her than Kate ever had thought
it could be lifted. Kate put her arm around her sister-in-law and gave
her a hearty hug: "Tell Adam I'll do what I think is fair and just;
and use all the influence I have to get the others to do the same," she
said.

"Fruitless!" said Agatha. "Fruitless! Reason and justice have
departed from this abode. I shall hasten my pace, and take Adam where
my influence is paramount. The state of affairs here is deplorable,
perfectly deplorable! I shall not be missed, and I shall leave my male
offspring to take the place of his poor, defrauded father."

Adam, 3d, was now a tall, handsome young man of twenty-two, quite as
fond of Kate as ever. He wiped the dishes, and when the evening work
was finished, they talked with Mrs. Bates until they knew her every
wish. The children had planned for a funeral from the church, because
it was large enough to seat the family and friends in comfort; but when
they mentioned this to Mrs. Bates, she delivered an ultimatum on the
instant: "You'll do no such thing!" she cried. "Pa never went to that
church living; I'll not sanction his being carried there feet first,
when he's helpless. And we'll not scandalize the neighbours by fighting
over money on Sunday, either. You'll all come Monday morning, if you
want anything to say about this. If you don't, I'll put through the
business in short order. I'm sick to my soul of the whole thing. I'll
wash my hands of it as quick as possible."

So the families all went to their homes; Kate helped her mother to bed;
and then she and Adam, 3d, tried to plan what would be best for the
morrow; afterward they sat down and figured until almost dawn.

"There's no faintest possibility of pleasing everyone," said Kate. "The
level best we can do is to devise some scheme whereby everyone will
come as nearly being satisfied as possible."

"Can Aunt Josie and Aunt Mary keep from fighting across the grave?"
asked Adam.

"Only Heaven knows," said Kate.

CHAPTER XVII

THE BANNER HAND

SUNDAY morning Kate arose early and had the house clean and everything
ready when the first carriage load drove into the barnyard. As she
helped her mother to dress, Mrs. Bates again evidenced a rebellious
spirit. Nancy Ellen had slipped upstairs and sewed fine white ruching
in the neck and sleeves of her mother's best dress, her only dress, in
fact, aside from the calicoes she worked in. Kate combed her mother's
hair and drew it i