would have resented having a
motherless little brother and a long-legged girl neighbor eternally at
their heels, but Sam never had; or, if he did, he gently kicked the Byrd
and me out of the way, and we never knew that was what he was doing. We
even loved him for the kicks. Then as the tears misted across my eyes a
woman with a baby in her arms came out and called in two children who
were playing under the old willow-tree over by the side gate--the willow
that had belonged to Sam and me--and my eyes dried themselves with
indignant astonishment.

"Who are those people over at the Crittendens', mother?" I asked, in a
stern voice, as I walked in and interrupted mother counting the
fifteenth row on a lace mat she was making.

"Why, the Burtons bought the place from Sam after the judge's death.
Don't you remember I wrote you about it, Betty dear?" she answered, with
the gentle placidity with which she has always met all my tragic
moments. Mother raised seven boys before she produced me, and her
capacity for any sort of responsive excitement gave out long before I
needed it. After her sons a woman seems to consider a daughter just a
tame edition of a child. Mother has calmly crocheted herself through
every soul-storm I have ever had, and she is the most dear and
irresponsible parent an executive girl would wish to have leave her
affairs alone. As for daddy, he has always smiled and beckoned me away
from her into a corner and given me what I was making a stand for. My
father loves me with such confidence that he pays no attention to me
whatever except when he thinks it is about time for him to write my name
on a check. His phosphate deals have made him rich in an
un-Hayesboro-like way, and all the boys are in business for him in
different states, except the oldest one, who is Congressman from this
district, and one other who is in a Chicago bank. Yes, I know I have the
most satisfactorily aloof family in the wide world. I can just go on
feeding on their love and depend upon them not to interfere with any of
my plans for living life. However, if anything happens to me I can be
sure that their love will spring up and growl.

Now, when I stalked into the room and asked about the Crittenden home,
daddy reared his head from his evening paper and immediately took notice
of whatever it was in my voice that sounded as if something had hurt me.

"Daddy," I asked him, with a little gulp, "did Sam--Sam sell his
ancestral home even t