felt that a friend of mine was here as guardian. Oh, I know
what you mean! But I have the safety of my family to consider instead of
a girl's whims."

She did not argue the matter. His peppery impatience was increasing.
This time he was not departing with his customary bland hopefulness.
She knew the sort of selfishness her father possessed and how he avoided
scenes that troubled his smug serenity. But on this occasion he seemed
to be impelled by some urgent reason outside of mere anxiety to be away
from complaining tongues.

He hurried out of the house and went to the stable, and she said no
further word.

Ten minutes later he drove away, flinging a kiss to his womenfolks from
the finger tips of the yellow gloves.

He headed directly out of the village and drove at a good clip.

However, one might have concluded that Mr. Harnden's destination was not
as clearly settled in his mind as the haste of his departure suggested.
When he came to four corners he pulled up and looked to right and to
left and to the straight ahead. Mr. Harnden was too well acquainted
with all the roads of Egypt and its environs to be confused by anything
except strictly personal and peculiar doubts which had nothing to do
with the matter of destination. He looked up into the heavens, as if he
really wished that he might be able to escape from Egypt by flight. Then
he did literally what the Yankee phrase suggests by way of synonym for
taking counsel--"he looked between the horse's ears." He narrowed
his eyes in meditation and spoke aloud. "I reckon it's only general
nervousness on account of overwork and women's foolishness. There ain't
one chance in ten that they'll get around to it to-day."

Arriving at that comfortable conclusion, Mr. Harnden lighted a cigar and
chirruped to his horse and drove straight on.

The road zigzagged through an alder swamp for some distance, and the
horse footed along slowly because a portion of the way was patched with
sapling "corduroy." And with the impulse of a man who had been obliged
to waste time, and saw an opportunity to get on, Harnden whipped up when
he was again facing a smooth road. Therefore he came suddenly around
the bend of the alders into cleared country and abreast a farm. It was
a farm made up of the alluvial soil of the lowlands and was a rather
pretentious tract of tillage, compared with the other hillside apologies
of Egypt. And the buildings were in fairly good repair. It was the home
o