife andseven children ought to assume at least some of the domestic strainresulting therefrom, like dropping the asafetida in the spoon for herwhile she is wrestling with the youngest-born's colic?"

"Do I have to answer?" pleaded Polk, with desperation. 

"Yes!"

"Then, under the circumstances I think the man ought to say: 'To hellwith the spoon, ' grab a gun, go out and shoot up a bear and a couple ofwild turkeys for breakfast, throttle some coin out of some nearbybusiness corporation, send two to five trained nurses back to thewigwam, stay down town to lunch and then go home with a tender littlekiss for the madame who meets him fluffy and smiling at the door. That'smy idea of true connubial bliss. Applications considered in the order oftheir reception. Nell, you are sweet enough to eat in that blue muslin. I'm glad I asked you to get one just that shade!"

And the inane chorus of pleased laughs that followed Polk Hayes'sbrainless disposal of the important question in hand made me ashamed ofbeing a woman--though it was funny. Still I bided my time and Polk sawthe biding, I could tell by the expression in the corners of his eyesthat he kept turned away from me. 

And in less than a half-hour he was left to my mercies, anything buttender. Sallie took Nell and Caroline over home to help her decide howwide a band of white it would be decorous for her to sew in the neck ofher new black meteor crepe. I see it coming that we will all have tounite in getting Sallie out of mourning and into the trappings offrivolity soon and I dread it. It takes so many opinions on any givensubject to satisfy Sallie that she ought to keep a tabulatedadvice-book. 

"Evelina, " said Polk, experimentally, after he had seen them safelyacross the street, and he moved along the steps until he sat against myskirts, "are your family subject to colic?"

"No, they have strong brains instead, " I answered icily. 

"Said brains subject to colic, though, " he mused in an impudentundertone. 

I laughed: I couldn't help it. One of the dangerous things about Polk isthat he gets you comfortable and warm of heart whenever he gets nearyou. It wouldn't matter at all to him if you should freeze later forlack of his warmth, just so he doesn't know about it. 

"Polk, " I began to say in a lovely serious tone of voice, looking himsquare in the eyes and determined that as we were now on the subject ofbasic things, like infantile colic, I would have it out with him alongall lines, "there is an awful shock coming to you when you realizethat--"

"That in the heat of this erudite and revolutionary discussion, which anevil fate led me to drop in on, I have forgotten to give you thistelegram that came for you while I was down at the station shipping somelumber. Be as easy as you can with me, Evelina, and remember that I amyour childhood's companion when you decide between us. " With which hehanded me a blue telegram. 

I opened it hastily and found that it was from Richard:

 Am coming down to Bolivar with C. & G. Commission. Be deciding about what I wrote you. Must. 

 RICHARD. 

I sat perfectly still for several seconds because I felt that a goodstrong hand had reached out of the distance and gently grabbed me. Dickie had bossed me strenuously through two years of the time before Ihad awakened to the fact that, for his good, I must take the directionof the affairs of him and his kind on my and my kind's shoulders. 

I suppose a great many years of emancipation will have to pass over theheads of women before they lose the gourd kind of feeling at the sightof a particularly broad, strong pair of shoulders. My heart sparkled atthe idea of seeing Dickie again and being browbeaten in a good old, methodical, tender way. I suppose the sparkle in my heart showed in myeyes, for Polk sat up quickly and took notice of it very decidedly. 

"Wire especially impassioned?" he asked, with a smolder in his eyes. 

"Not especially. " I answered serenely, "One of my friend's father is adirector in the C. & G. And he is coming down with him for theconference over at Bolivar between the two roads next week. "

"Good, " answered Polk, heartily, as the flare died out of his eyes. 

I was glad he didn't have to see the wire for I wanted to use Polk'sbrain a while if I could get his emotions to sleep in my presence. It isvery exasperating for a woman to be offered flirtation when she is inneed of common sense from a man. There are so many times she needs theone rather than the other, but the dear creatures refuse to realize it, if she's under forty. 

"Polk, do you see any logical, honest or dishonest way to get that Roadto take the Glendale bluff line?" I asked, with trepidation, for thatwas the first time I had ever even begun to discuss anythingintelligently with Polk. 

"None in the world, Evelina, " he answered with a nice, straight, intellectuality showing over his whole face and even his lazy, posingfigure. "I remonstrated with James and Henry Carruthers both when theyused their influence to have the bonds voted and I told James it wasmadness to invest in all that field and swamp property with just achance of the shops. The trouble was that James had always left all hisbusiness to Henry, along with the firm's business, for a man can't bethe kind of lawyer James is, and carry the details of the handling offilthy lucre in the same mind that can make a speech like the one hemade down in Nashville last April, on the exchange of the Judiciary. James can be the Governor of this good State any time he wants to, orcould, if Henry hadn't turned toes and left him such a bag to hold--noreference to Sallie's figure intended, which is all to the good if youlike that kind of curves!"

I took a moment to choose my words. 

"The C. & G. Is going to take that bluff route, " I answered calmly fromsomewhere inside me that I had never used to speak from before. 

"Do you know anything of the character of Mrs. Joshua?" asked Polk, admiringly, but slipping down from his intellectual attitude of mind andbody and edging an inch nearer. "Bet she had a strong mind or Joshuanever could have pulled off that sun and moon stunt. "

"Do you know, Polk, there is one woman in the world who could--couldhandle you?" I said, as a sudden vision of what Jane would do, if Polksat on her skirts as he did on mine, flashed across my troubled brain. 

"I'd be mighty particular as to who handles me, " he answered impudently, "Want to try?" And with the greatest audacity he laid his head gentlyagainst my knee. I let it rest there a second and then tipped it backagainst the arm of the rocker. 

"It does hurt me to see a man like Cousin James fairly throttled bywomen as he is being, " I said as I looked across the street and notedthat the porch of Widegables was full to overflowing with the householdof women. 

"Evelina, " said Polk, as he stood up suddenly in front of me, "that oldMossback is the finest man in this commonwealth, but from his situationnobody can extract him, unless it is a woman with the wiliness of thedevil himself. Poison the whole bunch and I'll back you. But we'll haveto plot it later on. I see his reverence coming tripping along with atract in his hand for you and I'll be considerate enough to sneakthrough the kitchen, get a hot muffin-cake that has been tantalizing mynose all this time you have been sentimentalizing over me, and returnanon when I can have you all to myself in the melting moonlight in thesmall hours after all religious folk are in bed. Until then!" And as hewent back through the front hall Mr. Haley came down the front walk. 

"My dear Miss Shelby, how fortunate I am to find you alone, " heexclaimed with such genuine delight beaming from his nice, good, friendly, gray eyes that I beamed up myself a bit out of pureresponsiveness. 

"I am so glad to see you, Mr. Haley. Hasn't it been a lovely day?" Ianswered, as I offered him the large rocker Sallie had vacated. 

"It has, indeed, and I don't know when I have been as deeply happy. Thishour with you will be the very climax of the day's perfections, I feelsure. "

I smiled. 

To follow you, Jane, I "let a man look freely into my heart and thusencouraged he opened his to mine" and behold, I found Sallie and thetwins and Henrietta all squatting in the Dominie's cardiac regions, justas comfortably as they do it at Widegables. 

"My sympathies have become so enlisted in the struggle which Mrs. Carruthers is having to curb the eccentricities of her oldest daughterthat I feel I must lay definite plans to help her. It is very difficultfor a young and naturally yielding woman like Mrs. Carruthers todiscipline alone even so young a child as Henrietta. I know you willhelp me all you can to help her. Believe me, my dear friend, even in theshort time you have been in Glendale you have become a tower of strengthto me. I feel that I can take my most difficult and sacred perplexitiesto you. "

Now, what do you think of that, Jane? Be sure and rub this situation inon all the waiting Five disciples. I defy any of them to do so well inless than three months. This getting on a plane of common citizenshipwith a fellow-man is easy. That is, with some men. 

Still while you are getting on the plane somebody else gets the man. What about that? I didn't want Mr. Haley, but what if I had?

"Yes, Henrietta is a handful, Mr. Haley, " I answered with enthusiasm, for even the mention of Henrietta enlivens me and somehow Mr. Haley'sgetting in the game of "curbing" her stirred up my risibles. "But--butSallie already has a good many people to help her with the children. Ihave been trying to--to influence Henrietta--and she does not swearexcept on the most exasperating occasions now. "

"The dear little child created a slight consternation in her SundaySchool class last week when they were being taught the great dramaticstory of Jonah's three days' incarceration in the whale. To quote herexactly, so that you may see how it must have affected the otherchildren, she said: 'I swallowed a live fly onct myself and I'm not damnfool enough to believe that whale kept Jonah down three days, alive andkicking, no matter who says so. '

"She then marched out of the class and has not returned these twosucceeding Sabbaths. It was to talk over the matter I called on Mrs. Carruthers this afternoon, and I have never had my sympathies sostirred. We must help her, my dear friend!"

I never enjoyed anything more in my life than the hour I spent helpingthat dear, good, funny man plan first aids to the rearing of Sallie'schildren. Besides my coöperation he has planned to enlist that of AuntAugusta, and I was wicked enough to let him do it. In a small villagewhere the inhabitants have no chance at diversions like Wagnerian operasand collapsing skyscrapers I felt that I had no right to avert thespectacle of Aunt Augusta's disciplining Henrietta. 

I'll write you all about it, Jane, in a special delivery letter. 

Jasper whipped Petunia with great apparent severity day beforeyesterday, and we have been having the most heavenly waffles and broiledchicken ever since. I dismissed Jasper for doing it, but Petunia cameinto my room and cried about it a half-hour, so I had to go out where hewas rubbing the silver and forgive him and hire him over. 

"When a woman gits her mouth stuck out at a man and the world in generalthree days hand running they ain't nothing to cure it but a stick, " heanswered with lofty scorn. 

"Yes'm, dat's so, " answered Petunia. "I never come outen a spell so easybefore. " And her yellow face had a pink glow of happiness all over it asshe smiled lovably on the black brute. 

I went off into a corner and sat down for a quiet hour to think. Nobodyin the world knows everything. 

"Supper's on the table, " Jasper announced, after having seen Mr. Haleygo down the front walk to-night. Jasper has such great respect for thecloth that never in the world would he have asked Mr. Haley in to supperwithout having at least a day to prepare for him. Any of my otherfriends he would have asked, regardless of whether or not I wanted them. 

I somehow didn't feel that I could eat alone to-night, but it was toolate to go for Sallie or Cousin Jasmine, and besides it is weak-mindedto feel that way. Why shouldn't I want to eat by myself?

This is a great big house for just one woman, and I don't see why I haveto be that one! I never was intended to be single. I seem to even thinkdouble. Way down in me there is a place that all my life I have beenlaying things aside in to tell some day to somebody that willunderstand. I don't remember a single one of them now, but when the timecomes somebody is going to ask me a question very softly and it is goingto be the key that will unlock the treasures of all my life, and he willtake them out one by one, and look at them and love them and smile overthem and scold over them and be frightened even to swearing over them, perhaps weep over them, and then--while I'm very close--pray over them. I could feel the tears getting tangled in my lashes, but I forced themback. 

Now, I don't see why I should have been sentimentalizing over myselflike that. Just such a longing, miserable, wait-until-he-comes--andwhy-doesn't-he-hurry-or-I'll-take-the-wrong-man attitude of mind andsentiment in women in general is what I have taken a vow on my soul, andmade a great big important wager to do away with. There are millions oflovely men in the world and all I have to do is to go out and find theright one, be gentle with him until he understands my mode of attack tobe a bit different from the usual crawfish one employed by women fromprehistoric times until now, but not later: and then domesticate him inany way that suits me. 

Here I've been in Glendale almost three months and have let my time beoccupied keeping house for nobody but myself and to entertain myfriends, planting a flower garden that can't be used at all fornourishment, and sewing on another woman's baby clothes. 

I've written millions of words in this book and there is as yet not oneword that will help the Five in the serious and important task ofproving that they have a right to choose their own mates, and certainlynothing to help them perform the ceremonial. 

If I don't do better than this Jane will withdraw her offer and there isno telling how many years the human race will be retarded by my lack ofstrength of character. 

What do men do when they begin to see the gray hairs on their templesand when they have been best-man at twenty-three weddings, and are tiredof being at christenings and buying rattles, and things at the club alltaste exactly alike, and they have purchased ten different kinds ofhair-tonic that it bores them to death to rub on the tops of their ownheads?

I don't want any man I know! I might want Polk, if I let him have half achance to make me, but that would be dishonorable. 

I've got up so much nice warm sisterly love for Dickie and Mr. Haleythat I couldn't begin to love them in the right way now, I am afraid. Still, I haven't seen Dickie for three months and maybe my desperationwill have the effect of enhancing his attractions. I hope so. 

Still I am disgusted deeply with myself. I believe if I could experimentwith mankind I could make some kind of creature that would be a lotbetter than a woman for all purposes, and I would--

"Supper's ready and company come, " Jasper came to the front door toannounce for the third time, but this time with the unctuous voice ofdelight that a guest always inspires in him. I promptly went in towelcome my materialized desire whoever it happened to be. 

The Crag was standing by the window in the half light that came, partlyfrom the candles in their tall old silver candlesticks that wereGrandmother Shelby's, and partly from the last glow of the sun down overthe ridge. That was what I needed!

"I was coming in from the fields across your back yard and I saw thetable lighted and you on the front porch, star-gazing, and--and I gotJasper to invite me. " he said as he came over and drew out my chair onone side of that wide square table, while Jasper stood waiting to seathim at the other, about a mile away. 

"I wanted you, " I answered him stupidly, as I sank into my place andleaned my elbows on the table so I could drop my warm cheeks into myhands comfortably. I didn't see why I should be blushing. 

"That's the reason I came then, " he answered, as he looked at me acrossthe bowl of musk roses that were sending out waves of sweetness to meetthose that were coming in from the honeysuckle climbing over the window. "If you were ever lonely and needed me, Evelina, you would tell me, wouldn't you?" he asked, as he leaned towards me and regarded me stillmore closely. 

And again those two treacherous tears rose and tangled themselves in mylashes, though I did shake them away quickly as a smile quivered its wayto command of my mouth. But I was not quick enough and he saw them. 

And what he did was just what I wanted him to do! He rose, picked up hischair and came around that huge old table and sat down at the cornerjust as near to my elbow as the steaming coffee pot would let him. 

"If you wanted me any time, would you tell me, Evelina?" he insistedfrom this closer range. 

"No, I wouldn't, " I answered with a laugh. "I would expect you to knowit, and come just like you did to-night. "

"But--but it was I that wanted you badly in this case, " he answered withan echo of the laugh. 

But even under the laugh I saw signs of excitement in his deep eyes andhis long, lean hands shook as they handed me his cup to pour the coffee. Jasper had laid his silver and napkin in front of him and retired toadmonish Petunia as to the exact crispness of her first waffle. 

"What is it?" I asked breathlessly, as I moved the coffee pot frombetween us to the other side. 

"Just a letter that came to me from the Democratic Headquarters in theCity, that shook me up a bit and made me want to--to tell _you_ aboutit. Nobody else can know--I have been out on Old Harpeth all afternoonfighting that out, and telling you is the only thing I have allowedmyself. "

"They want you to be the next Governor, " I said quickly. "And you willbe, too, " I added, again using that queer place in my brain that seemsto know perfectly unknowable things and that only works in matters thatconcern him. 

