, silver hair stood up all over his head, in defiant contrast to
the tanned, unwrinkled skin. He was clean-shaven, and looked less than
his age, which was fifty-eight.

All through the dinner he wondered anxiously what could so affect his
daughter, and how he could find out without intruding himself upon her
confidence. His great love for his child had developed in the Elder
subtle delicacies of feeling which are as the fragrance of love's
humility. In the afternoon Loo, dressed for walking, met him, and, of
her own accord, began the conversation:

"Father, I want to talk to you."

The Elder put down the water-bucket he had been carrying, and drew the
shirt-sleeves over his nervous brown arms, whether out of unconscious
modesty or simple sense of fitness it would be impossible to say. She
went on hesitatingly, "I want to know--Do you think Mr. Bancroft's
strong, stronger than--Seth Stevens?"

The Elder gave his whole thought to the problem. "P'r'aps," he said,
after a pause, in which he had vainly tried to discover how his daughter
wished him to answer, "p'r'aps; he's older and more sot. There ain't
much difference, though. In five or six years Seth'll be a heap
stronger than the schoolmaster; but now," he added quickly, reading his
daughter's face, "he ain't man enough. He must fill out first."

She looked up with bright satisfaction, and twining her hands round his
arm began coaxingly:

"I'm goin' to ask you for somethin', father. You know you told me
that on my birthday you'd give me most anythin' I wanted. Wall, I want
somethin' this month, not next, as soon as I can get it--a pianner. I
guess the settin'-room would look smarter-like, an' I'd learn to play.
All the girls do East," she added, pouting.

"Yes," the Elder agreed thoughtfully, doubting whether he should follow
her lead eastwards, "I reckon that's so. I'll see about it right off,
Loo. I oughter hev thought of it before. But now, right off," and as
he spoke he laid his large hand with studied carelessness on her
shoulder--he was afraid that an intentional caress might be inopportune.

"I'm cert'in Mr. Bancroft's sisters play, an' I--" she looked down
nervously for a moment, and then, still blushing deeply, changed the
attack: "He's smart, ain't he, father? He'd make a good lawyer, wouldn't
he?"

"I reckon he would," replied the Elder.

"I'm so glad," the girl went on hurriedly, as if afraid to give herself
time to think of what she was about to