d. "You may ask
Aunt Chris."

He spat a mouthful of tobacco juice into the dust and fingered the torn
brim of his hat.

"I wish you'd jest speak to Miss Chris about 'em," he returned, "an'
send me word by Nick." He gave an awkward lurch on his feet.

The colour flamed in Eugenia's face.

"Aunt Chris will send for the turkeys," she said hurriedly. "Drive on,
Sampson."

She sat splendidly erect, but the autumn landscape was blurred by a
sudden gush of tears.

An hour later she remembered that she had promised to let Nicholas join
her in the pasture, and she left the house with the grievance still at
her heart.

When she saw him it broke out abruptly.

"I am surprised that you keep up with such people," she said.

He looked at her blankly.

"If you mean Bessie Pollard," he rejoined, "she was in trouble and came
to me for advice. I couldn't help her, but I could at least be civil.
She was kind to me when I was in her father's store."

"I do not care to be reminded that you were ever in such a position."

He flinched, but answered quietly:

"I am afraid you will have to face it," he said. "If you become my wife,
you will, unfortunately, have to face a good deal that you might escape
by marrying in your own class--I am not in your class, you know," he
slowly added.

She was conscious of a cloudy irritation which was alien to her usually
beaming moods. The figure of Amos Burr loomed large before her, and she
hated herself for the discovery that she was tracing his sinister
likeness in his son. No, it was only the hair--that was all, but she
loathed the obvious colour.

Her lip trembled and she set her teeth into it.

"You might at least allow me to forget it," she retorted.

"Why should you wish to forget it? I think I shall be proud of it when I
have risen far enough above it to claim you. It is no small thing to be
a self-made man."

She resented the assurance of his tone.

"It is strange that you do not consider my view of it."

"Your view--what is it?"

"That I do not wish the man I love to--to speak to that Pollard girl,"
she gasped.

"Since you wish it, I will avoid her in future. She is nothing to me;
but I can't refuse to speak to her. You are unreasonable."

She was regarding the hovering shade of Amos Burr.

"If you think me unreasonable," she returned, "we may as well--"

He reached her side by a single step and flung his arm about her. Then
he looked into her face and laughed softl