"No!"

"Yes, Your Excellency, " I hurled at him defiantly. 

"You witch, you, " he answered me with a pleased, teasing whimsicalitycoming into his eyes. "Of course, you guessed the letter and it was dearto have you do it, but we both know it is impossible. Nobody must hearof it, and the telling you has been the best I could get out of itanyway. Jasper, take my compliments to Petunia, this chicken isperfection!"

That eighth wonder of the world which got lost was something even moremysterious than the Sphinx. It was a marvel that could have been usedfor women to compare men to. That man sat right there at my side andate four waffles, two large pieces of chicken and a liver-wing, dranktwo cups of coffee, and then devoured a huge bowl of peaches and cream, with three muffin-cakes, while enduring the tragedy of the realizationof having to decline the Governorship of his State. 

I watched him do it, first in awe and then with a dim understanding ofsomething, I wasn't sure what. Most women, under the circumstances, would have gone to bed and cried it out or at least have refused foodfor hours. We've got to get over those habits before we get to the pointof having to refuse to be Governors of the States and railroadpresidents and things like that. 

And while he ate, there I sat not able to more than nibble because I wasmaking up my mind to do something that scared me to death to thinkabout. That gaunt, craggy man in a shabby gray coat, cut ante-bellumwise, with a cravat that wound itself around his collar, snowy anddainty, but on the same lines as the coat and evidently of ruralmanufacture in the style favored by the flower and chivalry of the dayof Henry Clay, had progressive me as completely overawed for severalminutes as any painted redskin ever dominated a squaw--or as Jasper didPetunia in my own kitchen. 

But after we were left alone with the roses and the candles and hiscigar, with only Jasper's gratified voice mumbling over compliments toPetunia in the distance, I took my courage in my hands and plunged. 

This can he used as data for the Five. 

"James. " I said, with such cool determination in my voice that it almostfroze my own tongue, "I meant to tell you about it several weeks ago, Ihave decided to adopt Sallie and all the children. I intend to legallyadopt the children and just nominally adopt Sallie, but it will amountto the same thing. I don't have to have your consent but I think it iscourteous to ask for it. "

"What!" he exclaimed, as he sat up and looked at me with the expressionan alienist might use in an important examination. 

"Yes, " I answered, gaining courage with time. "You see, I was crying outhere on the porch with loneliness when you found me. I can't stand thisany longer. I must have a family right away and Sallie's just suits me. I have to take a great deal of interest in them anyway and it would beeasier if I had complete control of them. It will leave you with enoughfamily to keep you from being lonely and then we can all be happytogether down into old age. "

"Have you said anything about this to Sallie?" he asked weakly as hedipped the end of his cigar into his glass of water and watched thesputter with the greatest interest. 

"Not yet, but don't you feel sure that she will consent?" I asked, withconfidence in my plan at fever heat. "Sallie is so generous and shecan't want to see me live lonely always, without any family at all. Now, will she?"

"She would consent!" he answered slowly, and then he laid his head downon the table right against my arm and shook so that the candlesticksrattled against the candles. "But I don't, " he gasped, and for the lifeof me I couldn't tell whether he was crying or laughing, until he sat upagain. 

"Eve, " he said, with his eyes fairly dancing into mine, "if women ingeneral mean to walk over political difficulties as you are planning towalk away with this one of mine, I'm for feminine rule. Don't you daresay one word about such a thing to Sallie. Of course, it is impossibleas it is funny. "

It was a tragedy to have such a lovely scheme as I had thought up on thespur of the moment, knocked down suddenly by a half dozen positive wordsfrom a mere man, and for a moment my eyes fought with his in openrebellion. Then I rose haughtily and walked out on the front porch. 

"Dear, " he said, as he followed me and took my hand in his and drew menear him, "don't you know that your wanting to put your shoulder underany burden I may be bearing lifts it completely? There are things inthis situation that you can't understand. If I seem to make sacrifices, they come from the depths of my heart and are not sacrifices. Will youbelieve me?"

How can he help loving Sallie with her so emphatically there?

I answered him I suppose to his liking and he went on across the road toWidegables and left me alone in the cruel darkness. 

Please, God, when things seem to be drowning me like this make me swimwith head up. Amen!

CHAPTER VII

SOME SMOLDERINGS

I'm a failure! Yes, Jane, I am!

Polk Hayes is an up-to-date, bright man of the world, with lots ofbrains and I should say about the average masculine nature, and a greatdeal more than the average amount of human charm. However, he has got nomore brains than I have, has had really fewer advantages, and it oughtto be easy for me to hold my own against him. But I am about to fail onhim. 

For the last two weeks he has been constantly with Nell and has got herin a dreamy state that shows in her face and every movement of her slimbody. And yet I know without the shadow of a doubt that he is justbiding his time to try me out and get me on his own terms. My heartaches for Nell, and I just couldn't see him murder her girlhood, and itwill amount to that if he involves her heart any more than it is. I madeup my mind to have it out with him and accordingly let him come and siton my side steps with me late yesterday afternoon, when I have avoidedbeing alone with him for a month. 

"Polk, " I asked him suddenly without giving him time to get thesituation into his own hands, skilled in their woman-handling, "do youintend to marry Nell or just plain break her heart for the fun you getout of it?"

His dangerous eyes smoldered back at me for a long minute before heanswered me:

"Men don't break women's hearts, Evelina. "

"I think you are right, " I answered slowly, "they do just wring anddistort them and deform them for life. But I intend to see that Nell'shas no such torturous operation performed on it if I can appeal to youor convince her. "

"When you argue with Nell be sure and don't tell her just exactly thethings _you_ have done to _me_ all this summer through, Evelina. " heanswered coolly. 

"What do you mean?" I demanded, positively cold with a kind ofastonished fear. 

"I mean that I have never offered Nell one half of the torture you haveoffered me, every day since you came home, with your damned affectionatefriendliness. When I laugh, you answer it before it gets articulate, andwhen I gloom, you are as sympathetic as sympathy itself. I have heldyour hand and kissed it, instituting and not quenching a raging thirstthereby, as you are experienced enough to know. You have made yourselfeverything for me that is responsive and desirable and beautiful andworthy and have put me back every time I have reached out to grasp you. You don't want me, you don't want to marry me at all, you just want--excitement. You are as cold as ice that grinds and generates fire. Very well, you don't have to take me--and I'll get what I can fromNell--and others. "

"Oh, Polk, how could you have misunderstood me like this?" I moaned fromthe depths of an almost broken heart. But as I moaned I understood--Iunderstood!

I'm doing it all wrong! I had the most beautiful human love for him inmy heart and he thought it was all dastardly, cold coquetting. An awfulspark has been struck out of the flint. I'm not worthy to experimentwith this dreadful man-and-woman question. I just laid my head down onmy arms, resting on my knees and cowered at Polk's feet. 

"Don't--Evelina, I didn't mean it. " he said quickly in a shaken voice. But he did!

I couldn't answer him and as I sat still and prayed in my heart for somewords to come that would do away with the horror I heard Sallie's voicefrom my front walk, and she and Mr. Haley, each carrying a sleepingtwin, came around the corner of the porch. 

That interruption was a direct answer to prayer, for God knew that Ijust must have time to think before having this out with Polk. Isometimes feel ashamed of the catastrophes I have to pray quick about, but what would I do if I couldn't?

I don't know how I got through the rest of this evening, but I did--Ipray for sleep. Amen!

Watching the seasons follow each other in the Harpeth Valley gives methe agony of a dumb poet, who can feel though not sing. 

It was spring when I came down here four months ago, a young, tender, mist-veiled, lilac-scented spring that nestled firmly in your heart andmade it ache with sweetness that you hardly understood yourself. 

But before I knew it the young darling, with her curls and buds andapple-blooms had gone and summer was rioting over the gardens and fieldsand hills, rich, lush colored, radiant, redolent, gorgeous, rose-scentedand pulsing with a life that made me breathless. Even the roads alongthe valley were bordered with flowers that the sun had wooed to theswooning point. 

But this week, early as it is, there has been a hint of autumn in theair, and a haze is beginning to creep over the whole world, especiallyin the early mornings, which are so dew-gemmed that they seem to behinting a warning of the near coming of frost and snow. 

My garden has grown into a perfect riot of blooms, but for the last twoweeks queer slugs have begun to eat the tender buds that are forming forOctober blooming, and I have been mourning over it by day and by nightand to everybody who will listen. 

Aunt Augusta insists that the only thing to do is to get up with thefirst crack of dawn and carefully search out each slug, remove it anddestroy it. She says if this is done for a week they will beexterminated. 

I carefully explained it all to Jasper and when I came down to breakfasthe was coming in with three queer green things, also with an injured airof having been kept up all night. I didn't feel equal to making him goon with the combat and ignored the question for two days until I saw allthe buds on my largest Neron done for in one night. 

I have always been able to get up at the break of day to gosketching--it was at daybreak that I made my sketch in the Defleurygardens that captured the French art eye enough to get me my Salonmention. If I could get up to splash water-colors at that hour, I surelycould rush to the protection of my own roses, so I went to bed with graydawn on my mind and the shutters wide open so the first light would getfull in my eyes. 

I am glad that it was a good bright ray that woke me and partly dazzledme, for the sight I had, after I had been kneeling down in the rose bedfor fifteen minutes, was something of a shock to me, though no reason inthe world why it should have been. I can't remember that I everspeculated as to whether the Crag wore pajamas or not, and I don't seethat I should have been surprised that he did instead of the night shirtof our common ancestry. 

He came around the side of the house out of the sun-shot mist and washalf way down the garden path before I saw him or he saw me, and I mustsay that his unconcern under the circumstances was rather remarkable. 

He was attired in a light blue silk pajama jacket that was open at thethroat and half way down his broad breast. He had on his usual graytrousers, but tag's of blue trailed out and ruffled around his bareankles, and across his bare heels that protruded from his slippers. Hishair was in heavy tousled black curls all over his head and his grayeyes were positively mysterious with interrupted dreams. In one hand hecarried a tin can and in the other a small pointed stick, which lookedmurderously fitted for the extermination of the marauders. 

I was positively nervous over the prospect of his embarrassment when heshould catch sight of me, but there was none. 

"Eve!" he exclaimed, with surprise, and a ray of pure delight drove awaythe dreams in his eyes. Nobody in the wide world calls me Eve but justthe Crag, and he does it in a queer, still way when he is surprised tosee me, or glad, or sorry, or moved with any kind of sudden emotion. 

And queer as it is I have to positively control the desire to answer himwith the correlated title--Adam!

"I forgot to tell you yesterday that I was coming over to get the slugsfor you, dear, " he said as he came down the row of roses next to mine, squatted opposite to where I was kneeling by the bushy, suffering Neronand began to examine the under side of each leaf carefully. He was themost beautiful thing I have ever seen in the early light with his greatchest bare and the blue of the pajamas melting into the bronze of histhroat and calling out the gray in his eyes. I had to force myself intobeing gardener rather than artist, as we laughed together over the glassbowl and silver spoon I had brought out for the undoing of the slugs. Some day I'm going to paint him like that!

[Illustration: His gray eyes were positively mysterious with interrupteddreams]

I found out about the pajamas from questioning Aunt Martha discreetly. They seemed so incongruous in relation to the usual old Henry Clay coatand stock collar, that I had to know the reason why. Mrs. Hargrove's sonwas a very worldly man, she says, and wore them. It comforts her to makethem for the Crag to wear in memoriam. He wears the collars CousinMartha makes him with her own fingers after the pattern she made hisfather's by, for the same reason, and lets Cousin Jasmine cut his hairbecause she always cut her father's, Colonel Horton's, until his death. That accounts for the ante-bellum curls and the irregular tags in theback. I almost laughed when Cousin Martha was telling me, but Iremembered how a glow rose in my heart when I saw that he still hadFather's little old Confederate comrade tailor cut his coats on the samepattern on which he had cut Father's, since the days of reconstruction. Sometimes it startles me to find that with all my emancipation I am verylike other women. 

But I wonder what I would do if Sallie attired him in any of the lateHenry's wearing apparel?

"What do you suppose is the why of such useless things as slugs?" Ispeculated to stop that thought off sharp as we crawled down the rowtogether, he searching one side of each bush and I the other. 

"Well, they brought on this nice companionable hunt for them, didn'tthey?" he asked, looking over into my eyes with a laugh. 

"I wanted to see you early this morning anyway, " he hastily resumed. "Sallie and the Dominie sat talking to you so late last night that Ididn't feel it was fair to come across after they left. But I wanted youso I could hardly get to sleep, and I was just half awake from a dreamof you, when I came into the garden. "

"My evenings don't belong to anybody, if you need them, Jamie, and youdon't have to be told that, " I answered crossly when I thought what agrand time I might have been having talking about real things with theCrag, instead of wrestling with Polk's romantics or Sallie's and Mr. Haley's gush. 

"Go on and tell me all about it, while I crawl after you like a wormmyself, " I snapped still further. 

"Well, here goes! In the City Council meeting last night your UnclePeter told us about the plans that they have made up at Bolivar forentertaining the C. & G. Commission, and the gloom of Polk and Lee, Nedand the rest of them could have easily been cut in blocks and used forcold storage purposes. They are just all down and out about it and nofight left. Of course, they all lose by the bond issue, but I can't seethat it is bad enough to knock them all out like this. I got up inmighty wrath and--and I have got myself into one job. My eloquencelanded me right into one large hole, and I am reaching out for a handfrom you. "

"Here it is, " and I reached over and left a smear of loam across theback of his hand, while I brought away a brown circle around my wristthat the responsive grasp of his fingers left. "Do you want mesingle-handed to get the bluff line chosen?"

"Not quite, but almost, " he answered with another laugh. "You would ifyou tried. I haven't a doubt. Do you remember the talk we had the othernight about its seeming inhospitable of you not to invite the othergentlemen in the Commission over to see you when you invite Hall and hisfather? And you know you had partly planned some sort of entertainmentfor the whole bunch. You had the right idea at the right place, as youalways do. As you said, we don't want Bolivar to see us with what lookslike a grouch on us at their good fortune, and I think that as theCommission are all to be here as the guests of a private citizen, Glendale ought to entertain them publicly. There is no hope to get theline for us, but I would like those men at least to see what the beautyof that bluff road would be. The line across the river runs through theonly ugly part of the valley, and while I know in the balance betweendollars and scenery, scenery will go down and out, still it would begood for them to see it and at least get a vision of what might havebeen, to haunt them when they take their first trip through the swampsacross the country there. Now, as you are to have them anyway, I want tohave the whole town entertain the whole Commission and Bolivar with whatis classically called among us a barbecue-rally, the countryside to beinvited. Bolivar is going to give them a banquet, to be as near likewhat the Bolivarians imagine they have in New York as possible, and Mrs. Doctor Henderson is to give them a pink tea reception to which carefullychosen presentables, like you and me, are to be invited. You rememberthat circus day in July?--a rally will be like that or more so. What doyou think?"

"Oh, I think you are a genius to think about it, " I gasped, as I satdown on a very cruet Killarney branch and just as quickly sat up again, receiving comforting expressions of sympathy from across the bush, towhich I paid no heed. "Those blasé city men will go crazy about it. Wecan have the barbecue up on the bluff, where we have always had it forthe political rallies, and a fish-fry and the country people in theirwagons with children tumbling all over everything and--and you will makea great speech with all of us looking on and being proud of you, becausenobody in New York or beyond can do as well. We can invite a lot ofpeople up from the City and over from Bolivar and Hillsboro andProvidence to hear you tell them all about Tennessee while things arecooking and--"

"This rally is to show off Glendale not--the Crag, " he interrupted mewith a quizzical laugh. 

