riends and neighbours. We can't go back on them just 'cause
their kin across the seas have taken to fighting. Our Germans have, so
to speak, married in our family, and we must stand by 'em." Peter was
voicing his unrest. Polly saw the trouble in his face.

"Of course, brother, and I only meant that lately so many things are
stirring in the Forest that it seems more like the Forest wasn't a
scrap set off by itself. I seem to have lots of scraps floating in my
mind lately--things I've heard, and all are taking on meaning now. I
remember someone saying, I guess it was the Bishop, that in a drop of
ocean water, there was all that went into the ocean's making, except
size. That didn't mean anything until Brace set me to--to turning over
in my mind, and, Peter, it seems terrible sensible now. All the big,
big world is just little scraps of King's Forests welded all together
and every King's Forest is a drop of the world."

Peter looked gravely troubled as men often do when their women take to
thinking on their own lines. Usually the heedless man dismisses the
matter with but small respect, but Peter was not that kind. All his
life he had depended upon his sister's "vision" as he called it. He
might laugh and tease her, but he never took a definite step without
reaching out to her.

"A man must plant his foot solid on the path he knows," he often said,
"but that don't hinder him from lifting his eyes to the sky." And it
was through Aunt Polly's eyes that Peter caught his view of skies.

"I don't exactly like Brace digging down into things so much." Peter
gave a troubled sigh. "Some things ain't any use when they are dug
up."

"But some things _are_, brother. We must know."

"Well, by gosh!" Peter began to sway toward the door like a heavily
freighted side-wheeler. "I get to feeling sometimes as if I'd kicked
over a hornet's nest and wasn't certain whether it was a last year's
one or this year's. In one case you can hold your ground, in the other
you best take to your heels. Well, I'm going to leave you, Polly, for
your date with your young man. Don't forget the fire and don't set up
too long."

Left to herself, Polly neatly folded her knitting and stuck the
glistening needles through it. She folded her small, shrivelled hands
and a radiant smile touched her old face.

Oh! the luxury of _daring_ to sit up for a man. The excitement of the
adventure! And while she waited and brooded, Polly was thinking as she
had never