un dropping behind a white wall of
bloom. Then she slowly turned, life's greatest tragedy lining her
face, her breath coming in short gasps. She spread her hands at each
side, as if to balance herself, her passing soul in her eyes, and
looked at Kate.

"Katherine Eleanor," she said slowly and distinctly, "I'm going now. I
can't fight it off any longer. I confess myself. I burned those
deeds. Every one of them. Pa got himself afire, but he'd thrown THEM
out of it. It was my chance. I took it. Are you going to tell them?"

Kate was standing as tall and straight as her mother, her hands
extended the same, but not touching her.

"No," she said. "You were an instrument in the hands of God to right a
great wrong. No! I shall never tell a soul while I live. In a minute
God himself will tell you that you did what He willed you should."

"Well, we will see about that right now," said Mrs. Bates, lifting her
face to the sky. "Into thy hands, O Lord, into thy hands!"

Then she closed her eyes and ceased to breathe. Kate took her into her
arms and carried her to her bed.

CHAPTER XXII

SOMEWHAT OF POLLY

IF THE spirit of Mrs. Bates hovered among the bloom-whitened apple
trees as her mortal remains were carried past the lilacs and cabbage
rose bushes, through a rain of drifting petals, she must have been
convinced that time had wrought one great change in the hearts of her
children. They had all learned to weep; while if the tears they shed
were a criterion of their feelings for her, surely her soul must have
been satisfied. They laid her away with simple ceremony and then all
of them went to their homes, except Nancy Ellen and Robert, who stopped
in passing to learn if there was anything they could do for Kate. She
was grieving too deeply for many words; none of them would ever
understand the deep bond of sympathy and companionship that had grown
to exist between her and her mother. She stopped at the front porch
and sat down, feeling unable to enter the house with Nancy Ellen, who
was deeply concerned over the lack of taste displayed in Agatha's new
spring hat. When Kate could endure it no longer she interrupted: "Why
didn't all of them come?"

"What for?" asked Nancy Ellen.

"They had a right to know what Mother had done," said Kate in a low
voice.

"But what was the use?" asked Nancy Ellen. "Adam had been managing the
administrator business for Mother and paying her taxes with his, of
cou