Now, how did he know I called him the Crag in my heart? I suppose I didit to his face and never knew. I seem to think right out loud when I amwith him and feel out loud, too. I ignored his levity, that was out ofplace when he saw how my brain was beginning to work well and rapidly. 

"You mean, don't you, Jamie, that you want to get Glendale past thisplace that is--humiliating--swimming with her head up?" I asked softlypast a rose that drooped against my cheek. 

Perfectly justifiable tears came to my lashes as I thought what ahumiliation it all was to him and the rest of them, to be passed by anopportunity like that and left to die in their gray moldiness off themain line of life--shelved. 

"That is one of my prayers, to get past humiliations, swimming with myhead up, " I added softly, though I blushed from my toes to my top curlat the necessity that had called out the prayer the last time. It'sawful on a woman to feel herself growing up stiff and sturdy by a man'sside and then to get sight of a gourd-vine tangling itself up betweenthem. I'm the dryad out of one of my own twin oaks down by the gate, and I want the other twin to be--

I wonder if his eyes really look to other women like deep gray poolsthat you can look deeper and deeper into and never seem to get to thebottom, no matter if the look does seem to last forever and you feelyourself blushing and wanting to take your eyes away, or if it is just Ithat get so drowned in them!

"You've a gallant stroke, Evelina, " he said softly, as I at last gainedpossession of my own sight. "And here I am with a hand out to you forassistance in carrying out your own plan that seems to be just the thingto--"

"Say, Cousin James. Aunt Marfy says for you to come home to breakfastright away. Mis' Hargrove won't let nobody begin until you says theblessing, and Cousin Jasmine have got the headache from waiting for hercoffee. What do you want to fool with Evelina this time of day foranyway?" And with the delivery of which message and reproof Henriettastood on the edge of the path looking down upon us with great andscornful interest. 

"You've got on your night shirt and haven't combed your hair or washedyour face, " she continued sternly. "There'll be hell to pay with all thebreakfast getting cold, and I'm empty down to my feet. Come on, quick!"

"Henrietta, " I said, sternly, as I rose to my feet, "I've asked you oncenot to say ugly words like that. "

"I'll go make the lightning toilet, Henrietta. Do run like a good girland ask Mrs. Hargrove to let Cousin Jasmine have her cup of coffee rightaway. I'll be there before the rest are dead from hunger, " and CousinJames skilfully interrupted the threatened feminine clash as he emptiedmy glass bowl into his tin can and stuck the sharp stick in the groundfor future reference. Even Henrietta's pointed allusion to his toilethad not in the least ruffled his equanimity or brought a shade ofconsciousness to his face. 

"Mis' Hargrove said that the Bible said not for any woman to say ablessing at any table or at any place that anybody can hear her, whenCousin Marfy wanted to be polite to the Lord by saying just a little oneand go on before we was all too hungry, " answered Henrietta, in her mostscornfully tolerant voice. "If women eat out loud before everybody whycan't they pray their thank-you out loud like any man?"

"Answer her, Evelina, " laughed Cousin James, as he hurried down the walkaway from us. 

"Henrietta, " I asked, in a calmly argumentative tone of voice as she andI walked up the path to the house, "didn't Mr. Haley talk to you justyesterday and tell you how wicked it is for you to use--use such strongwords as you do?"

Mr. Haley had told me just a few days ago that he and Aunt Augusta hadagreed to open their campaign of reform on Henrietta by a pastorallecture from him, to be followed strongly by a neighborly one from her. 

"No, he never did any such thing, " answered Henrietta, promptly--andwhat Henrietta says is always the truth, because she isn't afraid ofanybody or anything enough to tell a lie---"he just telled me over andover in a whole lot of words how I ought to love and be good to Sallie. If I was to love Sallie that kind of way, he said, I would be so busy Icouldn't do none of the things Sallie don't like to do herself and makesme do. 'Stid er saying, 'my precious mother, I love you and want to begood because you want me to, ' about every hour, I had better wipe thetwins' noses, and wash the dirt often them, and light Aunt Dilsie'sphthisic pipe, and get things upstairs for Sallie and Miss Jasmine andeverybody when they are downstairs. I'm too busy, I am, to be soreligious. And I'm too hungry to talk any more about it. " With which shedeparted. 

I sank on the side steps and laughed until a busy old bumble-bee camedown from a late honeysuckle blossom and buzzed around to see what itwas all about. Henrietta's statement of the case was a graphic and justone. Sallie has got a tendril around Henrietta which grows by the day. Poor tot, she does have a hard and hardening time--and how can I lectureher for swearing?

With a train of thought started by Henrietta I sat at my solitarybreakfast in a deeply contemplative mood. Life was going to press hardon Henrietta. And reared in the fossilized atmosphere of Widegables, which tried to draw all its six separate feminine breaths as one with alone, supporting man, how was she to develop the biceps of strength ofmind and soul, as well as body, to meet the conditions she was likelyto have to meet? Still her coming tussle with Aunt Augusta would be atonic at least. I was just breaking a last muffin and beginning to smilewhen I saw a delegation coming down the street and turning into my frontgate; I rose to meet it with distinction. 

Aunt Augusta marched at the head and Nell and Caroline were on each sideof her, while Sallie and Mamie Hall brought up the rear, walking moredeliberately and each carrying a baby, comparing some sort of white tagsof sewing. Cousin Martha was crossing the Road in their wake with herknitting bag and palm leaf fan. 

One thing I am proud of having accomplished this summer is theestablishing of friendly relations with Aunt Augusta. I made up my mindthat she probably needed to have some of my affection ladled out to hermore than anybody in Glendale, and I worked on all the volatile fear andresentment and dislike I had ever had for her all my life, and I havesucceeded in liquefying it into a genuine liking for the martial oldpersonality. If Aunt Augusta had been a man she would have probably leda regiment up San Juan Hill, died in the trenches, and covered herselfand family with glory. She is the newest woman in the Harpeth Valley, and though sixty years old, she is lineally Sallie Carruthers's owngranddaughter. 

"Evelina, " she began, as soon as she had martialed her forces intorocking-chairs, though she had Jasper bring her the stiffest andstraightest-backed one in the house, "I have collected as many women asI had time to, and have come up here to tell you, and them, that the menin Glendale are so lacking in sense and judgment that the time has comefor women to stand forth and assume the responsibility of them andGlendale in general. As the wife of the poor decrepit Mayor, I appointmyself chairman of the meeting pro tem and ask you to take the firstminutes. If disgrace is threatening us we must at least face it in anorderly and parliamentary way. And I--"

"Oh, Mrs. Shelby, is it--is it smallpox?" and as Sallie spoke she huggedup the Puppy baby, who happened to be the twin in her arms, so that shebubbled and giggled, mistaking her embraces for those of frolicsomeaffection. 

Mamie turned pale and held her baby tight and I could see that she washaving light spasms of alarm, one for each one of the children and onefor Ned. 

"Smallpox, fiddlesticks--I said disgrace, Sallie Carruthers, and theworst kind of disgrace--municipal disgrace. " And as Aunt Augusta namedthe plague that was to come upon us, she looked as if she expected it towilt us all into sear and dried leaves. And in point of fact, we all didrustle. 

"Tell us about it, " said Nell, with sparkling eyes and sitting up in herlow rocker as straight as Aunt Augusta did in her uncompromising seat. The rest of them just looked helpless and undecided as to whether to berelieved or not. 

"Yes, municipal disgrace threatens the town, and the women must rise intheir strength and avert it, " she declaimed majestically with her darkeyes snapping. 

"Yesterday afternoon James Hardin, who is the only patriotic male inGlendale, put before the Town Council a most reasonable andpride-bestirring proposition originated by Evelina Shelby, one ofGlendale's leading citizens, though a woman. She wants to offer thefar-famed hospitality of Glendale--which is the oldest and mostaristocratic town in the Harpeth Valley, except perhaps Hillsboro, andwhich is not in the class with a vulgarly rich, modern place likeBolivar, that has a soap-factory and streetcars, and was a mud-hole inthe landscape when the first Shelby built this very house, --to theCommission of magnates who are to come down about the railroad linesthat are to be laid near us. James agrees with her and urges that it isfitting and dignified that, when they are through with their vulgartrafficking over at insignificant Bolivar, they be asked to partake ofreal southern hospitality at its fountain head, especially as Evelina isobliged to invite two of them as personal friends. Do you not see it inthat light?" And Aunt Augusta looked at us with the martial mien of ageneral commanding his army for a campaign. 

"It would be nice, " answered Mamie, as she turned little Ned over on hisstomach across her knee and began to sway him and trot him at the sametime, which was his signal to get off into a nap. "But Ned said lastnight that he had lost so much in the bond subscription, that he didn'tfeel like spending any more money for an entertainment, that wouldn't doone bit of good about the taxes or bonds or anything. The baby wasbeginning to fret, so I don't think I understood it exactly. "

"I don't think you did, " answered Aunt Augusta, witheringly, "That isnot the point at all, and--"

"But Mr. Greenfield said last night, while he was discussing it withFather, that it would do no good whatever and probably be anembarrassment to the Commission, our putting in a pitiful bid like that. He--" but Caroline got no further with the feminine echo of hermasculine opinion-former. 

"Peter Shelby put that objection much more picturesquely than LeeGreenfield, " Aunt Augusta snapped. "He said that licking those men'shands would turn his stomach, after swallowing that bond issue. However, all this has nothing to do with the case. I am trying to--"

"Polk said last night that he thought it would be much more spectacularfor all the good looking women in town to go when we are invited to Mrs. Henderson's tea for the big bugs, and dazzle 'em so that it would atleast put Glendale on the map, " said Nell, with spirit. "He made me somad that I--"

"Mr. Haley thinks that we should be very careful not to feel malice orenvy towards Bolivar, but to rejoice at their good fortune in gettingboth roads and the shops, even if it does mean a loss to us. What ismaterial wealth in this world anyway when we can depend so on--"Sallie's expression was so beautifully silly and like the Dominie's, that it was all that I could do not to give vent to an unworthy shout. Nell saw it as I did and I felt her smother a giggle. 

But before Aunt Augusta could get her breath to put the crux of thematter straight before her feminine tribunal, Aunt Martha beat her to itas she placidly rocked back and forth knitting lace for a petticoat forHenrietta. 

"Of course, Glendale doesn't really care about the railroad; in fact, wewould much rather not have our seclusion broken in upon, especially asthey might choose the route they have prospected"--with a glance atSallie--"but it is to show them our friendliness, more Bolivar than theactual Commission, and our desire to rejoice with them in their goodfortune. It would be very mean spirited of us to ignore them and notassist them in entertaining their guests, especially as some of themmust be invited. We've never been in such an attitude as that toBolivar!"

"Exactly, Martha, " answered Aunt Augusta with relief. "The thought ofproud old Glendale putting herself in an attitude of municipal sulkstowards common Bolivar seemed an unbearable disgrace to me. Didn't weinvite them up for a great fish-fry on the river when they opened thatodious soap factory, and ask them to let us help take care of some oftheir delegates when they had the Methodist Conference? They sent one ofthe two bishops to you, you remember, Martha, and I am sure yourentertainment of him was so lavish that he went home ill. No man saidus nay in the exercising our right of religious hospitality, why shouldthey in our civic? We must not allow the town to put us in such anattitude! Must Not! It was for this that I called this meeting atEvelina's, as she was the one to propose this public-spirited andcreditable plan. "

"But what shall we do if they don't want to have it?" asked Mamie. 

"I have asked, when did the men of Glendale begin to dictate to thewomen as to whom they should offer their hospitality?" answered AuntAugusta, as she arose to her feet. "Are we free women, and have we, orhave we not, command of our own storerooms and our own servants and ourown time and strength?"

And as I looked up at the tall, fierce, white-haired old dame of highdegree, daughter of the women of the Colonies and the women of theWilderness days, I got exactly the same sensation I had when I saw theGoddess of Liberty loom up out of the mist as I sailed into the harborof my own land from a foreign one. And what I was feeling I knew everywoman present was feeling in a greater or less degree, except perhapsSallie, for her face was a puzzle of sore amazement and a pleadingdesire for further sleep. 

"Have we or have we not?" Aunt Augusta again demanded, and just then amost wonderful thing happened!

Jane stood in our midst!

Oh, Jane, you were a miracle to me, but I must go on writing about itall calmly for the sake of the Five!

I made a mad rush from my rocker to throw myself into her arms, but shestopped me with one glance of her cold, official eye that quelled me, and stood attention before Aunt Augusta. 

"Madam President, " she said in her grandest parliamentary voice, "it wasby accident that I interrupted the proceedings of what I take to be anofficial meeting. Have I your permission to withdraw? I am Miss Shelby'sguest, Miss Mathers, and I can easily await her greetings until theadjournment of this body. "

Oh, Jane, and my arms just hungry for you!

"Madam, " answered Aunt Augusta, in her grandest manner and a voice sofilled with cordiality that I hardly knew it, "it is the pleasure of thechair to interrupt proceedings and to welcome you. Evelina, introduce usall!"

It was all just glorious! I never saw anybody get a more lovely ovationthan Jane did from my friends, for they had all heard about her, readwith awe clippings I showed them about her speeches and--were aboutready for her. 

Sallie kissed her on both cheeks, Mamie laid the baby in her arms with adevout expression, and Nell clung to her with the rapture of the newlyproselyted in her face. Aunt Martha made her welcome in her dearestmanner and Caroline beamed on her with the return of a lot of the fireand spirit of the youth that hanging on the doled-out affections of LeeGreenfield had starved in her. 

And it was characteristic of Jane and her methods that it took much lesstime than it takes me to write it, for her to get all the greetings overwith, explain that she had sent me a letter telling me that she wascoming that must have gone astray, get everybody named and ticketed inher mind, and get us all back to business. 

Aunt Augusta explained the situation to her with so much feeling andeloquence that she swept us all off our feet, and when she was ready toput the question again to us as to our willingness to embark on ourdefiance of our fellow-townsmen, the answer of enthusiastic acquiescencewas ready for her. 

"Of course, as none of you have any official municipal status, theinvitation will have to be given informally, in a social way, to theCommission through Miss Shelby's friend, Mr. Richard Hall, " said Jane, when Aunt Augusta had called on her to give us her opinion of thesituation in general and the mode of procedure. "We find it best in allwomen-questions of the present, to do things in a perfectly legal andparliamentary way. "

"Must we tell them about it or not?" asked Mamie, in a wavering voice, looking up devoutly at Jane, who had held young Ned against the stiffwhite linen shirt of her traveling dress just as comfortably as if hewere her own seventh. 

"Did they consult you before deciding to refuse your suggestion?" askedJane, calmly and thoughtfully. 

"They did not, " trumpeted Aunt Augusta. 

"Then wouldn't it be the most regular way to proceed to get anacceptance of the invitation from the Commission and then extend themone to be present?" pronounced Jane, coolly, seemingly totallyunconscious that she was exploding; a bomb shell. 

"It would, and we will consider it so settled, " answered Aunt Augusta, dominatingly. 

