ng, curving
grace of her flight. Clara glided; her effect of motionless movement was
almost obsidian. Chiquita kept the slow, languid gait, both swaying and
pulsating, of a Spanish woman. Lulu trotted with the brisk, pleasing
activity of a Morgan pony.

Their skirts had been shortened; they rippled away from slim ankles.
The swathing, wing-like draperies had disappeared; their slit sleeves
fluttered away from bare shoulders. The women did not pause. They came
on steadily, their eyes fixed on the group of men.

The faces in that group had changed in expression. Ralph's became black
and lowering. Honey looked surprised but interested; his color did not
vary; Billy turned a deep brick-red. Pete went white. Frank Merrill
alone studied the phenomenon with the cool, critical eye of scientific
observation.

The women paused at a little distance where the path dipped to coil
around a little knoll. They abandoned the path to climb this knoll; they
climbed it with surprising ease; they almost flew up the sides. They
stood there silently grouped about Julia. For an instant the two parties
gazed at each other.

Then, "What does this mean, Peachy?" Ralph asked sternly.

Julia answered for Peachy.

"It means--rebellion," she said. "It means that we have decided among
ourselves that we will not permit you to cut Angela's wings. It means
that rather than have you do that, we will leave you, taking our
children with us. If you will promise us that you will not cut Angela's
wings nor the wings of any child born to us, we in our turn will promise
to return to our homes and take our lives up with you just where we left
off."

A confused murmur arose from the men. Ralph leaped to his feet. He made
a movement in the direction of the women, involuntary but violent.

The women shrank closer to Julia. They turned white, but they waited.
Julia did not stir.

"Go home, you--" Ralph stopped abruptly and choked something back.

"Go at once!" Billy added sternly.

"I'm ashamed of you, Clara," Pete said.

"Better go back, girls," Honey advised. He tried to make his tone
authoritative. But in spite of himself, there lingered a little pleading
in it. To make up, he unmasked the full battery of his coaxing smile,
his quizzical frown, his snapping dimples. "We can't let Angela fly
after she's grown up. It isn't natural. It isn't what a woman should be
doing."

Frank said nothing.

Julia looked at them steadily an instant.

"Come!" sh