take her hands from under the
bearskins to cover her face. But as I said, I cannot tell you all the
plans and castles they built, nor shall I try.

The wise man buildeth many castles, but he abideth not therein, lest
they crumble about his ears and crush him. Castles built of air often
fall of stone. Therefore, only the foolish man keeps revel in the great
hall or slumbers in the donjon-keep.

* * * * *

Early upon the second Sunday after the Bayses' advent to Indianapolis,
Dic, disdaining the stage, rode a-horseback and covered the distance
before noon. Mr. Bays and Tom received him with open arms. Rita would
have done likewise in a more literal sense could she have had him alone
for a moment. But you can see her smiles and hear her gentle heart
beats, even as Dic saw and heard them. A bunch of cold, bony fingers was
given to Dic by Mother Justice. When he arrived Williams was present
awaiting dinner, and after Mrs. Bays had given the cold fingers, she
said:--

"I suppose we'll have to try to crowd another plate on the table. We
didn't expect an extra guest."

Rita endured without complaint her mother's thrusts when she alone
received them, but rebelled when Dic was attacked. In the kitchen she
told her mother that she would insult Williams if Mrs. Bays again
insulted Dic. The girl was so frightened by her own boldness that she
trembled, and although the mother's heart showed signs of weakness,
there was not time, owing to the scorching turkey, for a total collapse.
There was, however, time for a few random biblical quotations, and they
were almost as effective as heart failure in subduing the insolent,
disobedient, ungrateful, sacrilegious, wicked daughter for whom the fond
mother had toiled and suffered and endured, lo! these many years.

When Rita and her mother returned to the front room to invite the guests
to dinner, Dic thanked Mrs. Bays, and said he would go to the tavern.
Rita's face at once became a picture of woe, but she was proud of Dic's
spirit, and gloried in his exhibition of self-respect. When Mrs. Bays
saw that Dic resented her insult, she insisted that he should remain.
She said there was plenty for all, and that there was more room at the
table than she had supposed. But Dic took his hat and started toward the
door. Tom tried to take the hat from his hand, saying:--

"Nonsense, Dic, you will stay. You must," and Mr. Bays said:--

"Come, come, boy, don't be fo