This quick and revolutionary decision gave me a shock. I could see thata woman doesn't like to feel that there is a stick of dynamitebetween her and a man, when she puts her head down under his chin or hercheek to his, but advanced women must suffer that. Still I'm glad thatthe Crag is on our side of the fence. I felt sorry for Mamie andCaroline--and Sallie looked a tragedy. 

In fact, a shade of depression was about to steal over the spirits ofthe meeting when Aunt Augusta luckily called for the discussion of plansfor the rally. 

Feeding other human beings is the natural, instituted, physiological, pathological, metaphysical, and spiritual outlet for a woman's nature, and that is why she is so happy when she gets out her family receiptbook for a called rehearsal for the functioning of her hospitality. Therevolution went home happy and excited over the martialing of theirflesh pots. 

I'm glad Jane is asleep across the hall to-night. If I had had toshoulder all this outbreak by myself I would have compromised byinstituting a campaign of wheedling, the like of which this town neversuffered before, and then when this glorious rally was finally pulledoff, the cajoled masculine population would have fairly swelled withpride over having done it!

Of course, by every known test of conduct and economics, their attitudein the matter is entirely right. Men work to all given points instraight, clear-cut, logical lines only to find women at the point ofresults waiting for them, with unforeseen culminations, which wouldhave been impossible to them. 

And I am also glad the Crag is partly responsible for starting, or atleast unconsciously aiding, this scheme in high finance of mine; and heis also in reality the silent sponsor for this unhatched revolution. Iam deeply contented to go to sleep with that comforting; thought tuckedunder my pillow. 

CHAPTER VIII

AN ATTAINED TO-MORROW

I've changed my mind about a woman's being like a whirlwind. The womenof now are the attained to-morrow that the world since the beginning hasbeen trying to catch up with. Jane is that, and then the day after, too, and what she has done to Glendale in these two weeks has stunned the oldtown into a trance of delight and amazement. She has recreated us, breathed the breath of modernity into us, and started the machine up thegrade of civilization at a pace that makes me hold my breath for fear ofsomething jolting us. 

She and Aunt Augusta have organized an Equality League, and that wheelcame very near flying loose and being the finish of Uncle Peter. 

He came to see me the morning of the first meeting and, when I saw himcoming up the front walk, I got an astral vision of the chips on hisshoulder enlarged to twice their natural size, and called to Jasper tomix the juleps very long and extra deep. But deep as they were, to thevery top of the longest glasses, he couldn't drown his wrath in his. 

"Women, women, " he exploded from over the very mint sprig itself, "allfools, all fools from the beginning of time; made that way onpurpose--on purpose--hey? World needs some sort of creature with nobetter sense than to want to spend their lives fooling with babies andthe bread of life. Human young and religion are the only things in theworld men can't attend to for themselves and that's what they need womenfor. Women with no brains--but all heart--all heart--hey?"

"Why should just a little brain hurt their heart-action. Uncle Peter?" Iasked mildly. There is nothing in the world that I ever met that I enjoyany more than one of Uncle Peter's rages, and I always try to be meeklyinflammatory. 

"They're never satisfied with using them to run church societies andchildren's internal organs, but they want to use 'em on men andcivilization in general. Where'd you get that Yankee school-marm--hey?Why don't she get a husband and a baby and settle down? Ten babies, twenty babies if necessary--hey?"

"You are entirely mistaken as to the plans that Jane and Aunt Augustahave for the League they are forming this morning, Uncle Peter. " I beganto say with delight as to what was likely to ensue. "If you would onlylisten to Jane while she--"

"Don't want to hear a word she has to say! All 'as the crackling ofthorns under a pot'--all the talk of fools. "

"But surely you are not afraid to listen to her, Uncle Peter, " I daredto say, and then stood away. 

"Afraid, afraid--never was afraid of anybody in my life, Augusta notexcepted!" he exclaimed, as he rose in his wrath. "The men of this townwill show the uprising hussies what we think of 'em, and put 'em back tothe heels of men, where they belong--belong--hey?"

And before I could remonstrate with him he was marching down the streetlike a whole regiment out on a charge that was to be one ofextermination, or complete surrender. 

The Crag told me that evening that the Mayor's office of Glendale hadreeked of brimstone, for hours, and the next Sunday Aunt Augusta sat intheir pew at church, militantly alone, while he occupied a seat in thefarthest limits of the amen corner, with equal militancy. 

But Uncle Peter's attitude during the time of Jane's campaign forgeneral Equality in Glendale was pathetically like that of an old log, that has been drifting comfortably down the stream of life with the tidethat bore its comrades, and suddenly got its end stuck in the mud sothat it was forced to stem alone the very tide it had been floating on. 

Jane didn't throw any rocks at anybody's opinions or break the windowsof anybody's prejudices. She had the most lovely heart to heart talkswith the women separately, collectively, and in both small and largebunches. I had them in to tea in the combinations that she wanted them, and I must say that she was the loveliest thing with them that could beimagined. She was just her stiff, ugly self, starchily clad in the mostbeautifully tailored white linen, and they all went mad about her. ThePup and the Kit clutched at her skirts until anybody else would havebeen a mass of wrinkles, and the left breast of her linen blouse didalways bear a slight impress of little Ned's head. The congeniality ofJane and that baby was a revelation to me and his colic ceased after thefirst time she kneaded it out of his fat little stomach with her long, slim, powerful hands according to a first-aid method she had learned inher settlement work, with Mamie looking on in fear and adoration. It mayhave been bloodless surgery but I suspect it of being partly hypnotism, because the same sort of surgery was used on the minds of all my womenfriends and with a like result. 

The subject of the rally was a fine one for everybody to get together onfrom the start and, before any of them realized that they were doinganything but plan out the details of a big spread, the like of whichthey had been doing for hospitable generations, for the railroadCommission, they were organized into a flourishing Equality League, withofficers and by-laws and a sinking fund in the treasury. 

"Now, Evelina, " said Jane, as she sat on the edge of my bed braiding herheavy, sleek, black braid that is as big as my wrist and that shedeclares is her one beauty, though she ought to know that her straight, strong-figure, ruddy complexion, aroma of strength and keen, near-sighted eyes are--well, if not beauties, something very winning, "we must not allow the men time to get sore over this matter of theLeague. We must make them feel immediately that they are needed andwanted intensely in the movement. They must be asked to take theirplace, shoulder to shoulder, with us in this fight for better conditionsfor the world and mankind in general. True to our theory we must offerthem our comradely affection and openly and honestly express our need ofthem in our lives and in our activities. I was talking to Mrs. Carruthers and Nell and Mrs. Hall and Caroline, as well as your CousinMartha, about it this afternoon and they all agreed with me that the menwould have cause to be aggrieved at us about seeming thus to beorganizing a life for ourselves apart from theirs, with no place in itprovided for them. Mrs. Carruthers said that she had felt that theReverend Mr. Haley had been deeply hurt already at not being masked toopen any of the meetings with prayer, and she volunteered to talk to himand express for herself and us our need of him. "

"That will be easy for Sallie, for she has been expressing need ofpeople in her fife as long as she has been living it, " I answered with agood-natured laugh, though I would have liked to have that interviewwith the Dominie myself. He is so enthusiastic that I like to bask inhim once in a while. 

[Illustration: "We must not allow the men to get sore over this matterof the League"]

"I asked young Mr. Hayes to take me fishing with him to-morrow in orderto have a whole quiet day with him alone so that we could get closely intouch with each other. I have had very little opportunity to talk withhim, but I have felt his sympathy in several interested glances wehave exchanged with each other. I am looking forward to theestablishment of a perfect friendship with him. "

I told myself that I was mistaken in thinking that the expression inJane's eyes was softened to the verge of dreaminess and my inmost soulshouted at the idea of Jane and Polk and their day alone in the woods. 

Since that night that Polk humiliated me as completely as a man canhumiliate a woman, he has looked at me like a whipped child, and Ihaven't looked at him at all I have used Jane as a wide-spread fanbehind which to hide from him. How was I to know what was going on onthe other side of the fan?

It is a relief to realize that in the world there are at least a fewwomen like Jane that don't have to be protected from Polk and his kind. Jane is one of the hunted that has turned and has come back to meet thepursuer with outstretched and disarming hand. This, I suspect, is to beabout her first real tussle; skoal to the victor!

"I advised your Aunt Augusta to ask you to talk again to your UnclePeter, and Nell is to seek an interview with Mr. Hardin at her earliestopportunity, though I think the only result will be instruction anduplift for Nell, as a more illumined thing I never had said to me on thesubject of the relation of men and women than the one he uttered to melast night, as he said good-by to me out on the porch in that gloriousmoonlight that seems brighter here in Glendale than I have ever seen itout in the world anywhere else. "

"What did he say?" I asked perfectly naturally, though a double-bladedpain was twisted around in my solar plexus as the vision of Jane's lastnight interview in the moonlight with the Crag, and Nell'ssoon-to-be-one, hit me broadside at the same time. I haven't had one bymyself with him for a week. 

"Why, of course, women are the breath that men draw into their lungs oflife to supply eternal combustion, " was what he said when I asked himpoint-blank what he thought of the League. "Only let us breathe slowlyas we ascend to still greater elevations with their consequent rarefiedair, " he added, with the most heavenly thoughtfulness in his fine face. "Did it ever occur to you, Evelina, that your Cousin James is really aradiantly beautiful man? How could you be so mistaken, as to both himand his personal appearance, as to apply such a name as Crag to him?"

Glendale is going to Jane's head!

"Don't you think he looks scraggy in that long-tailed coat, shocks oftaggy hair and a collar big enough to fit Old Harpeth?" I askeddeceitfully. 

Why shouldn't I tell Jane what I really thought of Cousin James anddiscuss him broadly and frankly? I don't know! Lately I don't want tothink about him or have anybody mention him in my presence. I've got aconsciousness of him way off in a corner of me somewhere and I'm justbrooding over it. Everybody in town has been in this house since Janehas been here, all the time, and I haven't seen him alone for ages itseems. Maybe that's why I have had to make a desert island inside myselfto take him to. 

"And I have been thinking since you told me of the situation in which heand Mrs. Carruthers have been placed by this financial catastrophe, howwonderful it will be if love really does come to them, when her grief ishealed by time. He will rear her interesting children into women thatwill be invaluable to the commonwealth, " Jane continued as she tied ablue bow on the end of her long black plait. 

"Do you think that there--there are any signs of--of such a thing yet?"I asked with pitiful weakness as I wilted down into my pillow. 

"Just a bit in his manner to her, though I may be influenced in myjudgment by the evident suitability of such a solution of thesituation, " she answered as she settled herself back against one of theposts of my high old bed and looked me clean through and through, evenunto the shores of that desert island itself. 

"I hope you have been noting these different emotional situations andreactions among your friends carefully in your record, Evelina, " shecontinued in an interested and biological tone of voice and expressionof eye. "In a small community like this it is much easier to get at thereal underlying motive of such things than it is in a more complicatedcivilization. I have seen you transcribing notes into our book. Since Ihave come to Glendale I am more firmly determined than ever that theattitude of emotional equality that we determined upon in the spring isthe true solution of most of the complicated man-and-woman problems. Iam anxious to see it tried out in five other different communities thatwe will select. I would not seem to be indelicate, dear, but I do notsee any signs of your having been especially drawn emotionally towardsany of your friends, though your attitude of sisterly comradeship andfrankness with them is more beautiful than I thought it was possible forsuch a thing to be. You are not being tempted to shirk any of yourduties of womanhood because of your interest in your art, are you? Iwill confess to you that the thing that brought me down upon you wasyour news of this commission for the series of station-gardens. I thinkyou will probably work better after this side of your nature is at rest. Of course, a union with Mr. Hall would be ideal for you. You mustconsider it seriously. "

The "must" in Jane's voice sounded exactly like that "must" looked inRichard's telegram, which has been enforced with others just asemphatic ever since. 

There are some men who are big enough to take a woman with a wound inher heart and heal both it and her by their love. Richard is one of thatkind. What could any woman want more than her work and a man like that?

After Jane had laid her strong-minded head on the hard pillow, that Ihad had to have concocted out of bats of cotton for her, I laid my faceagainst my own made of the soft breast feathers of a white flock ofhovering hen-mothers and wept on their softness. 

A light was burning down in the lodge at the gate of Widegables. Hehasn't gone back to his room to sleep, even when I have Jane'sstrong-mindedness in the house with me. I remember that I gave my wordof honor to myself that I wouldn't try any of my modern emotionalexperiments on him the first night I slept in this house alone, withonly him over there to keep me from dying with primitive woman fright. Ishall keep my word to myself and propose to Richard if my contract withJane and the Five seems to call for it. In the meantime if I choose tocry myself to sleep it is nobody's business. 

I wonder if a mist rises up to Heaven every night from all thewoman-tears in all the world, and if God sees it, as it clings damparound the hem of His garment, and smiles with such warm understandingthat it vanishes in a soft glow of sleep that He sends down to us!

Jane has arisen early several mornings and spent an hour beforebreakfast composing a masterly and Machiavellian letter of invitationfrom the Equality League to the inhabitants of Glendale and thesurrounding countryside to and beyond Bolivar to attend the rally givenby them in honor of the C. & G. Railroad Commission on Tuesday next. Itis to come out to-day in the weekly papers of Glendale, Bolivar, Hillsboro, and Providence, and I hope there will not be so many cases ofheart-failure from rage that the gloom of many funerals will put out thelight of the rally. I hope no man will beat any woman in the HarpethValley for it, and if he does, I hope he will do it so neither Jane norI will hear of it. 

It was Aunt Augusta who thought up the insulting and incendiary plan ofhaving the rally as an offering of hospitality from the League, and Ihope if Uncle Peter is going to die over it he will not have the finalexplosion in my presence. 

Privately I spent a dollar and a half sending a night-letter to Richardall about it and asking him if the Commissioners would be willing tostand for this feminist plank in the barbecue deal. He had sent me thenicest letter of acceptance from the Board when I had written theinvitation to them through him, as coming from the perfectly ladylikefeminine population of Glendale, and I didn't like to get them into awoman-whirlwind without their own consent. I paid the boy at thetelegraph office five dollars not to talk about the matter to a humansoul, and threatened to have him dismissed if he did, so the bomb-shellwas kept in until this afternoon. 

Richard replied to the telegram with characteristic directness:

 Delighted to be in at the fight. Seven of us rabid suffragists, two on the fence, and a half roast pig will convert the other. Found no answer to my question in letter of last Tuesday. Must!

 RICHARD. 

It was nice of Jane to write out and get ready her bomb-shell and thengo off with Polk, so as not to see it explode. But I'm glad she did. However, I did advise her to take a copy of it along with the reels andthe lunch-basket to read to him, as a starter of their day to bedevoted to the establishment of a perfect friendship between them. 

Polk didn't look at me even once as I helped pack them and their trapsinto his Hupp, but Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like Polk inhis white flannels, and he and Jane made a picture of perfectly blendedtailored smartness as they got ready for the break-away. 

There are some men that acquire feminine obligations as rough cheviotdoes lint and Henrietta is one of Polk's when it comes to the fishingdays. He takes her so often that she thinks she owns him and all thetrout in Little Harpeth, and she landed in the midst of the picnic withher fighting clothes on. 

"Where are you and her going at, --fishing?" she asked in a calmlycontrolled voice that both of them had heard before, and which made usquail in our boots and metaphorically duck our heads. 

