o do most
fellers. The boys round here ain't your kind. I don't wonder you don't
notice 'em. But they's fine chaps down there," pointing down the stream,
"lawyers, and doctors and teachers."

The girl looked at her brother a little curiously as though wondering if
he meant more than he said.

"Well, this is the first time you've tried to marry me off! Mammy talks
that way and Ellen wants me to choose a career, but I thought you loved
Merryvale like I do and were only sorry to go away."

"It's natural for the human being ter marry," Tom went on sententiously.
"Don't think I will though," he added, "Ef you marry you don't have a
chance to think. Now it might be, jest as I was thinking something very
important, my wife 'ud interrupt and have a baby!"

There was a finality in this remark that left them in silence, and
dropping plans for the future they watched the light clouds gather in
masses in the deep blue sky until it was time to start homeward.

When they were within a short distance of the great house, rain began to
fall, and by the time they had reached the live-oaks there was a
downpour.

"Come up here," Lee Merryvale called authoritatively from the porch.

It was the front porch and they had no thought of setting foot on it,
expecting instead to run for shelter to the kitchen door. Hertha moved
forward but Tom drew back until Merryvale again commanded them to come.

"You're wet," he said to Hertha as she stepped on the porch. And then
turning sharply to Tom: "Can't you take care of your sister better than
this?"

"I'm all right," Hertha said quickly, abashed at the importance given to
her. "Come up, Tom," she said calling to him, but he remained standing
in the rain.

"You can go home if you want," Lee Merryvale nodded his head toward Tom,
"and Hertha can stay here until it stops. Don't you know we're sure to
have a shower in the afternoon?"

"It arrived ahead of time to-day," Hertha explained. And then noting Tom
on the wet sand, the rain beginning to soak through his coat, her
motherliness got the better of her embarrassment. "Come up on the
porch," she said coaxingly. "I'll run upstairs and get a coat I keep
here for just such a time as this. I won't be a moment. Please!"

He mounted the steps to please her and then walked to the end that was
furthest from Merryvale.

The white man sat down in a porch chair, threw his head back, crossed
his knees, and began to smoke.

"You smoke, Tom?"

"No,