atted Polly's shoulder. "Have it your
own way, but I see it at _this_ angle. Give Larry what he wants;
Maclin has Larry, anyway, but if he keeps him here where we can watch
what's going on, I'll feel easier. He'll show his hand on the Point,
take my word for it. Larry gallivanting is one thing, Larry with
Twombley and Peneluna, not to mention us all, is another. You let go,
Mary-Clare, and see what happens."

"Well, I hold"--Aunt Polly was curiously stubborn--"that Larry Rivers
don't want that Point any more than a toad wants a pocket."

"All right, all right!" Peter grew red and his hair sprang up. "Put it
as you choose. This may bring things to a head. I swear the whole
world is like a throbbing and thundering boil--it's got to bust, the
world and King's Forest. I say, then, let 'em bust and have done with
it."

At four o'clock the business of the day was over and Mary-Clare was
ready to start. Then Noreen, with the perversity of children,
complicated matters.

"Motherly, let me go, too," she pleaded.

"Childie, Mother wants to be alone."

"Why for?"

"Because, well, I must think."

"Then let me stay home with Jan-an."

"Dearie, I'm going to send Jan-an back here."

"Why for?"

"Mary-Clare," Peter broke in, "that child is perishing for a
paddling."

Noreen ran to Peter and hugged him.

"You old grifferty-giff!" she whispered, falling into her absurd
jargon, "just gifferting."

Then she went back to her mother and said impishly:

"I know! You don't want me to see my father!" Then, pointing a finger
at Mary-Clare, she demanded: "Why didn't you pick a nice father for me
when you were picking?"

The irrelevancy of the question only added to its staggering effect.
Mary-Clare looked hopelessly at her child.

"I didn't have any choice, Noreen," she said.

"You mean God gave him to you?"

"See here, Noreen"--Polly Heathcote rose to the call--"stop pestering
your mother with silly talk. Come along with me, we'll make a mess of
taffy."

"All right!" Noreen turned joyously to this suggestion, but paused to
add: "If God gave my father to us, I s'pose we must make the best of
it. God knows what He is doing--Jan-an says He even knew what He was
doing when He nearly spoiled her."

With this, Aunt Polly dragged Noreen away and Mary-Clare left the
house haunted by what Noreen had said. Children can weave themselves
into the scheme of life in a vivid manner, and this Noreen had done.
In her dealings with