"Yes, we--er thought we would, " he answered with an uncertainty ofvoice and manner that bespoke abject fear. 

"I'll be d---- if you shall, " came the explosion, hot and loud. "I wantto go fishing with you, Polk, my own self, and she ain't no good fornothing any way. You can't take her!"

"Henrietta!" I both beseeched and commanded in one breath. 

"No, she ain't no good at all, " was reiterated in the stormy young voiceas Henrietta caught hold of the nose of the panting Hupp and stooddirectly in the path of destruction, if Polk had turned the drivingwheel a hair's breadth. "Uncle Peter says that she is er going to turnthe devil loose in Glendale, so they won't be no more whisky and no morebabies borned and men will get they noses rubbed in their plates, ifthey don't eat the awful truck she is er going to teach the women tocook for their husbands. An' the men won't marry no more then at all, and I'll have to be a old maid like her. "

Now, why did I write weeks ago that I would like to witness an encounterbetween Jane and Henrietta! I didn't mean it, but I got it!

Without ruffling a hair or changing color Jane stepped out of the Huppand faced the foe. Henrietta is a tiny scrap of a woman, intense in awild, beautiful, almost hunted kind of way, and she is so thin that itmakes my heart ache. She is being fairly crushed with the beautifuldepending weight of her mother and the responsibility of the twins, andsomehow she is most pathetic. I made a motion to step between her andJane, but one look in Jane's face stopped me. 

"Dear, " she said, in her rich, throaty, strong voice as she lookedpleadingly at the militant midget facing her. Suddenly I was thatlonesome, homesick freshman by the waters of Lake Waban, with Jane'sawkward young arm around me, and I stood aside to let Henrietta comeinto her heritage of Jane. "Don't you want to come with us?" was thesoft question that followed the commanding word of endearment. 

"No!" was the short, but slightly mollified answer as Henrietta dug hertoes into the dust and began to look fascinated. 

"I'm glad you don't want to come, because I've got some very importantbusiness to ask you to attend to for me, " answered Jane, in the brisktone of voice she uses in doing business with women, and which intereststhem intensely by its very novelty and flatters them by seeming to endowthem with a kind of brain they didn't know they possessed. "I want youto go upstairs and get my pocketbook. Be careful, for there is over ahundred dollars in the roll of bills--Evelina will give you the key tothe desk--and go down to the drug store where they keep nice littleclocks and buy me the best one they have. Then please you wind it upyourself and watch it all day to see if it keeps time with the clock inyour hall, and if it varies more than one minute, take it back and getanother. While you are in the drug store, if you have time, won't youplease select me a new tooth-brush and some nice kind of paste that youthink is good? Make them show you all they have. Pay for it out of oneof the bills. "

"Want any good, smelly soap?" I came out of my trance of absoluteadmiration to hear Henrietta ask in the capable voice of a secretary toa millionaire. Her thin little face was flushed with excitement andimportance, and she edged two feet nearer the charmer. 

"It would be a good thing to get about a half dozen cakes, wouldn't it?"answered Jane, with slight uncertainty in her voice as if leaving thedecision of the matter partly to Henrietta. 

"Yes, I believe I would, " Henrietta decided judicially. "The 'New MownHay' is what Jasper got for Petunia because he hit her too hard lastweek and swelled her eye. They is a perfumery that goes with it at onequarter a bottle. That makes it all cheaper. "

"Exactly the thing, and we mustn't spend money unnecessarily, " Janeagreed. "But I don't want to trespass on your time, Henrietta, dear, "she added with the deference she would have used in speaking to thePresident of the Nation League or the founder of Hull House. 

"No, ma'am, I'm glad to do it, and I'll go quick 'fore it gets any laterin the day for me to watch the clock, " answered Henrietta in statelytones that were very like Jane's and which I had never heard her employbefore. 

And before any of the three of us got our breath her bare little feetwere flashing up my front walk. 

"Help!" exclaimed Polk as he leaned back from his wheel and fannedhimself with his hat. "Do you use the same methods with grown beaststhat you do with cubs?" he added weakly. 

"It's the same she has always used on me, only this is more dramatic. Beware!" I said with a laugh as I insisted on just one squeeze of Jane'swhite linen arm as she was climbing back into the car. 

"That's a remarkably fine child and she should have good, dependable, business-like habits put in the place of faulty and useless ones. Herprofanity will make no difference for the present and can be easilycorrected. Don't interfere with her attending to my commissions, Evelina. Let's start, Mr. Hayes. " And Jane settled herself calmly forthe spin out Providence Road. 

"All the hundred dollars all by herself, Jane?" I called after them. 

"Yes, " floated back positively in the wake of the Hupp. 

For several hours I attended to the business of my life in a haze ofmeditation. If Henrietta ticks off the same number of minutes on thewoman-clock from Jane's standpoint, that Jane has marked off from herown mother's, high noon is going to strike before we are ready for it. 

But it was only an hour or two of high-minded communing with the futurethat I got the time for, before I was involved in the whirl of dust thatswirled around the storm center, to darken and throw a shadow overGlendale about the time of the publication of the Glendale News, whichoccurs every Thursday near the hour of noon, so that all the subscriberscan take that enterprising sheet home to consume while waiting fordinner, and can leave it for the women of their families to enjoy in theafternoon. 

I suspect that the digestion of Jane's Equality rally invitationinterfered with the digestion of much fried chicken, corn, and sweetpotatoes, under the roof-trees of the town and I spent the afternoon inhearing results and keeping up the spirits of the insurgents. 

Caroline came in with her head so high that she had difficulty in seeingover her very slender and aristocratic nose, with a note from LeeGreenfield which had just come to her, asking her to go with him in hiscar over to Hillsboro to spend the day with Tom Pollard's wife, a visithe knows she has been dying to make for two months, for she was one ofPet's bridesmaids. He made casual and dastardly mention that there wouldbe a moon to come home by, but ignored completely the fact that Tuesdaywas the day on which he had been invited by the League, of which he knewshe was a member, to meet and rally around the C. & G. Commission. 

I helped her compose the answer, and I must say we hit Lee only in highspots. I could see she was scared to death, and so was I, but her danderwas up, and I backed mine up along side it for the purpose of support. Besides I feel in my heart that that note will dynamite the rocky oldsituation between them into something more easily handled. 

She had just gone to dispatch the missive by their negro gardener whenMamie and Sallie came clucking in. Mamie's face was pink andhigh-spirited, but Sallie was in one complete slump of mind and body. 

"Mr. Haley has just stopped by to say that he thinks no price is toogreat to pay for peace, and fellowship, and good-will in a community, "she said, as she dropped into a rocker and looked pensively after theretreating figure of the handsome young Dominie, who had accompaniedthem to the gate but wisely no farther. He didn't know that Jane hadgone with Polk. 

"And women to pay the price, " answered Mamie, spiritedly. "I have justtold Ned that as yet I do not know enough to argue the question ofwoman's wrongs with him, but I have learned a few of her rights. One of_mine_ is to have him accept any invitation I am responsible for havingmy friends offer him, and to accompany me to the entertainment if Idesire to go. I reminded him that I had not troubled him often as anescort since my marriage. He was so scared that he almost let little Neddrop out of his arms, and he got in an awful hurry to go to town, but heasked me to have his gray flannels pressed before Tuesday and to buy hima blue tie to go with a new shirt he has. I never like to spank Ned orthe children, but I must say it does clear the atmosphere. "

"You don't think we could put it off or--or--" Sallie faltered. 

"No!" answered Mamie and I together, and as I spoke I called Jasper toset out more rockers and have Petunia get the tea-tray ready, for I sawAunt Augusta go across the road to collect Cousin Martha and Mrs. Hargrove and the rest, while Nell whirled by in her rakish little car onher way to the Square and called that she would be back. 

When Nell used a thousand dollars of her own money, left her by hergrandmother, to buy that little Buick, Glendale promptly had a spell ofepilepsy that lasted for days. The whole town still dodges and swearswhen it sees her coming, for she drives with a combination of femininerecklessness and masculine speed that is to say the least alarming. Tosee Aunt Augusta out for a spin with her is a delicious sight. 

And it was most interesting to listen to a minute description of thecomposite fit thrown by the male population of Glendale, at their rallyinvitation, but as time was limited I finally coaxed the conversationaround to the subject of the viands to be offered the lordly creaturesin the way of propitiation for the insult that we were forcing them toswallow by taking matters in our own hands, and then we had a reallyglorious time. 

I am glad I have had a year or more in Paris, months in Italy, weeks inBerlin, and a sojourn in England, just so that I can be sure myself andassure the others with authority that there are no such cooks in all theworld as the women in the Harpeth Valley of Tennessee, United States ofAmerica. 

The afternoon wore away on the wings of magic, and the long, purpleshadows were falling across the street, a rustle of cool night wind wasstirring the tree-tops and the first star was coming timidly out intothe gloaming, before they all realized that it was time to hurry andscurry under roof-trees. 

Lee Greenfield was waiting at the gate for Caroline. 

Just as Henrietta had taken a last peep at the clock on the hall tableand gone to answer Sallie's call to come and help Aunt Dilsie in thebedding of the Kitten and the Pup, Polk's Hupp stopped at the gate, andhe and Jane came up the front walk in the twilight together. 

She had on his flannel coat over her linen one and his expression wasone of glorified and translucent daze. I didn't look at her--I felt asif I couldn't. I was scared! For a second she held me in her arms andkissed me, _really_--the first time she had ever done it in all mylife--and then went on upstairs with a nice, cool good-night and "thankyou" to Polk. 

"Evelina, " he said, as he handed me the empty lunch-basket and also theempty fish-bucket, the first he had ever in his life brought in fromLittle Harpeth, "I was right about that Hallelujah chorus being the truedefinition of the real woman--only they are more so. I have seen alight, and you pointed the way. Will you forgive me for being what Iwas--and trust me--with--with--good-night!" He was gone!

Jane's kiss had been one of revelation--to me!

For a long time I sat out there in the cool, hazy, windy autumntwilight breeze, that was heavy with the scent of luscious wild grapesand tasseled corn, fanning the flame of loneliness in me until Icouldn't have stood it any longer if a tall gray figure of relief hadnot come up the street and called me down to my front gate. 

"Hail the instigator of a bloodless revolution, " laughed the Crag as Istopped myself with difficulty on the opposite side of the gate fromhim. "The city fathers will have to capitulate, and now for the reign ofthe mothers!"

"And the same old route to subjection chosen, through their stomachs totheir civic hearts, " I answered impudently. 

Overlooking my pertness he went on:

"Mayor Shelby was at home with Mrs. Augusta for two hours after dinnerand, as I came by the post-office, I heard him telling Polk inremarkably chastened, if not entirely chaste language, that it was'better to let the women have their kick-up on a feeding propositionthan on something worse, ' as he classically put it. "

"I know it is a great victory, " I answered weakly, "but I'm too tired toglory in it. I wish I was Sallie's Puppy being trotted across AuntDilsie's knee, or Kit, getting a rocking in Cousin Martha's arms. "

"Would any other arms do for the rocking?" came in a queer, audaciousvoice, with a note in it that stilled something in me and made all theworld seem to be holding its breath. 

"I'm tired of revoluting and it's--it's tenderness I want, " I falteredin a voice that hardly seemed strong enough to get so far up out of myheart as to reach the ears of the Crag as he bent his head down closeover mine. He had come on my side of the gate at the first weak littlecry I had let myself make a minute or two before. 

[Illustration: "Is this right?" he asked]

"Is this right?" he asked, as he gently took me in his arms, hollowedhis shoulder for a place for my head, and leaning against the oldgate he began to swing me gently to and fro, his cheek against my hairand humming Aunt Dilsie's

"Swing low sweet chariot, fer to carry me home. "

It was. 

I know now what I want and I am going to have it. I'll fight the wholeworld with naked hands for him. And I'm also going to find some way toget him with all his absurd niceties of honor intact, just because thatwill make him happier. 

I'll begin at the beginning and some way unclasp those gourdy tendrilsthat Sallie has been strangling him with. I will bunch all the rest ofhis feminine collection and take them on my own hands. I'm going to makea Governor out of him, and then a United States Senator and finally aSupreme Judge. Help! Think of the old Mossback being a progressive, butthat's my party and Jane's. 

I know he is going to hate terribly to have me ask him to marry me, andI hate to hurt him so, but it is my duty to get Jane's fifty thousanddollars so the Five may be as happy as I am to-night; only there aren'tfive other Crags. I know it will be a life-long mortification to him tohave me do it, but he lost his chance to-night grand-mothering me. Still, I did turn my lips away. I was not quite ready then--I am now. 

If he wants to go on wearing clothes like that I'm going to let him, even on the Senate floor, but I can't ever stand for Cousin Jasmine tocut his hair any more. I want to do it myself, and I'm going to tell herso, and why. She and I have cried over that miniature of the lost youngConfederate cousin of hers and she'll understand me. 

But as I think it over--it always is best to be kind, and I believe I'lllet him get through this rally--it's just four days--free and happy man. 

I don't know whether to go in and wake up Jane or not. I would like togo to sleep with that kiss revelation between us, but maybe it is myduty to the Five to extract some data from her while it is fresh, on thefoam. I am afraid it is going to go hard with her, but somehow I have anewborn faith in Polk that makes me feel that he will make it as easy ashe can for her. 

Isn't it a glorious thing to realize that neither she nor I will have tosit and be tortured by waiting to see what those men are going to do?

CHAPTER IX

DYNAMITE

When a man injures a woman's feelings by any particular course ofconduct to which she objects, the maternal in her rises to the surfaceand she treats and forgives him as she would a naughty child, --but a manmakes any kind of woman-affront into a lover's quarrel. That is whatmasculine Glendale has been doing to its women folks for four days, andI believe everybody has been secretly enjoying it. 

As to the rally, they have stood aside with their hands in their pocketsand their noses in the air, and if it hadn't been for Aunt Augusta andNell and Jane being natural-born carpenters and draymen, we might havehad to give it up and let them go on with it to their own glory. 

When Nell and Jane went to see Mr. Dodd about building the long tablesto serve the barbecue dinner on, he said he was too busy to do it andhadn't even any lumber to sell. 

Then things happened in my back yard that it sounds like a romance towrite about. Jane sent me over to borrow the Crag's team and wagon andHenrietta and Cousin Martha and any of the rest of his woman-impedimentathat I could get. He was out of town, trying a case over at Bolivar, andwouldn't get back until Monday night. 

I am glad he wasn't here, for it would have gone hard with me to treathim in the manner that Jane decided it was best for all the women inGlendale to treat all the men in this crisis. It sounded sweet and coldas molasses dispenses itself to you in midwinter, and I could see it wasa strain on Mamie and Caroline and Mrs. Kirkland, Nell's mother, andyoung Mrs. Dodd, the carpenter's wife, --the Boston girl that married himbefore she realized him, --to keep it up from day to day. 

Besides that I'm going to be a politician's wife--though he doesn't knowit yet--and I want the Crag to be away from the necessity of taking anysides in this civilized warfare. That's one reason I am such ago-between for Uncle Peter and the League, I am making votes for my man, so I consider it all right for me never to deliver any of their messagesto each other as they are given to me, but to twist them intoagreeability to suit myself. 

Sallie said the Dominie was entirely on our side and that was why shewent walking with him Sunday afternoon. All the other men were cool tohim and he is so sensitive. 

