“But I’m as different from Nancy Ellen
as night from day,” said Kate, “besides,
woe is me, I didn’t wear a pink dress and pick
you from the berry patch in a blue bowl.”
Then the man released her hand and laughed.
“You wouldn’t have had the slightest trouble,
if you had been there,” he said.
“Except that I should have inverted my bowl,”
said Kate, calmly. “I am looking for a
millionaire, riding a milk-white steed, and he must
be much taller than you and have black hair and eyes.
Good-bye, brother! I will see you this evening.”
Then Kate went down the path to deliver the telescope,
render her thanks, make her promise of speedy payment,
and for the first time tell her good news about her
school. She found that she was very happy as
she went and quite convinced that her first flight
would prove entirely successful.
“Hello, Folks!” cried Kate, waving
her hand to the occupants of the veranda as she went
up the walk. “Glad to find you at home.”
“That is where you will always find me unless
I am forced away on business,” said her brother
as they shook hands.
Agatha was pleased with this, and stiff as steel,
she bent the length of her body toward Kate and gave
her a tight-lipped little peck on the cheek.
“I came over, as soon as I could,” said
Kate as she took the chair her brother offered, “to
thank you for the big thing you did for me, Agatha,
when you lent me that money. If I had known where
I was going, or the help it would be to me, I should
have gone if I’d had to walk and work for my
board. Why, I feel so sure of myself!
I’ve learned so much that I’m like the
girl fresh from boarding school: ’The
only wonder is that one small head can contain it
all.’ Thank you over and over and I’ve
got a good school, so I can pay you back the very
first month, I think. If there are things I
must have, I can pay part the first month and the
remainder the second. I am eager for pay-day.
I can’t even picture the bliss of having that
much money in my fingers, all my own, to do with as
I please. Won’t it be grand?”
In the same breath said Agatha: “Procure
yourself some clothes!” Said Adam: “Start
a bank account!”
Said Kate: “Right you are! I shall
do both.”
“Even our little Susan has a bank account,”
said Adam, Jr., proudly.
“Which is no reflection whatever on me,”
laughed Kate. “Susan did not have the
same father and mother I had. I’d like
to see a girl of my branch of the Bates family start
a bank account at ten.”
“No, I guess she wouldn’t,” admitted
Adam, dryly.
“But have you heard that Nancy Ellen has started?”
cried Kate. “Only think! A lawn-mower!
The house and barn to be painted! All the dinge
possible to remove scoured away, inside! She
must have worn her fingers almost to the bone!
And really, Agatha, have you seen the man?
He’s as big as Adam, and just fine looking.
I’m simply consumed with envy.”
