ung Adam. "I hope something worse that
this happens to him. If ever I see Father begin to be the least bit
like him as he grows older I shall----"

"Well, what shall you do?" asked Kate, as he paused.

"Tell Ma!" cried young Adam, emphatically.

Kate leaned her face in her hands and laughed. When she could speak
she said: "Do you know, Adam, I think that would be the very best
thing you could do."

"Why, of course!" said Adam.

They drove swiftly and reached Walden before ten o'clock. There they
inquired their way to the home of the Trustee, but Kate said nothing
about giving up the school. She merely made a few inquiries, asked for
the key of the schoolhouse, and about boarding places. She was
directed to four among which she might choose.

"Where would you advise me to go?" she asked the Trustee.

"Well, now, folks differ," said he. "All those folks is neighbours of
mine and some might like one, and some might like another, best. I
COULD say this: I think Means would be the cheapest, Knowls the
dearest, but the last teacher was a good one, an' she seemed well
satisfied with the Widder Holt."

"I see," said Kate, smiling.

Then she and young Adam investigated the schoolhouse and found it far
better than any either of them had ever been inside. It promised every
comfort and convenience, compared with schools to which they had been
accustomed, so they returned the keys, inquired about the cleaning of
the building, and started out to find a boarding place. First they
went to the cheapest, but it could be seen at a glance that it was too
cheap, so they eliminated that. Then they went to the most expensive,
but it was obvious from the house and grounds that board there would be
more than Kate would want to pay.

"I'd like to save my digestion, and have a place in which to study,
where I won't freeze," said Kate, "but I want to board as cheaply as I
can. This morning changes my plans materially. I shall want to go to
school next summer part of the time, but the part I do not, I shall
have to pay my way, so I mustn't spend money as I thought I would. Not
one of you will dare be caught doing a thing for me. To make you safe
I'll stay away, but it will cost me money that I'd hoped to have for
clothes like other girls."

"It's too bad," said Adam, "but I'll stick to you, and so will Ma."

"Of course you will, you dear boy," said Kate. "Now let's try our
third place; it is not far from here."

S