But to get back to the back yard. I glory in writing it and want theFive to consider it as almost sacred data, though I hope they will neverhave to do likewise. 

Jane and Nell and Aunt Augusta took the two axes and one large hammerand tore down my back fence while I and the others loaded the planks onthe wagon. Jane appointed Henrietta to sit and hold the slow old horsesin case they should have got demoralized by the militant atmospherepervading Glendale and try to bolt. I never saw any human being enjoyherself as Henrietta did, and it was worth it all just to look into herradiant countenance. 

Jane took all the hard top blows to do herself and left the unlooseningof the lower nails to Aunt Augusta while Nell ripped off the planks thatstuck. I could almost hear Nell's long, polished finger nails go with arip every time she jerked a particularly tough old plank intosubjection, and Aunt Augusta dispensed encouraging axioms about pioneerwork as she banged along behind Jane. Jane herself looked as cool as acucumber, didn't get the least bit ruffled, and had the expression onher face that the truly normal woman has while she is hemming a baby'sflannel petticoat. 

And though during the day many delightful crises were precipitated, themost interesting were the expressions that devastated Polk Hayes's andLee Greenfield's faces as they came around the side of the house to seewhat all that hammering was about. 

"Caroline!" exclaimed Lee, in perfect agony, as he beheld the lady ofhis ardent, though long-restrained, affections poised across the wheelof the wagon tugging at the middle of a heavy plank which Mrs. Dodd andI were pushing up to her, while Mamie, the mother of seven, stood firmlyon top of the wagon guiding it into place. 

"Help!" gasped Polk, as he started to take the ax from Jane by force. 

Then we all stopped while Jane quietly gurgled the molasses of thesituation to them, and sent them on down the street sadder and wisermen. I thought Polk was going to cry on her shoulder before he wasfinally persuaded to go and leave us to our fate, and the expression onLee's face as he looked up at torn, dirty, perspiring Caroline, with asmudge on her nose and blood on her hand from an absolutelyinsignificant scratch, was such as ought to have been on Ned's face ashe ought to have been standing by Mamie with the asafetida bottle. That's mixed up but the Five ought to catch the point. 

It took up all of Saturday afternoon and part of Monday morning, but webuilt those tables, thereby disciplining masculine Glendale with aseverity that I didn't think could have been in us. 

We all rested on Sunday, that is, ostensibly. Jane put down all sorts ofthings on paper that everybody had to do on Monday and on Tuesday. Henrietta sat by her in a state of trance and it did me good to seeSallie out in the hammock at Widegables taking care of both the Kit andthe Pup, laboriously assisted by panting Aunt Dilsie, because Janeexplained to her so beautifully that she needed a lot of Henrietta'stime, that Sallie acquiesced with good-natured bewilderment. Of course, Cousin Jasmine helped her some, but she was busy aiding Cousin Martha tobeat up some mysterious eggs in the kitchen--with the shutters shutbecause it was Sunday. It was something that takes two days to "set" andwas to be the _pièce de résistance_, after the barbecue. 

Mrs. Hargrove couldn't help Sallie at all with the kiddies, either, because she was looking through all her boxes and bundles for a letterfrom her son, which she thought said something about favoring woman'srights, and if it is like she thinks it is, she is going to go to thebarbecue and get things nice and hot instead of having them brought toher cold. 

I had hoped to get a few minutes Sunday afternoon to myself so I couldgo up into the garret and look through one of the trunks I brought fromParis with me to see how many sets of things I have got left. I am goingto need a trousseau pretty soon, and I might need it more suddenly thanI expect. I don't see any reason for people's not marrying immediatelywhen they make up their minds, and my half of ours is made up strongenough to decidedly influence rapidity in his. But then I really don'tbelieve that the Crag would care very much about the high lights of atrousseau, and it was just as well that Nell came in to get me to helpher write a letter to National Headquarters to know if she could haveany kind of assignment in the Campaign for the Convention to alter theConstitution in Tennessee when it meets next winter. 

"Have you made up your mind fully to go in for public life, Nell?" Iasked mildly. "Some of your friends might not like it very muchand--and--"

"If you mean Polk Hayes, Evelina, " Nell answered with the positivenessthat only a very young person can get up the courage to use, "I haveforgot that I was ever influenced by his narrow-minded, primitivepersonality at all. If I ever love and marry it will be a man who canappreciate and further my real woman's destiny. "

"Well, then, that's all right, " I answered with such relief in my heartthat it must have showed in my voice and face. I had worried about Nellsince I could see plainly, though she hasn't told me yet, and I am surehe doesn't realize it, that Jane had decided Folk's destiny. Nell is nottwenty-one yet and she will find lots of men in the world that will befully capable of making her believe they feel that way about herdestiny, until they succeed in tying her up to using it for the realutilitarian purposes they are sure such a pretty woman is created for. 

It will take men in general another hundred years yet, and lots ofsuffering, to realize that a woman's destiny is anything but himself, and get to housekeeping with her on that basis. 

Of course, I see the justice and need of perfect equality in all thingsbetween the sexes, emotional equality especially, but I hope the timewill never come when men get as hungry to see their women folks as saidfeminists get to see them, after they have been away about four days outin the Harpeth Valley. It takes a woman's patience to stand the tug. 

The Crag didn't jog into Glendale on his raw-boned old horse untilone-thirty Monday night. I had been watching down Providence Road forhim from my pillow ever since I put out my light at eleven, because Janehad decided that it was our duty to go to bed early so as to be as freshas possible for the rally in the morning. She had walked to the gatewith Polk at ten and hadn't come back until eleven, so, of course, shewas ready to turn in. It was just foolish, primitive old conventionthat kept me from slipping on my slippers and dressing-gown--I've gotthe prettiest ones that ever came across the Atlantic, Louise deMereton, Rue de Rivoli, Paris--and going down to the gate to see him forjust a minute. That second he stood undecided in the middle of the roadlooking at my darkened house was agony that I'm not going to put up withvery much longer. 

Scientifically I feel that I'm thinking life with one lobe of my brainand breathing with one lung. Still I made myself go to sleep. 

Everybody believes in God in a different kind of way, and mine satisfiesme entirely. I know that the hairs of my head are numbered and that nota sparrow falls; and I don't stop at that. I feel sure that my tears aremeasured and my smiles are rejoiced over, and when I want a good day tocome to me I ask for it and mostly get it. There never was another likethe one He sent me down this morning on the first slim ray of dawn thatslid over the side of Old Harpeth!

The sun was warm and jolly and hospitable from the arrival of its firstrays, but the wind was deliciously cool and bracing and full of the wineof October. It came racing across the fields laden with harvest scents, blustering a bit now and then enough to bring down a shower of nuts orto make the yellow corn in the shocks in the fields rustle ominously ofa winter soon to come. 

The maples on the bluff were garmented in royal crimson brocaded withyellow, the buck-bushes that grew along the edges of the rocks werestrung with magenta berries and regiments of tall royal purple ironweeds and yellow-plumed golden-rod were marshaled in squads and clumpsfor a background for the long tables. 

Jane and I with Henrietta were out by the old gray moss rock at thefirst break of day, installing Jasper and Petunia and a few of their_confrères_. Jasper has always been king of all Glendale barbecue-pitsand he had had them dug the day before and filled with dry hickory firesall night, and his mien was so haughty that I trembled for the slavesunder his command. His basket of "yarbs" was under the side of the rockin hoodoo-like shadows and the wagons of poor, innocent, sacrificedlambs and turkeys and sucking-pigs were backed up by the largestinfernal pit. Petunia was already elbow deep in a cedar tub of corn mealfor the pones, and another minion was shucking late roasting-ears andwashing the sweet potatoes to be packed down with the meat by eighto-clock. A wagon was to collect the baked hams and sandwiches andbiscuits and confections of all variety and pedigree from the rest ofthe League at ten o'clock. 

We didn't know it then but another wagon was already being loaded veryprivately in town with ice and bottles, glasses and lemons and mint andkegs and schooners. I am awfully glad that the Equality League hadforgotten all about the wetting up of the rally, because I don't believewe would have been equal to the situation with Aunt Augusta and Janeboth prohibition enthusiasts, but it did so promote the sentiment ofpeace and good cheer during the day for us to all feel that the men hadnot failed us in a crisis, as well as in the natural qualities inherentin their offering for the feast. There was a whole case of Uncle Peter'sprivate stock. Could human nature have done better than that?

But if we did forget to provide the liquids, I am glad we had theforesight to provide other viands enough to feed a regiment, because awhole army came. 

"Evelina, " gasped Jane, as we stood on the edge of the bluff thatcommands a view of almost all the Harpeth Valley stretched out like thevery garden of Eden itself, crossed by silver creeks, lined with broadroads and mantled in the richness of the harvest haze, "can all thosewagons full of people be coming to accept our invitation?"

"Yes, they're our guests, " I answered, with the elation of generationsof rally-givers rising in my breast, as I saw the stream of wagons andcarriages and buggies, with now and then a motor-car, all approachingGlendale from all points of the compass. 

"Have we enough to feed them. Jasper?" she turned and asked in stillfurther alarm. 

"Nothing never give out in Glendale yit, since we took the cover offenthe pits for Old Hickory in my granddad's time, " he answered, with atrace of offense in his voice, as he stood over a half tub of buttermixing in his yarbs with mutterings that sounded like incantations. Idrew Jane away for I felt that it was no time to disturb him, when thebasting of his baked meats was just about to begin. 

I was glad that about all the countryside had gathered, unhitched theirwagons, picketed their horses, and got down to the enjoyment of the daybefore the motor-cars bringing the distinguished guests had even startedfrom Bolivar. It was great to watch the farmers slap neighbors on theback, exchange news and tobacco plugs, while the rosy women folksgrouped and ungrouped in radiant good cheer with children squirming andtangling over and under and around the rejoicings. 

"This, Evelina, " remarked Jane, with controlled emotion in her voice anda mist in her eyes behind their glasses, "is not only the bone and sinewbut also the rich red blood in the arteries of our nation. I feelhumbled and honored at being permitted to go among them. "

And the sight of dear old Jane "mixing" with those Harpeth Valley farmerfolk was one of the things I have put aside to remember for always. Theyall knew me, of course, and I was a bit teary at their greetings. Bigmotherly women took me in their arms and younger ones laid their babiesin my arms and laughed and cried over me, while every few minutes somerugged old farmer would call out for Colonel Shelby's "little gal" andlook searchingly in my face for the likeness to my fire-eating, oldConfederate, politician father. 

But it was Jane that took them by storm and kept them, too, through thecrisis of the day. Jane is the _reveille_ the Harpeth Valley has beenwaiting for for fifty years. I thought I was, but Jane is it. 

And it was into an atmosphere of almost hilarious enjoyment that thedistinguished Commission arrived a few minutes before noon, just asJasper's barbecue-pits were beginning to send forth absolutely maddeningaromas. 

Nell whirled up the hill first and turned her Buick across the road bythe bluff with that rakish skill of hers that always sends my heart intomy throat. And whom did she have sitting at her blue, embroidered linenelbow but Richard Hall himself? Good old big, strong dandy Dickie, howgreat it was to see him again, and if I had had my own heart in mybreast it would have leaped with delight at the sight of him! But eventhe Crag's that I had exchanged mine for, though it was an entirestranger to Dickie, beat fast enough in sympathy with the dance in myeyes to send the color up to my face in good fashion as I hurried acrossa clump of golden-rod to meet him. 

"Evelina, the Lovely!" he exclaimed in his big booming voice, as he tookme by both shoulders and shook me instead of shaking merely my hand. 

"Richard the Royal!" I answered in our old _Quartier Latin_ form ofgreeting. I didn't look right into his eyes as I always had, however, and something sent a keen pain through the exchanged heart in my breastat the thought that I might be obliged to hurt the dandy old dear. 

But suddenly the sight of Nell's loveliness cheered me. She had hadDick in that car with her ever since nine o'clock, almost three hours, showing him the sights of that teeming heavy lush harvest countrysidearound Bolivar and Glendale, all over which are low-roofed old countryhouses which brood over families that cluster around the unit that oneman and a woman make in their commonwealth. Nell's eyes were sweet asshe looked at him. I'll wait and see if I need to worry over him. Withthe fervor I felt I had a right to, I then avoided the issue ofRichard's eyes, put it up to God and Nell, and introduced him to Jane. 

And while the three of them stood waiting for Nell to back up the Buickand put her spark-plug in her pocket, --only Richard calmly took it andput it in his, --the rest of the cars came up the hill and turned intothe edge of the golden-rod. 

Aunt Augusta was in the first one with the Chairman of the Commission, whose name even would have paralyzed anybody but Aunt Augusta; andMamie and Cousin Martha, Caroline and several more of the ladies made upthe rest of the Committee who had gone to escort the distinguishedguests to the rally. 

The Crag was in the last car with a perfectly delicious old gray-hairededition of Dickie, and I almost fell on both their necks at once. Whatsaved them was Polk appearing between us with three long mint-toppedglasses. 

I'm glad old Dick immediately had his eyebrows well tangled in the mintof his julep, for I got my own eyes farther down into Cousin James'sdeep gray ones than I expected and it was hard to come up. I hadn't hada plunge in them for three days and I went pretty deep. 

"Eve!" he said softly, as he raised his glass and smiled across hisgreen tuft. 

Yes, I know he knows that I know, there is an answer to that name whenhe says it that way, but I'm not going to give it until I am ready andthe place is romantically secluded enough to suit me. He just dares mewhen he says it to me before other people. That reminds me, the harvestmoon is full to-night and rises an hour later every evening from now on. I don't want to wait another month before I propose to him. I've alwayschosen moonlight for that catastrophe of my life. I wonder if men haveas good times planning the culmination of their suits as I am havingwith mine?

But I had to come down quickly to a little thing like the rally and givethe signal to feed all the five hundred people, who by that time werenice, polite, ravening wolves, for Jasper had uncovered the turkey-pitto keep them from getting too brown while the lambs caught up with them. 

Jane was the master of ceremonies, because I balked at the last minute. I think I would be capable of managing even a National Convention inChicago--that far away from the Harpeth Valley, --but I couldn't do itwith my friends of pioneer generations looking on. A man or woman nevergrows up at all to the woman who has knitted baby socks for them or theman who has let them ride down the hill on the front of his saddle. 

And at the head of the center table Jane asked the Crag to sit besideher, so that he would be in place to command attention for her when shewanted to speak, and where everybody could hear him when he did. 

And while the table was piled high and emptied, and piled high again, somany bouquets of oratory were culled, tied, and cast at the guests alongthe table that I believe they would have been obliged to pay exclusiveattention to them if the things to eat had not been just as odoriferousand substantial. Before dinner was over everybody had spoken that was ofa suitable age, and some that had heretofore in the Harpeth Valley beenconsidered of an unsuitable sex. 

Jane's speech of welcome made such an impression that it is no wondersome of the old mothers in Israel got up to iterate it, as the dinnerprogressed. 

She, as usual, refrained from prejudice-smashing andstones-at-glass-houses throwing, and she hadn't said ten sentencesbefore she had the whole feeding multitude with her. 

