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"Now you're shouting!" applauded Gene, also with the intent to be shocking

"THAT'S the stuff," approved Clark, grinning at Evadna's horrified eyes

"Grant can run over me sharp-shod and I won't say a word, for what he did day before yesterday," declared Jack, opening his eyes and looking straight at Evadna "You don't see any tears rolling down MY cheeks, I hope?"

"Good Injun's the stuff, all right He'd 'a' licked the hull dae you use," Phoebe ad of praise

"I don't care--I think it's perfectly awful" Evadna looked distastefully upon her breakfast "I just can't sleep in that room, Aunt Phoebe I tried not to think about it, but it opens right that way"

"Huh!" snorted Wally "Board up the , then, so you can't see the fatal spot!" His gray eyes twinkled "I could DANCE on it myself," he said, just to horrify her--which he did Evadna shivered, pressed her wisp of handkerchief against her lips, and left the table hurriedly

"You boys ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" Phoebe scolded half-heartedly; for she had lived long in the wild, and had seen much that was raw and primitive "You must take into consideration that Vadnie isn't used to such things Why, great grief! I don't suppose the child ever SAW a dead man before in her life--unless he was laid out in church with flower-anchors piled knee-deep all over hiht before her very eyes--and by the man she expects--or did expect toat it the way she does It isn't Vadnie's fault It's the way she's been raised"

"Well," observed Wally in thean ulti!"

A little later, Phoebe boldly invaded the secret cha the rocks which foran, laying her hand upon his shoulder as he knelt before her, straining at a heavy rock, "Mother Hart is going to give you a little piece of herthat's none of her business ive ood medicine," he assured her But he kept his head bent so that his hat quite hid his face fro tenseness in his voice

"About Vadnie--and you I notice you don't speak--you haven't that I've seen, since that day--on the porch You don't want to be too hard on her, Grant Res She looks at it different She's never seen the times, as I have, where it's kill or be killed Be patient with her, Grant--and don't feel hard She'll get over it I want," she stopped because her voice was beginning to shake "--I want est boy to be happy" Her hand slipped around his neck and pressed his head against her knee