She began on the way our pioneer mothers had to contrive to keep lardersstocked and good things ready for the households, and she tickled thepalate of every man present by mentioning every achievement in aculinary way that every woman of his household had made in all thegenerations that had gone over Harpeth Valley. She called all theconcoctions by their right names, too, and she always gave the name ofthe originator, who was some dear old lady that was sleeping in theGreenwood at the foot of the hill, or in some grave over at Providenceor Hillsboro or Bolivar, and who was grandmother or great-grandmother toa hundred or more of the guests. I had wondered why Jane had been poringover that old autograph manuscript receipt book in my desk for days, andas she paid these modern resurrecting compliments to the long gonecooks, tears and laughed literally deluged the table. 

And as she built up, achievement by achievement, the domesticwoman-history of the valley, Jane showed in the most insidious waypossible how the pioneer women had been really the warp on which hadbeen woven the woof of the whole history of their part of the Nation, political, financial, and religious. I never heard anything like it inall my life, and as I looked down those long tables at those aroused, tense, farmer faces, I knew Jane had cracked the geological crust of theHarpeth Valley, and built a brake that would stop any whirlwind on thewoman-question that might attempt to come in on us over the Ridge fromthe outside world. They saw her point and were hard hit. When "Votes forWomen" gets to coming down Providence Road the farmers will hitch up awagon and take mother and the children with a well-packed lunch basketto meet it half way. This is a prophecy!

Then, after Jane sat down, I don't believe such a speechifying ever wasbefore as resounded out over the river, even in the time of Old Hickory. Everybody had something to say and got to his feet to say it well, evenif some of them did brandish a turkey wing or a Iamb rib to emphasizetheir points. 

And the women were the funniest things I ever beheld, as we were treatedto one maiden speech after another, issuing from the lips of plumpmatrons anywhere from thirty to sixty. They had never done it before, but liked it after they had tried. 

Mother Mayberry from Providence, who is the grand old woman of the wholevalley, having established her claim to the title thirty years ago bytaking up her dead doctor husband's practice and "riding saddlebags tosuffering ever since, " as she puts it, broke the feminine ice by risingfrom her seat by the side of one of the entranced Magnates, --who hadbeen so delighted with her and her philosophies that he could hardly dohis dinner justice, --and addressing the rally in her wonderful old voicewith her white curls flying and her cheeks as pink as a girl's. 

"Children, " she said, after everybody had clapped and clapped so shecouldn't get a start for several minutes, "The Harpeth Valley women havebeen a-marching along behind the men for many a day, because theirstrong shoulders had to break undergrowth for both, but now husbands andfathers and sons have got their feet up on the bluff of Paradise Ridge, and it does look like they will be a-reaching down their hands to helpus up, in the break of a new day, to stand by their side; and I, forone, say mount!--I'm ready!"

A perfect war of applause answered her, and Dickie's father got up to godown the whole length of the table to shake hands with her, but had towait until she came out of the embrace of Nell's fluffy arms, and got ahand free from the Magnate on one side and Aunt Augusta on the other. 

Even Sallie began to look speechful, and I believe she would have got upand spoken a few words on the subject of women, and how they need men tolook after them, but she said something to Mr. Haley, who shook his headand then got up and prosed beautifully to us for ten minutes, and wouldhave gone on longer, if he hadn't seen Henrietta begin to look mutinous. 

The feast had begun at one o'clock, but by Jasper's skilful maneuveringof one gorgeous viand after the other, into the right place, by havingrelays of pones browned to the right turn and potatoes at the properbursting point, it had been prolonged until the shadows of lateafternoon were beginning to turn purple. 

"Don't nobody ever leave one of my barbecue tables until sundown beginsto tetch up the empty bones, " has been his boast for years. And as hehad cleared away the last scrap from the last table, he leaned against atree, exhausted and triumphant, with alert, adoring eyes fixed on theCrag, who had risen in his place at the head of the long central table. 

I had felt entirely too far away from him down at the other end with oneof the junior Magnates and Dickie, but I was glad then that I sat so Icould look straight into his face as the light from across the HarpethValley illumined it without, while a wonderful glow lit it from within. 

All of the others had spoken of the achievements of their families andforefathers and vaunted the human history of the valley, but he spokeof the great hill-rimmed Earth Pocket itself. He gave the Earth creditfor the crops that she had yielded up for her children's sustenance. Hedescribed how she had bred forest kings for the building of their homes, granted stores of fuel from her mines for their warming, and nourishedgreat white cotton patches and flocks of sheep to clothe them fromfrosts and winds. 

And as he spoke in a powerful voice that intoned up in the tree-topslike a great deep bell, he turned and looked out over the valley with anexpression like what must have been on Moses's face when he saw into thepromised land. 

[Illustration: "She's our mother, " he said]

"She's our Mother, " he said, as he flung back the long lock from acrosshis forehead and stretched out his strong arm and slender hand towardsthe sun that was dropping fast down to the rim of Old Harpeth. "She hasbared her breasts to suckle us, covered us from sun and snow, and nowshe expects something from us. If she has built us strong and ready, then we are to answer when the world has need of us and her storehousesand mines. We are to give out her invitations and welcome all who arehungry and who come a-seeking. Gentlemen, her wealth and her fertilityare yours--and her beauty!"

For a long, long minute every face in the assembly was turned to thesetting sun, and a perfect glory rose from the valley and burned thecall of its grandeur into their eyes. We seemed to be looking acrossfields and forests and streams to the dim purple hills that might be theramparts of the Holy City itself, while just below us lay the littlequiet village of the dead whose souls must just have gone before. 

And after that everybody rose with one accord and began to hurry tostart out upon the long roads homeward, just as the great yellow moonrose in the east to balance the red old sun that was sinking in thewest. Only the Magnate sat still in his place for several long minuteslooking out across to Old Harpeth, and I wondered whether he wasthinking about the Eternal City or how many rails it was going to taketo span the valley at his feet. 

And I--I just stood on the edge of the bluff by myself and let my soullift up its wings of rejoicing that my Crag had got his beautiful desirefor apostrophizing the Mother-Valley so all the world might hear. Andthen suddenly it came over me in a great warm, uplifting, awe-inspiringrush that a woman who takes on herself voluntarily the responsibility ofmarrying a poet and an orator and a mystic, who is the complete editionof a Mossback that all those qualities imply, must square her shouldersfor a long, steady, pioneer march through a strange country. 

Could such achievement be for me?

"Please God!" I prayed right across into the sunset, "make me a fullcup that never fails him!"

I don't know how long I stood talking with God that way about my man, but when I turned and looked back under the maples everybody was gone, and I could hear the last rattle and whirl going down the hill. For asecond I felt that there was nobody but Him and me left on the hill, buteven in that second my heart knew better. 

"Now?" I questioned myself softly, out over to the yellow moon that hadat last languidly and gracefully risen, putting the finishing touch tothe scene I had been planning for my proposal. 

"Evelina, " said the Crag quietly from where he stood leaning against thetallest maple, "shall we stay here forever and ever, or hurry downthrough the cemetery by the short cut to the station to say good-by tothe railroaders as they expect us to do?"

Nobody ever had a better opening than that, and I ought to have said, "Be mine, be mine, " with some sort of personal variation of the theme, and have clapped him to my breast and been happy ever after. That iswhat a courageous man would have done under the circumstances, with anopportunity like that, but I got the worst kind of scare I everexperienced, and answered:

"How much time have we got? Do you think we can make it?"

"Plenty, " he answered comfortably as I began to quicken my pace to thelittle gate that leads between the hedge into the little half-acre ofthose who rest. Then as I tried to pass him, he caught my hand and mademe walk in the narrow path close at his side. 

[Illustration: Scrounged so close to his arm that it was difficult forboth of them to walk. ]

Now even a very strong-minded woman, who had to go through a littlegraveyard with moonlight making the tombstones glower out from deepshadows of cedar trees, in the depths of which strange birds croak, while the wind rustles the dry leaves into piles as they fall, wouldn'tfeel like honorably proposing to the man she intended to marry, evenif she was scrouged so close to his arm that it was difficult for bothof them to walk, would she?

I excuse myself this time, but I must hold myself to the same standardthat I want to hold Lee Greenfield to. How do I know that he hasn't hadall sorts of cold, creepy feeling's keeping him from proposing toCaroline?

I hereby promise myself that I will ask Cousin James to marry me thenext favorable opportunity I get, if I die with fright the next minute, or have to make the opportunity. 

Still, I can't help wondering what does keep him so composed under thecircumstances. Surely he wouldn't refuse me, but how do I know for sure?How does a man even know if a woman is--?

CHAPTER X

TOGETHER?

When business and love crowd each other on a man's desk he calmly putslove in a pigeon-hole to wait for a convenient time and attends strictlyto business, while a woman takes up and coddles the tender passion andstands business over in the corner with its face to the wall to keep itfrom intruding. 

Dickie has been here a whole week since the barbecue-rally, ostensiblytrying to get me down to making a few preliminary sketches for thegardens to his C. & G. Railroad stations, and, of course, I am going todo them. I'm interested in them and I'm sensible of the honor it is toget the chance of making them: but the moon didn't rise until after teno'clock last night and I'm getting nervous about that scene of sentimentI'm planning. I can't think of gardens!

Still, I am glad he stayed and that everybody has been giving him aparty and that Nell is always there, for he hasn't had time to noticehow I'm treating business and coddling--

Jane and Polk and Nell and Caroline and Lee and everybody else, including Sallie and the Dominie, have been all over my house all dayand into the scandalous hours of the night, which in Glendale begin ateleven o'clock and pass the limit at twelve, and I don't see how theystand so much of not being alone with each other. It is wearing me out. 

I had positively decided on my own side steps for the scene of myproposal to the Crag, under the honeysuckle vine that still has a fewbrave and hearty blossoms to encourage me, with the harvest moonlooking on, but moons and honeysuckle blossoms wait for no man and nowoman especially. They are both fading, and I've never got the spot tomyself more than a minute at a time yet. The Crag, with absolutely noknowledge of my intentions, except it may be a psychic one, sits thereevery night and smokes and looks out at Old Harpeth and maddens me, while some one of the others walks in and out and around and about andsits down beside him, where I want to be. 

And as for the day time, I am so busy all day long, providing for thisperpetual house-party, that I am dead to even friendship by night. Janeis doing over Glendale from city limits to the river, and I have tospend my time keeping the dear town from finding out what is being doneto it. 

She is hunting out everybody's pet idea or ideal for some sort of changeor improvement to his, especially _his_, native town, and then leadinghim gently up to accomplishing it so that he will think he has done itentirely by himself, but will tell the next man he meets that there isnothing in the world like a tine energetic woman with good horse sense. In fact, Jane is courting the entire male population in a mostscandalous fashion, and they'll be won before they know it. 

"Now, that Confederate monument ought to have been built long ago out ofthat boulder from the river instead of hauling in a slicked-up graniteslab that would er made the Glendale volunteers of '61 feeluncomfortable like they would do in the beds in the city hotels. Greatidea of mine and that Yankee girl's--great idea--hey?" sputtered UnclePeter, after Jane had spent the evening down with him and Aunt Augusta. 

"It is a fine idea, Uncle Peter, " I agreed with a concealed giggle. 

"I've subscribed the first five dollars of the fifty for hauling, setting up and inscribing it, and we are going to let the women givehalf of it out of the egg-money they have got in that Equality QuiltingSociety--some kind of horse sense epidemic has broken out in this town, horse sense, Evelina, hey?" And he went on down the street perfectlydelighted at having at last accomplished his pet scheme. He thought ofit as exclusively his own by now, of course. 

And the monument is just the beginning of what is going to begin inGlendale. Jane says so. 

"There could be no better place than this rural community to try out anumber of theories I have had in political economy as related to theactivities of women, Evelina, " she said to me to-day, looking at me in abenign and slightly confused way from behind her glasses. "Mr. Hayes andI were just talking some of them over to-night, and he seems sointerested in seeing me institute some of the most important ones. Howcould you have ever thought such a man as he is lacking in seriousnessof purpose, dear?"

"I feel sure that it was just my own frivolous streak that called outthe frivolous in Polk, Jane dear, " I answered with trepidation, hopingand praying that the inquisition would not go much further, and tryingto remember just what I had written her about Polk. 

"It may have been that, " Jane answered, in a most naïvely relieved toneof voice. "But you don't know how happy I am, dear, to see that thatstreak is only an occasional charming vein that shows in you, but thatyou are now settling down steadily to your profession. I feel sure thatwhen these garden drawings are done, you and Mr. Hall will have foundyour correct places in each other's lives and it will be just a gloriousexample of how superbly a man and woman can work together at the sameprofession. Mr. Hardin and I were talking about it just last night outon the side porch, and though he said very little I could see howgratified he was at the honors that had come to you and how much helikes Mr. Hall. "

That settled it, and I made up my mind that when the Harvest Lady leftus to-night to sink behind Old Harpeth, she wasn't going to leave meweakly lonesome. She doesn't set until two o'clock, and I'm going totake all the time I need. 

And as serious and solemn as I feel over taking such a step for two as Iam deciding on, I can't help looking forward to scribbling a terse andimpersonal account of my having proposed to the man of my choice in thisstrong-minded book, adding a few words of sage advice for the Five, locking it and handing it, key and all, to Jane with a dramatic demandthat she put her hundred thousand dollars in the Trust Company and beginto choose the Five from those she has had in mind. 

Then before she has had time to read it, I am going to sneakily get itback and blot or tear out some of the things I have written. I candecide later what will be data and what will be dangerous to the cause. 

"And you will be glad to have me--come and live for a time in your homelife, dear?" Jane recalled me to the question in hand by sayingwistfully. "I feel that I have never had such good friends before, anywhere, as these of yours are to me, Evelina, " she added. 

That's one time I got Jane completely in my arms and showed her what areally good hugging means south of Mason and Dixon's line. From laterdevelopments I am glad she had that slight initiation. It must have beenserviceable to her New England disposition. 

Then just as I was going to ask some of the plans she--and Polk--hadmade, over came Cousin Jasmine, with Cousin Annie and Mary, with Mrs. Hargrove puffing along behind them. They had come to see Jane, but Iwas allowed to stay and have my breath knocked out by their mission. 

It seems Jane had got a great big book from some firm in New York thattells alt about herb-growing, and how difficult it is to get the onesneeded for condiments and perfumes, and offering to buy first-classlavender and thyme and bergamot and sweet fern and things of that kindin any quantities at a good price. She had shown it to the little oldladies who had been secretly grieving at the separation from theirgarden out on their poorly rented farm, and the leaven had worked--onMrs. Hargrove also. They go back to the farm and she with them! She haddecided on raising mint to both dry and ship fresh, because he of thegay pajamas always liked to have it strong and fresh for the julep ofhis ancestors. I hope she won't forget to take that pattern of Japaneseextraction with her and make some for the Crag now and then, for it willsave my time. Horrors!

"We have fully decided on our course of action, Jane, and Evelina, dears, " said Cousin Jasmine in a positive little manner that she wouldhave been as incapable of a month ago, as is a pet kitten of barking atthe family dog, "but we do so dread to break it to dear James, becausewe feel that he may think we are not happy under his roof and bedistressed. Do you believe we shall be able to make him see that we mustpursue our independent life, though always needing the support of hisaffection and interest?"

"I believe you will, Cousin Jasmine, " I said, wanting to both laugh andcry to see the Crag's burdens begin to roll off his shoulders like this. And the tears that didn't rise would have been real ones, too, for Ifound that, down in the corner of my heart, I had adored the picture ofmy oak with the tender little old vines clinging around him. It was theproducing gourd I had most objected to and I couldn't see but she wouldbe there until I unclasped her tendrils. 

But I was forgetting that, in the modern theory of thought-waves, it isthe simplest minds that get the ripples first and hardest. Sallie cameover just as soon as the other delegation had got home to take the twinsoff her hands. Jane had gone upstairs to make more calculations on ourreconstruction, and I was trying to get a large deep breath. 

"Evelina. " she said, as she sank in a chair near me and fastened herlarge, very young-in-soul, eyes on mine, "were you just joking Nell, ordid you mean it, when you said the other day that you thought it wouldbe cowardly of a woman not to show a man that she loved him, if he forany reason was not willing to make the first advances to her?" Sallie isperfectly lovely in the faint lavender and pink things that Jane madeher decide to get in one conversation, whereas while Nell and Carolineand I had been looking up and bringing her surreptitious samples of allcolors from the store all summer. 

"Well, I don't know that I exactly meant Nell to take it all to heart, "I answered without the slightest suspicion of what was coming. "But I dothink, Sallie, it would be no more than honest, fearless, and within awoman's own greater rights. "

"Mr. Haley was saying the other evening that a woman's sweet dependencewas a man's most precious heritage, " Sallie gently mused out on theatmosphere that was beginning to be pretty highly charged. 

"Doesn't a woman have to depend on her husband's tenderness and care allof the time--time she is bearing a child, Sallie, even up to theasafoetida spoon crisis?" I asked with my cheeks in a flame butdetermined to stand my ground. "It does seem to me that nature puts herin a position to demand so much support from him in those times that sheought to rely on herself when she can. Especially as she is likely tobring an indefinite number of such crises into their joint existence. "

Sallie laughed, for she remembered the high horse I had mounted on thesubject of Mamie and Ned Hall the day after the Assembly dance. 

And as I laughed suddenly a picture I had seen down at the Hall'sflashed across my mind. I had gone down to tell Mamie something AuntAugusta wanted her to propose next day at a meeting of the EqualityLeague about drinking water in the public school building. Mamie haslearned to make, with pink cheeks and shining eyes, the quaintest littlespeeches that always carry the house--and even made one at a publicmeeting when we invited the men to hand over our fifty dollars for themonument. Ned's face was a picture as he held a ruffle of her muslingown between his fingers while she stood up to do it. 

But the picture that flashed through my mind was dearer than that and Iput it away in that jewel-box that I am going to open some day for myown man. 

Both Mamie's nurse and cook had gone to the third funeral of the seasonand Mamie was feeding the entire family in the back yard. The kiddieswere sitting in a row along the top of the back steps, eating cookiesand milk, with bibs around their necks, --from the twelve year oldJennie, who had tied on hers for fun, down to the chubby-kins next tothe baby, --and Mamie was sitting flat on the grass in front of themnursing little Ned, with big Ned sitting beside her with his arm aroundboth her and the baby. He was looking first down into her face, and thenat the industrious kiddie getting his supper from the maternal fount, and then at the handsome bunch on the steps, as he alternately munched abite of his cookie and fed Mamie one, to the delight of the children. The expression on his face as he looked at them, and her, and ate andlaughed, is what is back of all that goes to make the American nationthe greatest on earth. Amen!

"Sallie, " I said, as I reached out and took her plump white hand inmine, "our men are the most wonderful in the world and they are ours anyway we get them. They don't care how it is done, and neither do we, justso we belong in the right way. "

"Then you don't think it would be any harm for me to tell Mr. Haley Ithink I could live on eighteen hundred dollars a year, until he getssent to a larger church?" was the bomb that, thus encouraged, Sallieexploded in my face. 

I'm awfully glad that I didn't get a chance to answer, for I don't wantto be responsible for the future failure or success of Mr. Haley'sministry. Just then Henrietta burst into the room with the Kitten in herarms. 

"Keep her for me, Evelina, please, ma'am, " she said, with the dearestlittle chuckle, but not forgetting the polite "please, " which Jane hadhad to suggest to her just once. What you've done for that waywardunmanageable genius of a child, Jane dear, makes you deserve ten of yourown. That is--help!

"Cousin Augusta and Nell and Dickie and me is a going out to watch theman put the dyn'mite in the hole to blow the creek right up andGlendale, too, so they can see if they is enough clean water to put inthe waterworks, " she continued to explain. "Nell is a-going to takeDickie in her car, and Cousin Augusta is a-going to take me and UnclePeter in her buggy. Dilsie have got the Kit and Cousin Marfy isa-watching to see she don't do nothing wrong with her. Oh, may I go, Sallie? Jane said I must always ask you. "

"Yes, dearest, " answered Sallie, immensely flattered by the deferencethus paid her. 

"How wonderful an influence the little talks Mr. Haley has had withHenrietta have had on her, " she said, with such a happy glow on her faceas the reformed one departed that I succeeded in suppressing the laughthat rose in me at the memory of Henrietta's account of the first one ofthe series. 

Men need not fear that the time will ever come when they will cease toget the credit for making Earth's wheels go around, from the femaleinhabitants thereof. So I smiled to myself and buried my face in thefragrance under the bubbly Puppy girl's chin and coaxed her arms to clasparound my neck. 

They are the holy throb of a woman's life--babies. Less than tenwouldn't satisfy me unless well scattered in ages, Jane. On somequestions I am not modern. 

"Still I do feel so miserable leaving Cousin James so alone all winter, "Sallie continued with the most beautiful sympathy in her voice, as shelooked out of the window towards Widegables. "I wonder if I ought tomake up my mind to stay with him? He loves the children so, and you knowthe plans of Cousin Jasmine and the others to go back to their farm. "

"But he'll have his mother left, " I said quietly but very encouragingly. I seemed to see the little green tendril that had unclasped from the oakturning on its stem and winding tight again. 

"Miss Mathers was encouraging Cousin Martha to go to Colorado to seeElizabeth and her family for a long visit this winter. She hasn't seenElizabeth since her mother died and she was so much interested in theeasy way of traveling these days, as Miss Mathers described it, that sheasked her to write for a time-table and what a ticket costs, just thismorning. I really ought not to desert Cousin James. "

"But think how lonely Mr. Haley is down in the parsonage and of hisinfluence on Henrietta, " I urged. 

"Yes, I do feel drawn in both ways, " sighed the poor tender gourd. "Andthen you will be here by yourself, so you can watch over Cousin James, as much as your work will allow you, can't you, Evelina?"

"Yes, I'll try to keep him from being too much alone, " I answered withthe most deceitful unconcern. 

"I see him coming to supper and I must go, for I want to be with him allI can, if I am to leave him so soon. I may not make up my mind to it, "with which threat Sallie departed and left me alone in the gloaming, asituation which seems to be becoming chronic with me now. 

If I had it, I'd give another hundred thousand dollars to the cause, tohear that interview between Sallie and the Dominie. I wager he'll neverknow what happened and would swear it didn't, if confronted with awitness. 

And also I felt so nervous with all this asking-in-marriage surging inthe atmosphere that it was with difficulty that I sat through supperand listened to Jane and Polk, who had come in with her, plan townsewerage. To-morrow night I knew the moon wouldn't rise until eleveno'clock, and how did I know anyway that Sallie's emancipation might notget started on the wrong track and run into my Crag? His chivalry wouldnever let him refuse a woman who proposed to him and he'll be in dangeruntil I can do it and tell the town about it. 

Jane and Polk had promised Dickie and Nell to motor down Providence Roadas far as Cloverbend in the moonlight, and I think Caroline and Lee weregoing too. Polk looked positively agonized with embarrassed sorrow atleaving me all alone, and it was with difficulty that I got them off. Ipleaded the greatest fatigue and my impatience amounted to crossness. 

After they had gone I dismissed Jasper and Petunia and locked the backdoors, put out all the lights in the house and retired to the sidesteps, determined to be invisible no matter who called--and wait!

And for one mortal hour there I sat alone in that waning old moonlight, that grew colder and paler by the minute, while the stiff breeze thatpoured down from Old Harpeth began to be vicious and icy as it nipped myears and hands and nose and sent a chill down to my very toes. 

Nobody came and there I sat!

Finally, with the tears tangling icily in my lashes, I got up and wentinto the house and lighted the fat pine under the logs in the hall. Theyhad lain all ready for the torch for a whole year, just as I had lainfor a lifetime until a few weeks ago. Then suddenly they blazed--as Ihad done. 

My condition was pitiable. I felt that all nature had deserted me, theclimate, Indian summer, the harvest moon and my own charm, but my headwas up and I was going to crackle pluckily along to my blaze, so Iturned towards the door to go across the road and put my fate to thetest, even if I took pneumonia standing begging at his front door. Ihoped I would find him in the lodge and--

"Evelina, " he exclaimed as he burst open my door, flung himself into thefirelight and seized my arm like a robber baron of the Twelfth Century, making a grab for his lady-love in the midst of her hostile kindred, "Ithought I would never get here! I ran all the way up from the office. Here's a telegram from Mr. Hall that says that the two roads have mergedand will take the bluff route past Glendale, and give us the shops, --andwants to appoint me the General Attorney for the Southern Section. Theywant me to come on to New York by the first train. Can you marry me inthe morning so we can take the noon express from Bolivar? I won't gowithout you. Please, dear, please, " and as he stood and looked at me inthe firelight, all the relief and excitement over his news died out ofhis lovely eyes and just the want of me filled them from their verydepths. 

For several interminable centuries of time I stood perfectly still andlooked into them daringly, drinking my fill for the first time andoffering him a like cup in my own. 

"Eve, " he said so softly that I doubt if he really spoke the word. 

"Adam!" I let myself go, and at last pressed my answer against his lipsas he folded me tight and safe. 

It must have been some time after, I am sure I don't know how long, butI was most beautifully adjusted against his shoulder and he had my handpressed to his cheek, when the awfulness of what had happened brought mestraight up on my own feet and almost out of his arms. 

"Oh, how could you have done it!" I fairly wailed, as I thought of whatthis awful complication was going to lose for the Five to whom I feltmore tender in that second than I had ever felt before. 

"Done what?" he demanded in alarm, pressing both my hands against hisbreast and drawing me towards him again. 

"Asked me to marry you when I--"

"I have been fighting desperately to see some way to offer myself andall my impedimenta to you all this time, and this has made it all right, don't you see, dear?" he interrupted me to say, as he took possession ofme again and held me with a tender fierceness, which had more ofsuffering in it than passion. "I have always wanted you, Eve, sincebefore you went away, but it didn't seem right to ask you to come into alife so encumbered as mine was. Poverty made it seem impossible, butnow, if you will be just a little patient with them all, I canarrange--"

"I was going to arrange all that my own self, and now just see what youhave done to me and a whole lot of other women, besides making memiserable all summer, " and crowded so close under his chin that hecouldn't see my face, I told him all about the tinder-box Jane hadloaded and then set me on the lid to see that it exploded. 

I had just worked myself up to the point of how my incendiary missionwas about to touch off all the other love affairs in town, when he beganto shake so with disrespectful laughter that I felt that my dignity wasabout to demand that I withdraw coldly from his arms, where I had justgot so warm and comfortable and at home; but with the first slightintimation of my intention, which was conveyed by a very feeble indeedloosening of my arms from around his Henry Clay collar, he held mefirmly against him and controlled his unseemly mirth, only I could stillfeel it convulsing his left lung, --though as I had no business beingnear enough to notice it, I felt it only fair not to. 

"Please don't worry about those other Five dear women, " he begged, inthe nicest and most considerate voice possible so that I tightened myarms again as I listened. "If Miss Mathers doesn't feel justified ingiving up the dowries by your--your failure to prove the proposition, wecan just invite them all down here and in Glendale and Bolivar andHillsboro and Providence, to say nothing of the countryside, we canplant them all cozily. I can delicately explain to their choices exactlyhow to let them manage circumstances like--" he illustrated his schemejust here until it took time for me to get breath to listen to the restof his apology--"this and there is no telling, with such a start as thecult has got in the Harpeth Valley already, how far ft will spread. Please forgive me, dear!"

"Yes, " I answered doubtfully. Then I raised my head and looked him fullin the face as I made my declaration calmly but with the perfectconviction that I still have and always will have, world without end. "Yes, but don't you think for one minute I don't _know_ that what Janeand I and all the most advanced women in the world are trying for is theright and just and the only way for men and women to come logically intothe kind of heritage you and I have stumbled into. Absolute freedom andequality between all human beings is going to be the price of KingdomCome. I shall always be humiliated that I got scared out in thegraveyard and didn't do it to you. It is going to be the regret of mylife. "

"Truly, I'm sorry, sweetheart, " he answered most contritely. "If I wereto take my hat and go back to the gate and come in again properly andlet you do it, would that make you feel any better?"

"No, it wouldn't, " I answered quickly because why should I be separatedfrom him all the two and a half minutes it would take to play out thatfarce, when I have been separated from him all the twenty-five yearsthat stretch from now back until the day of my birth? "I am going tobear it bravely and hold up my head and tell Jane--"

"I wouldn't bother to hold up my head to tell her, Evelina, " came fromthe doorway in Polk's delighted drawl as he and Jane stepped into theroom. "Pretty comfortably placed, that head, I should say. "

"Oh, Jane!" I positively wailed as I extracted myself from the Crag'sgray arms and buried myself in Jane's white serge ones that opened toreceive me. And the seconds that I rested silently there Polk spent inshaking both of the Crag's hands and pounding him on the back so that Igrew alarmed. 

"I didn't do it, Jane, I didn't do it, " I almost sobbed with fear ofwhat her disappointment was going to be. "He beat me to it!"

"Truly. I'm sorry, " Cousin James added to my apology as he stood withhis arm on Polk's shoulder. 

"I dare you, _dare_, you to tell 'em, Jane, " Polk suddenly said, comingover and putting a hand on one of my shoulders and one on Jane's. 

"Evelina and Mr. Hardin, " Jane answered gallantly with her head assumingits lovely independent pose, but with the most wonderful blush spreadingthe beauty that always ought to have been hers all over her one-timeplain face, "the wager stands as won by Evelina Shelby. She had properlyprepared the ground and sowed the seed of justice and right thinkingthat I--I harvested to-night. I had the honor of offering marriage toMr. Hayes just about fifteen minutes ago. I consider that mode ofprocedure proved as feasible and as soon as I have received my answer, whatever it is, I shall immediately proceed with making the endowmentand choosing the five young women according to the agreement. "

"Polk!" I exclaimed, turning to him in a perfect panic of alarm. Couldhe be trifling with Jane?

"Evelina, " answered Polk, giving me a shake and a shove over in thedirection of the Crag, "you ought to know me better than to think Iwould answer such a question as Jane put to me, while driving a crankycar in waning moonlight. If you and James will just mercifully betakeyourselves out there on the porch in the cold for a few minutes I willtry and add my data to this equality experiment with due dignity. Go!"

We went!

"Love-woman, " whispered the Crag, after I had broken it to him that wewere going to be a Governor of Tennessee, and not a railroad attorney, and he had crooned his "Swing Low" over me and rocked me against hisbreast for a century of seconds, down on my old front gate, "you areright about the whole question. I see that, and I want to help--but ifI'm stupid about life, will you hold my hand in the dark?"

"Yes, " I answered with both generosity and courage. 

And truly if the world is in the dusk of the dawn of a new day, what canmen and women do but cling tight and feel their way--together?